Recently my life has gone from full to overflowing.
If my life was a
bathtub, the bathroom would totally be flooded.
My husband got a promotion at work (woo hoo), which is amazing and awful at the same time.
I’m loving the extra money, but his new work schedule really
stinks.
We’re talking Monday
through Friday at 5am to 5pm, Saturdays at 8am to 2pm, & Sunday 6am-12pm.
While it’s definitely good news, it’s costing us a lot of
sleep and putting lots of extra work on me.
All those little things he did that I totally never
appreciated now fall on me, and I’m WIPED.
It puts a whole new
meaning on the saying “you never know what you got until you lose it”!
On top of my hubby’s new work hours, I still have all my
typical stresses at my own job, home, etc.
Add a heaping spoon of buying a house, a layer of the
college class from hell, a sprinkle of potty training…
And you get a gross looking sundae called One Stressed
Out Mama!!!
You think I should
market that? It could totally sell!
While I could spend hours venting, it’s about time I solve
the problem.
Solution: I need more free
time for productivity throughout the day.
No matter how stressed
I am, I always make time to make a list!
Ten ways to get
more productive time into your day.
1. Eliminate redundant tasks.
I’m infamous for this.
I tend to indirectly do the same thing over and over again.
We’ll just blame my
OCD for this one…and do everything possible to stop it.
2. Motivate yourself.
I like to get things done as quickly as possible so I can
have uninterrupted free time later on.
It’s sad when things
like “quiet time” and watching a 30 minute TV show become motivation!
3. Revise your schedule to fit your new needs.
Unfortunately, when one thing in life changes so does almost
everything else. Make it work for you.
When I get into a
routine, it’s real hard for me to break it.
Here’s to deep breathes and new schedules…
4. Prioritize.
It’s important to get priorities straight. Wasted time on unimportant tasks is time you
can’t get back.
I’m constantly wasting
hours on unnecessary things and then have to rush through the priorities.
5. When doing for the present, do for the
future.
You could save time with repetitive daily tasks by making
them weekly activities.
I save time by spending
20 min on Sunday making my lunches for the week instead of 15 min a day. Win!
6. Multitask.
When possible, multitask!
If two tasks are similar, it makes sense to kill two birds with one stone.
If two reports require
the same information, it makes just sense to do them simultaneously.
7. Ask for help.
Whether to save face or out of stubbornness, people are
always afraid to ask for help. Just do
it.
There’s no need to
kill yourself if someone else can ease the burden. Besides, most people LIKE to help!
8. Keep yourself well rested.
Rest might sound counterproductive, but without it you’re
more likely to be slow and full of mistakes.
When I see myself getting
groggy, I go to bed early. I make up for
it by waking up early the next day.
9. If completely necessary, pay for it.
Sometimes it makes sense to pay to have a service done. I don’t like to, but a heart attack ain’t
worth it!
As my wise grandpa
always says, how much money is your time worth?”
10. Make a list!
What better way to reschedule, prioritize, and multitask
then to have a list of everything you need to do!
I mean, what else did
you expect me to say? Lists are the best
thing since, like, ever!!!
How
do you add more productive time to your day?
Ask for help? From whom? :) I enhance my productiveness by waking up early and finishing all kitchen and house chores by 9am after which the whole day can be spent working and doing other things. I do wish I had a butler, though ... a hot one if possible
ReplyDeleteI do my chores in the early morning too Dezzy. I get my laundry going, kitchen chores done, and "to do" list organized for the day before anyone else wakes up.
Deletethat is the way to roll, Debs ... admittedly, I do it to avoid seeing all other house members lol
DeleteWow, those are some nasty hours. But money is always good I guess. Oh yeah, I hire someone else to do it when I can. Like my last move, went smooth as can be because I hired some else to do it instead of bumming friends and family. Saved my back a whole lot of pain too.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your husband's promotion but whew what a schedule! You hit the nail on the head with number 7 and 8
ReplyDeleteSo he gets not a single day off?
ReplyDeleteI got tired reading that post. Your husband's hours are horrific. My game plan when my kids were little and I felt overwhelmed, don't clean the house. It can wait for a few years.
ReplyDeleteyou always do the best job of breaking down how to actually get ish done! I love it. Sometimes half the stupid battle is motivation!
ReplyDelete