Organization Tips For Busy Moms

Being a Mom means juggling many things – chores, the school run, laundry, homework and more! It’s hard to find time for yourself through the daily routine but it’s very important to make the time – for your own sanity!

Happy Mom = Happy Family.

TODAY recently brought in the skills of Productivity expert, Peter Bregman, to assist Sarah Maizes, a busy Mom and regular TODAY columnist, to gain some control in her hectic life.

Before Peter even began giving Sarah any tips, she had already learnt a valuable lesson and it happened while they preparing her living room as a set for the TODAY segment. Sarah said “It was kinda tight in my living room, but they managed to give it a quick makeover, moving tons of small crap out of the way — you know, to make the set look pretty. They hadn’t even started teaching me to be productive, but it was already amazing to me how putting away all of the little stuff that cluttered up my home made a difference. Suddenly, I could breathe. And think! Who knew?”

Peter began by asking Sarah to write down every single activity that she does at home. The key to this task, is to include EVERY single thing you do including simple things and things that you actually enjoy doing – it must not only be chores.

He then left Sarah with four daily goals to help organise her busy life and assist her to be more productive. It’s certainly very practical tips and it’s something we can all give a try:

Tip 1: Out of the list of tasks that you have written, select five of these that bring you the most joy and ensure that you do these daily. The rationale behind this is that you are more likely to be more productive when you actually excited about completing your tasks.

Tip 2: Let go of the mommy guilt… and delegate – I think all Moms have experienced mommy guilt in some form or another but sometimes you have to learn to let go and even get the children involved. Just like Sarah delegated the laundry to her kids, she has not only empowered them but has also gained an extra hour for herself each day.

Tip 3: Treat home tasks like work: Peter even suggests that you put all your chores in your calendar, down to the minute. This way you are less likely to be distracted by things like your Facebook feed, when your task is right in front of you.

Tip 4: Know when to multitask and when not to – Multitask your chores with something pleasurable like exercising with friends but rather don’t when you are spending quality time with your partner or even with the kids.

These four simple tips may just give you some time to squeeze in that mani and pedi you’ve been putting off for ages!