Rona recently asked:
"Where do you find the time to get all the things done? I was just reading your profile. All I can say is Wow!"
The question of how I accomplish so much as a wife, homemaker, businesses owner, and still manage to work outside the home, is often asked. The answer is quite simple, I don't do it all. Oh boy, do I ever not do it all! We should not be running this race called life with the singular goal of doing, doing, doing. It's important to stop and smell the roses, too.
Many of you present questions about the logistics of how I manage my time. To that end, I'm happy to share the top ten factors that allow my schedule to flow smoothly. Please keep in mind, we are all in different seasons of our lives and we all come equipped by God with differing talents, energy levels, personalities and life circumstances. What works well for me, might now work so well for someone else.
1. My relationship with God and my husband are at the top of my priority list. All other stuff comes after that. What does that mean? Even though there are many must do activities related to our businesses, outside employment, and caring for our home -- they are not done at the expense of my relationship with God or my husband.
2. We do not watch much television. We enjoy a good movie now and then and like some older sitcoms but we do not devote even a full hour a day to tv. This frees up a bundle of time right there!
3. We are really selective about the communication tools we use. My husband has a cell phone for his business and we have the Internet but neither are used for frequent conversations, texting, playing games or web surfing. There's nothing inherently wrong with this form of entertainment -- heaven knows we enjoy entertainment too! But, we are just not tech-y people so we tend to use communication tools for basic communication and business work. Saving time is just a nice side benefit.
4. My husband is not a slob. What a huge time saver this is! When George is done with something, it goes back where it belongs, he does the dishes now and then, puts his dirty clothes in the designated spot and in general, leaves things in good order.
5. George and I are not blessed with any children, except this baby. As a result, we have quite a bit more free time than parents in the thick of raising little ones. I only mention this, because so often the question of how do I do so much, comes from hard working mamas. Little do they know, I wonder how they do it all! Children are such a blessing; they are much more important than having a clean, orderly house, working outside the home and running a business. If you have little ones, don't feel bad because it is difficult to keep things clean and to find time to pursue other interests. Investing in your children is a very worthwhile endeavor.
6. Our businesses are not large ventures. We are not running multi-national conglomerates; as if you couldn't guess:) My tax business is seasonal and, the bookkeeping is just a few hours each month, most of which can be done in little snippets of time here and there. Most of the work I do for my husband's business is also the same way. My online endeavors kind of take a back seat; although it is nice they can be pursued at my leisure. Another thing: self imposed deadlines for my online endeavors are somehow not as urgent compare to deadlines for the work I do for others. For example, I am still finishing up my E-cookbook as well as building a site for entrepreneurs and one for the Accounting industry.
7. This might sound really silly, but I tend to work when I'm working. Allow me to explain: When I'm working on something, I give it my full attention and put away any distractions. I also work swiftly and diligently. There are lots of people in this world that can make a 1 hour job into a 3 hour job, and quite frankly that type of attitude bugs me. I try very hard not to misuse my time in this manner. For example, the only time you will see a daily to-do list for me that reads: get dressed, take vitamins, drink a glass of water, have a cup of tea, fold one basket of laundry, read, tea, blog -- is when I'm sick, or on vacation.
8. Planning a weekly menu and making some foods ahead are major time savers. It takes just a few minutes each week to come up with a menu and make sure all of the ingredients are on hand or will be purchased on the next shopping trip. Grocery trips are also well planned so that it takes about and 1.5 hours per week including the drive to town and back.
9. Developing a positive attitude about responsibility is one of the best ways to handle life. Nobody likes a bitter woman that feels as if she is a martyr. Enough said.
10. Don't feel obligated to do stuff you don't need to do AND mind your own business! This is another really simple, but really important one. We women excel at wanting to nurture the whole world. We also feel as if it's our job to worry about and try to solve everyone else's problems.
I tend toward this and without my husband's support and encouragement I would quickly find the life sucked out of me by others. If you find yourself in the position of being run ragged by others, ask your husband, brother, dad --virtually any sane male for some help in setting proper boundaries. Most men do not easily let themselves be taken advantage of. They are a great source of support to us ladies that would do anything to help anybody at anytime even to the point our own well being.
If you are interested in reading more about how I handle time management, you can read this post I wrote last year.
I'd love to hear how you manage your time! Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Take Care,
Trixie
