Getting Organized and How to Make the Most out of Your Time !
How to Make a Simple Schedule
As a Mom of five children, one of the hardest things to do is juggle my time to get everything done. As Mother's this never ends or slows down. The laundry continues to pile up, and dishes don't go anywhere. The biggest thing that weighs on our minds are the things that we still have to do. We spend more time thinking about them than actually getting anything accomplished.
So you have to break the cycle of the "get to list." So here's what you do, make a list of absolutely everything that has to be done in a weeks time. Now prioritize your list. write what you absolutely need to get done and in what time frame. Write on a paper the days of the week. Write down on each day the things you have to do.
Once you've done that you want to fill in the days where you don't have as much to do with the other things on your list that you didn't put anywhere yet. That's it, you've now created a simple schedule you can follow without worrying about when stuff will get done and not feeling overwhelmed.
How to Get More Out of Your Time
As Mother's we have a lot of gaps of time that we don't actually fill with anything. What I mean by this is we actually have more time than we think to get things done. Like going to the Doctor or dentist, sport games, cheer leading, dance practice, you get the gist.
These are times when you know you'll be there for at least (usually) an hour or more. During this time bring some things with you to do. I take Christmas cards and fill them out and address them and by the time the holidays come all I have to do is get stamps. I also do this with birthday cards, Father's Day, and Mother's Day cards.
You can buy the cards all at one time and then you don't have to worry about having to get that birthday card you forgot about. These are also perfect times to write thank you notes or even just a hello note.
Practical Everyday Things You Can Start Today, and See a Difference !
There are lots of quick ways to save time here's a list;
* Use scissors to cut sandwiches, grilled cheese, spaghetti, bananas, chicken fingers, jello, vegetables, and meats. You will be amazed at how much you can use scissors for and how much time you save by using them.
* Do a load of laundry every day. I do this as a rule of thumb and I never get behind. I have a family of 7 and am able to keep up on the laundry ! The only time laundry will get overwhelming is if you let it go for a few days and then it seems like forever to get it back under control. Even when I'm sick I don't have to worry about it because how hard is it to do a load of laundry.
* Fold your laundry right out of the dryer, make stacks for each family member and have them put them away, DO NOT put clean clothes in baskets to fold later. What's great about doing it this way is that your clothes are folded, you don't have baskets taking over that you have to get to, and your done. Don't even pull them out of the dryer until you're ready to fold them.
* Make a menu for a week at a time. It only takes about 10 - 15 minutes to figure out what meals your going to have for the following week. Than you know exactly what you need to take out of the freezer the night before. Then you won't find yourself a few hours before dinner needing to figure out what to make.
* Make a list for each store you shop at. Make a grocery store list of exactly what you need for your meals and anything else. If you shop at a few different grocery stores, make a list for each one. Also, make lists for other stores like the Dollar Store or Walmart, where every you shop. That why as you think of things you need just write them on your list. Then when you go shopping you won't get home and say, "Oh man, I forgot."
