As I find myself in the midst of Easter Break with 3 of the 4 little ones around I am striving to be more efficient in my day. Here are a 7 Efficiency Boosters I wanted to share with you all. Happy Friday!
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*Do the big/special/extra task first. Having a 3 year-old in the house is a huge efficiency buster! She is a joy in my life, but a huge mess maker and I could expend all of my energy for the day just cleaning up after her or entertaining her. Rather than chase around a little tornado, I try to do the big things first, and the daily things later. If I want/need to pay bills, or clean out my closet, or bake cookies for school, work on a talk, or make a meal for a friend - I will do those special things first and fit the normal things (like cleaning up after Anna!) into the day once the special thing is done.
*Dress for the task. If I have a particular busy day I dress for a workout. Sneakers, yoga pants, maybe even a sports bra. I pull my hair into a braid so I am not messing with it all day. I am not dawning my flip flops or cute boots on a day where I am going to be working at top speed. I don't want to worry about how I look or how comfortable I am - I just want to get the task done. Fabletics has some super cute workout stuff that doubles as real clothes (affiliate link).
*Turn off the media. Don't keep the TV on in the background. Research shows that is a total attention buster. Maybe turn on a playlist if it is something you can put on and leave or listen to a podcast even, but nothing visual that will distract you from the task at hand, and nothing that you have to constantly be adjusting. This goes for your phone too. Put it out of sight where you will hear the ringer but maybe not the text alert. If it is important people will call but don't feel like you HAVE to answer when they do. They can leave you a message. My sister knows now to call twice in a row if it is something she needs to talk to me about right away because I often don't pick up my phone. Also, don't check Facebook or email until you are done.
* Have a list. Expend the mental energy to plan out your task(s) and then you don't have to re-plan after every task.
*Eat simply and drink lots of water. This is easier if you don't have to cook for others, but if I have a huge list to accomplish I won't make a big breakfast or lunch for myself. I will grab something quick (granola bar and coffee) and make my daughter's lunch ahead of time. Then, when she is hungry I don't have to stop for long. I can just grab her lunch, lay it out and get back to the job.
*Communicate with those around you. If you are going to need your kids help let them know. If your spouse is around let him know your plans too so that he isn't calling you to come see some cute YouTube clip or tell him if his pants match his shirt. Tell your kids "mom is going to get X done today. I need your help to make that happen. Let's work as a team. Your job is to do play outside/help me with these chores/ watch your sister. I will check in with you periodically but please don't interrupt me unless someone is bleeding or broken".*Reward yourself and others when you are done. Plan something fun to do once you get the task accomplished. Maybe you all go to the park or for a walk, or ice cream, or have a movie night. Do something intentional and fun. You deserve it!
Off to my next task…
Have an efficient day and thanks for stopping by to think with me!
