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Time Management Tips for Busy Mothers

Are you juggling soccer practice, ballet lessons, and a bake sale? Are you a stay-at-home mom wondering who coined that term anyway? Looking for effective time management tips that will help you get more done?

Mothers often ask one another what sort of time management tips work for them, and one of the most popular answers is prioritization. Sounds simple enough, but once you have this one nailed, half your battles are won.

Write it Down

Just like you make a grocery list, write down a ‘Things to do’ list, but divide them in to three columns: 1. Must Do, 2. Should Do and 3. Want To Do. Post this list in a place where you can see it frequently, perhaps your refrigerator or garage door. For this time management tip to work, it is crucial that you enter all your tasks in the correct column.

Must Do

Must do tasks should consist of those that are time sensitive and which bear repercussions if not completed within a time frame. Paying the electricity bill or registering your child for preschool would be two examples. If not done on time, the electricity could be cut off or preschool admissions could be closed or full.

Should Do

Should do are things you ought to do but are not as urgent as the first column. Examples could be baking a cake for the new neighbor or cleaning the ceiling fans. They need to be done but could be postponed in order to make time for MUST DO things.

Want To Do

Want to do are things you would like to do when you have the time and after the first two columns are completed. Sorting scrapbooking supplies or buying new shoes could be things you could have in this column. Having entries in this column ensures that when you finally do get a moment to yourself, you can look at your WANT TO DO list and do something for you.

Action Plan

Glance at your list the night before so you can plan on how to go about your day. Check off whatever gets done as that sense of accomplishment is very important for moms who do not get a pay check at the end of the week!

Prioritization is an important time management tip because without it we might spend our day ordering balloons and setting up party decorations only to remember we haven’t even ordered the birthday cake. Categorizing your long to-do list makes it seem less daunting and more doable.

This time management tip is not a magic potion that will organize your lifestyle instantly. But once you have your tasks organized in order of importance, you will be making more effective use of your time. It would not be possible to devise a general prioritization list because one size doe not fit all. Every person’s priorities differ, but using this grid week after week has been a time management tip many busy moms say actually work.