I am a mama of 3, I run my own business, my husband is also an entrepreneur, we have a very active family life, we travel internationally 2 or 3 times a year.
You might say life is busy.
The *only* way that I stay somewhat in control, and not feeling like my head is just above water is to plan and be organized. For me, planning the week ahead makes me feel in control, less overwhelmed, and less likely to forget things.
This is what I do to set myself and my family up for success each week:
Intentional Planning Time. Every Sunday morning, I sit down and look at the week ahead. I plan out what I have to do for my kids, my business, me, my husband, and life in general. I write it down on paper (old school works best for me), and then I put any joint things in a shared Google calendar with my husband. We then confirm that each of us know what's going on for that week.
Shared calendars. Everything kid or family related goes into that shared Google calendar with my husband, which I can access on my phone and computer. This makes me feel so much more organized, and I can access it anywhere. My husband and I basically communicate through that shared calendar! If he wants to dawn patrol for surfing, it goes in the shared calendar. He knows to check that calendar first before scheduling anything!
Time-block. I schedule out all my personal and work activities, and then break them down into 15 minute increments. It's really easy to spent hours & hours on things you love to do, and leave no time for things that aren't as fun, but are essential. So I time block and then set a timer for each time-block. No matter what, I have to move on when that timer goes off!
Prioritize. I accepted long ago that my to-do list will never come to an end! That acceptance really helped me to still feel accomplished at the end of the day, even if I hadn't got to everything. What I do is sort the to-dos into different priorities, and go through them in order:
(1) Must get done
(2) Would be great if these things got done
(3) One day these things will get done
5. Organize my home. This helps me to feel mentally, logistically and physically ready for the week and not feel overwhelmed during busy times.
6. Meal prep. I know there is a love-hate divide for meal prepping, but for me it is everything. I keep it stupid-simple (like everything in my life!), but it helps me to save time during the week when things are crazy, and I have less time to be in the kitchen. Also, I just don't *love* cooking, so I'm happy to get it out of the way!
If you have any must-do things that keep you on track, pretty please share away!
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