Today I am writing about productivity 🙂 How can I be more productive with my time and be able to stay focused and achieve the things I want to do as well as all of the other items I manage as a mom.
Over the last number of weeks, I have been asking myself this question and working on finding a solution that suits me.  I find that procrastination can set in for me when I think there is too much to do; this can be immobilising and then the overwhelm starts to creep in and before you know it I’m not getting anywhere fast?!!
As a mom there is always a tonne of stuff to do, not to mention the stuff that just turns up unexpectedly and oftentimes I feel I don’t get enough quality time to dedicate to working on my projects and my Reiki practice so I’ve set myself a goal to try and be more productive and ease up on the overwhelm.
So for the past number of weeks, I have been doing the following:
1) Breaking it all down: On Sunday nights I’ve started preparing for the week ahead by writing down all the things I have to do and putting them into the following categories this avoids things becoming too much, for example, I ask myself the following:
- What’s important and urgent this week? These are the items that I need to focus on first, note this can range across the board from household chores, food shopping, meal prep, work items, courses I am taking, holiday planning and family stuff etc.
- What’s important but not so urgent yet? Whatever ends up here becomes the next set of items that I will work on?
- What’s not really important and not that urgent and can probably wait?
- What stuff on my list can be delegated? This mainly goes to my husband lol!
The idea of separating my massive to-do list into these categories (entitled the magic matrix) came from a book I was reading called ‘Project Me’ the author Kelly even has worksheets which you can download from her site (link below)
This new process has really helped me as now I’ve got my plan prioritised and I know what to focus on first. I’ve found that sometimes I need to break the overall task down even further into smaller chunks. Overall this has been a positive change and working well for me 🙂
2) Extending my workout: I’ve added in a 7-minute-high intensity workout (or minimum effective dose – after watching an interview with Vishen Lakhiani) to my morning routine to help me keep focused and also keep my energy high throughout the day. So now after I finish my yoga (with Adriene on YouTube) I follow it with my short workout.
3) Avoiding distractions: I’m trying to not look at my emails or any social media until later in the morning or sometimes well into lunchtime. This keeps me focused on ensuring I give myself time to exercise, eat right (make my green juice/smoothie) and have quality time with Issey before I tackle anything.
4) Staying mindful and enjoying what I am doing: I stay mindful of the task that I am working on giving it my full attention and also remembering to be kind to myself by ensuring I take regular breaks, sometimes I try and stretch myself and that is where the categories above come in. I review what is a priority. Also, I remember it’s important to enjoy what I am doing– remembering the Maya Angelou quote, ‘determine to live life with flair and laughter’ ;0
5) Sleep: I’ve set myself a bedtime goal of 10pm (all going well) note this doesn’t always happen but I generally make this happen at least 3 nights out of 7 which is good for me, as I used to be a night owl! I find on the nights where I do get to bed early the next day I really do feel the difference.
So, watch this space, I’ll let you know how my productivity is going and if this new system is working out for me.
Moms, I’m interested in hearing from you… do you find it hard to stay productive every day or have you found a system that works for you – I’d love you share with me.
Best wishes & love L X
Links:
Vishen Lakhiani – Minimum Effective Dose
Mom's speaking their truth 