We all have 24 hours in a day. As a mom, it is challenging to manage our time with so many distractions throughout the day. Here are a few good tips that I live by!

1. Organization. Use a planner! This is my favorite one. Every Sunday night I sit down with my planner and look at the upcoming week. I make sure all of my appointments/events/tasks are on my calendar and that I have sitters that I might need for the week. Then I write down my meal plans, create a grocery list, and order my groceries for a Monday pick up. This task maybe takes me 20 minutes, but it sets me up to manage my week so much better! 

2. Prioritize. Add tasks on your daily planner in order of priority. I add high priority tasks on my daily schedule and low priority tasks on the side of my planner in a To-Do section. I want to allow flexible in my schedule because life happens, but also strive to get the extra tasks done at some point in the week. 

3. Lifestyle. Every morning I start with prayer, Bible reading, exercise, and drinking water. Starting my day off with these few things sets my day up for success and also four checks off on the to-do list! 

4. Distractions HAPPEN! Be prepared for them. Inevitably, someone will have to poop minutes before leaving somewhere… so we plan five extra minutes when getting into the car for any extra “events” that may happen prior to needing to leave. Also tasks that might take 15 minutes with undivided attention might take 25 with kids… plan for it in your daily schedule. Don’t overcommit, it will lead to frustration of “getting nothing done” at the end of the day! 

Managing our time leads to a much more stress-free life. And that’s the goal right? To be more present in the season we are in.