being a working mom [or just a mom in general, let’s be honest] means that i need to find a way to maximize each and every minute of my day. over the past two + years i have leaned in and tried to find a way to make sure i’m getting the most of my time, and i wanted to share a few tips and tricks that i’ve picked up a long the way. keep in mind, this is just what’s worked for me, so don’t worry if they don’t apply. i love finding out other people’s life-hacks and incorporate them into my own routines, creating routines that are completely customized to fit my life.
stop washing your hair
{so often} pre-logan, i was a DIE HARD EVERY DAY hair washer. i couldn’t STAND the feeling of dirty hair, and sunday was the only day where i would entertain not doing my hair and possibly using some dry shampoo. when i was about six months pregnant, and knew we had made the decision to nurse + pump, i knew i needed to start adding some time back into my day, so i started with hair washing. let me tell you, once you get past the texture of day-old [or two, or three] hair, it’s magical. the amount of stress that i don’t have, rushing to finish doing my hair in the morning, means that i get at least ten minutes added to my routine time. i either leave for work ten minutes earlier, or make the bed, or get to really enjoy my time getting dressed. it’s little, but if you’re like me and doing your hair really doesn’t bring you much joy, i highly recommend.
get ready the night before
no-brainer, right? but i’m talking the little, little things. back when i was working in an office everyday, i would have my lunch not only prepped, but in my standard “working woman lululemon lunch bag” in the fridge. my yeti coffee mug was ready, with the correct amount of sweetener already in it, under the keurig, and the k-cup is on the counter next to it. my outfit is picked out [or an assortment — read here for more on how i plan my outfits and allow for different moods]. my bag would packed, including my computer that’s been charging overnight. it’s alllll there. a nanosecond i spend thinking about where something is or if i even have it is a nanosecond wasted. automate automate automate.
today that looks like picking out an outfit the night before, making sure i have the finishing touches on my blog posts, and am able to get my workout in.
stop multitasking [on some things]
seems counter-intuitive, right? this one i have such a hard time with, but i realize when i multitask, i really start a whole bunch of things and have nothing really completed. read more on it here and here. now, there are moments when you are doing certain activities that it makes sense to multitask, but i consider that more of maximizing your time [my biggest one is driving + listening to podcasts]. which brings me to my next point …
identify areas where you can maximize your time
again, driving + podcasts. making dinner + listening to the news. notice how it’s always pairing a few senses? i’m not trying to complete two tasks at once; rather identifying where in my day there’s an opening to amplify what i’m doing or add something productive into an already, well, routine routine. i love listening to podcasts while i walk in the mornings, or pinteresting while i’m on the treadmill.
cut through the clutter
this goes for all areas of my life – meetings i am invited to [declining much more often], emails i am sent [unsubscribe!], and the amount of choices i have to make in a day. now, i’m not to the point where i’m wearing black turtlenecks because i don’t want to have to think about what i’m wearing [i enjoy picking out my outfits!], but if that’s your thing, take the thinking out of that decision.
as always, thanks for reading!