Time Management for Busy Parents
Time Management for Busy Parents is easy as... and also very challenging.
Have you noticed how time seems to fly when you are a parent? One minute you are holding your new born, the next they are screaming they hate you and slamming doors and all of a sudden they are graduating high school and leaving home...and then...and then...
Don't blink you might miss something.
Time Management has new meaning
Time management takes on new meaning when you are a parent. I know I often thought I was busy before my children but now I look back and think "Wow, if only I had that kind of time." It can be a huge catch 22 for those of us who did not acquire good time management skills prior to having children. We need time management skills more than ever now however, we have no time to learn because we are tooo busy !!
I was listening to an audio lesson from Bob Proctor that quoted this old Chinese Proverb "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The Second best time is now"
And so I urge you to take a deep breath and allow yourself a few minutes to review some of these Time management tips.
The Best time is NOW
I know you are busy...seriously, you are a parent and you have a life... and now you have either a child bullying or being bullied. One more thing you have to deal with on top of your already full schedule...plus laundry, plus grocery shopping etc and all the other little jobs that don't even make it onto the list.
AND, Bullying is not just about the time in school meetings and connecting with you child. It may require a serious rearranging of your life which is hugely stressful.
No matter how big or small the impact of bullying you may find yourself in serious need of time management to create some space so you and your child can cope with less pressure of hte "to do list"
"Do not wait; The time will never be "just right" Start where you stand and work with whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along" Napoleon Hill
Step One: Start with the end in mind
Step one is start with the end in mind. Often times we get so overwhelmed with what needs to happen RIGHT NOW we loose sight of the bigger picture. Think of the end result whatever that looks like for you. So for me, my goal with parenting is to guide and provide support so my children grow to be healthy, wealthy and loved. To me that is my end goal.
How does that help? By starting with the end in mind it takes the pressure off...see I know if the laundry does not get done it will not impact my end result...it is easier to let go...as I look at my list of "to do's" I begin to prioritize the things that will impact my end result...YES of course the laundry needs to get done but in this moment it is more important to let your child know they are loved and supported no matter the circumstances.
Step two: work from a list
I know it sounds obvious. However studies show if you actually write down your list it can increase your productivity by 25%. Make your list at the end of your work day and your brain will work on it while you sleep.
Step three: Apply the pareto principle
Sometimes the list just starts to take on a life of its's own. The Pareto Principle is 20% of activity will achieve 80% of results. 80% is pretty good. Choose the high value tasks from your list and do them first. Something high value or important has long term consequences say like ignoring bullying... or high returns for future if it does get done say like involving your child in problem solving...Yes, it takes a little longer but it teaches valuable lessons.
Time Management for busy parents
There are so many little tips and tricks to help you manage your time more wisely. As a Life Coach I work with parents all the time who need to tweak this and that to make life a little more manageable. I hope these tips help.
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.