Smooth Scheduling

Today, I am grateful for time.
I woke up at 6am, got kids ready for daycare before my 9am class...and it was finished in an hour. Now, I've got time to do homework, eat, housework and possibly squeeze in an afternoon nap. All by myself...
But now it's quiet and I miss the kids....

Do you ever feel like you need a few more hours in each day? It seems like there is always more I would love to accomplish, but the day just runs out before I get it done. However, I realized that having more great things I could do is actually a wonderful blessing. I’m blessed with a toddler, an infant coming soon, a growing business, and an wonderful opportunity to move to a new place. Your weekday morning may look a little something like this: You're in a rush dressing the kids up first, while you put whatever you see first on.  You head out the door, order a coffee and bagel at the drive-thru, and rush to your early meeting at work. At work, you're thinking did I fill out all our kids' forms? is it gym day at school? Did I put enough diapers in the bag for daycare? How did the morning fly by so fast? Maybe with experience, things will run smoother, but how long does it take?

If this is you, don’t worry. In the midst of the chaos, I've figured out some effective ways to make your family schedule run smoothly.

Motivate Yourself

Motivation. Bribes. Stickers. Offer an exciting end result to anyone in the family that needs to get something done. have your kids do a race on who can put their jackets and shoes on the fastest. Promise yourself a 20 minute nap later in the day each time you actually do it or "me time".

Use a Prioritization System

Your to-do list may never be completely crossed off. There's always something to be added as soon as you think you're done.  To make sure the important stuff doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, prioritize your list every morning. Colour-code your tasks by writing them in different pen colors or just placing a small dot next to each one. I’ll take my creativity as it comes productivity when it comes, and I won’t beat myself up when it doesn’t.Just make sure they're done!

Create a Command Center

This should be an area where everything you need to have when you leave the house is in one place...your wallet, your keys, your cellphone (charging.) etc.  This way when you're in the morning rush, these items won't be forgotten.  Keep your purse there, the baby bag, library books, kids school bag and a file holder for all those loose forms laying around.
I created a calmer atmosphere in my home and workspaces. This wasn’t completely intentional, but it’s been amazing.  I LOVED always walking into a completely tidy home. It automatically helped me feel more calm and productive, and even now that we’re not having showings, I’ve tried to keep up with it.

Be able to refuse some invitations.  

Oftentimes, the reason our schedule is bombarded with events is because we say yes to everything. But so many of us forget that we have the ability to make up our own schedule.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed, then it’s time to start refusing any new projects. Don’t ever feel guilty about putting your family first. Don't spread yourself too thin.  If you don't take care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of others?

Doing all of these things can help your stress levels go down and your schedule will move much smoother because of it.

How do you make your schedule run smoother?

MCB xo