So you’re back in the groove of the school year…..Or are you?
I had a convo with a mom from our Mom on the Climb Tribe who was stuck in overwhelm. I shared my time management & mindset secrets with her that evening, and it wasn’t until the next morning that I decided to share this method with you.
She gave me permission to share our conversation with you in hopes that it will serve you.
Isn’t that the vulnerable and honest truth- that kids feed off our heightened anxiety & take the brunt of our stress?
Here was my response to busy & stressed mom:
Kids are beautiful mirrors, good at showing us our areas needing growth, our unhealed parts…. Giving us opportunity.
She said, ”Please share” to the time management method I use, so I condensed it for her. This is adapted from a popular time management book called Eat That Frog.
When overwhelm or anxiety hits, live by lists and allow yourself certain graces -like delegation and elimination.
I like to do a full “brain dump” and just list everything in my brain, and then reorganize it with this method. I always feel so much better after.
A.B.C.D.E. list.
A. Very important tasks with heavy consequences if don’t get accomplished–
Tackle these first over “busy” work or tasks that can be delegated to a kid or husband or outsourced to family or friends, for example. If you need to pay a bill today or there will be negative consequences, put that at the top of the A- list, Or if mailing a package will lead to an end result of high positive consequence, mail the package.
B. Semi- important tasks after the vital A-list tasks–
Some positive or negative consequences associated with completion.
C. Care time–
Scheduling in mental and spiritual health as a mom is vital, not only for yourself, but as an example for your kids to follow. Emotional intelligence wasn’t taught to most of us, but we can learn it as adults and model it. Caring for self needs to be scheduled or it won’t happen. This is non negotiable.
D. Delegate–
This is tough because busy tasks keep us “feeling” productive, but our kids CAN contribute to household tasks, our husbands can help more usually; we can ask ourselves what in our daily or weekly world CAN be delegated.
E. Eliminate. (My favorite)-
Half the shit we worry about can be eliminated if we allow. That email we “have” to send, that project we “have” to have the kids do, that room that “needs” to be reorganized….often we can eliminate that task until spring or later, for example. When we do, we can breathe again. Get curious and ask if anything can be eliminated.
Also, remember that everything passes.
If you are doing something new, allow yourself to suck as it and be humble in explaining that to those around you. Humility covers a multitude of mess-ups.
And the “mess-ups” are often our greatest opportunities to expand.
Want to go deeper in designing your life with intention? Download my freebie Momlife Design PDF!
Looking for a physical and tangible way to keep it all organized? Take a look at my favorite planner of all time- the You Can Have It All Planner.
I personally use and love this planner and it keeps me on track for my goals and schedule! If you are a busy mom, you have to take a look at this resource and see if it will rock your world!
