•  Plan your day the night before… Write a list of 5 – 10 things down before bed that are on your agenda the next day.  Include everything  so you know exactly what you have time to actually accomplish and what you don’t (prioritize by importance) if it’s something that can wait then it doesn’t make the top 5 if it can’t then it does 😉

 

• Wake up early… I saw a post Chip Gaines once put on his instagram that was a picture of him having coffee on his porch watching the sun rise.  His caption read, “early morning, a parent’s recess.”  I laugh to myself about that all the time… it’s so true!  As much as we hate it, we need to accept it.  As a parent, you have to adjust your schedule to parent life.  Make yourself wind down sooner and get rest so you can wake up ready to tackle all the unexpected that will come your way, because if your a parent, you know no matter how much you plan, the unexpected is inevitable ; )  When I get ahead of my day and meet it before it has a chance to meet me I’m much more likely to have a good day and it feels good to greet my family in a positive mood.  I was not always a morning person and let me tell you my family notices a difference in mommy’s morning attitude these days.  I stay on task and get my priorities accomplished so much better and have more freedom to attend to the kids because some early discipline = later freedom.  I teach my kids this with their chores too.  If you get what you have to do done now, you can do what you want to do later 😉

 

• Set a timer for things your working on and take breaks… I usually work on things for 30 min to an hour and then I take a little break.  I’ll get outside for a walk, play a game with kids, or just share a snack with them, hold them, or watch them play… This really helps with keeping the kids at bay and letting me finish something undistracted.  If I give them my “undivided” attention to meet their needs then in return they are typically at peace playing alone for a bit while I finish my projects.

 

• Have a space that’s yours and keep it simple, organized and inspiring… For me it’s an area close to the kids where I can monitor or at least hear 😛 what’s going on… lol.  Some other very important things to me personally are:

1. natural light with a view of the outdoors.
2. quotes, photos, pictures, or items that remind me of what’s important to me.
3. pops of color and pattern.

 

I still have some final touches to add to my work space, but I’m loving it so far!  It’s really helping me be productive!

I hope this gave you some ideas and inspiration towards your goals of being more productive, especially for these long summer months with babes to entertain!

p.s. If you haven’t yet subscribed be sure to do that in the sidebar to the right.  I am hosting a workshop about making a home and life you love next week and sending out emails to register for it this weekend!!! Don’t miss out! 

xx, kc