List: Ten ways to get more productive time into your day.

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?