If you’re anything like me, you probably struggle with finding time to get everything done in the day. I feel like I struggle with just getting the bare minimum done like cooking, dishes, and laundry. Forget about trying to eat healthy, exercise or doing some homeschool lessons with my kids. There’s a few things I’ve learned over the years that have helped me be a bit more efficient at getting things done. I’ll share a few things that have worked for me, and perhaps you can change and adapt those ideas to fit your life.
It’s interesting to think about how difficult life felt when I was single and living by myself. My dishes were stacked up and my apartment was a mess. I was working full time as a teacher, so I guess I’ll give myself a little grace. But even when I was first married and it was just my husband and me, it still felt like it was impossible to get things done. Now when I look at myself, with 3 babies in 4 years, I laugh at how much freedom I had back then compared to now…and yet, somehow I’ve been able to accomplish way more than I ever could have back then. How is that even possible? Part of it is learning through experience, maturing and taking responsibility. But the other part is through learning how to be clever with your time.
Habit stacking is a term I heard from a Youtuber called, “That Practical Mom.” Habit stacking is building new habits by attaching them to habits you already have. For instance, you know you’re always going to brush your teeth, because that is something you’ve done for years. You don’t have to think about that habit. But maybe it’s hard for you to always think about cleaning your bathroom. You see that it’s dirty, but you always seem to be doing a million different things, and cleaning the bathroom just isn’t a priority at the moment.
You have a poopy diaper you need to change, something that might burn on the stove, and wet laundry that’s been sitting in the washer for way too long. But you know you’ll always brush your teeth at the end of the day, so you can have some rags handy and wipe down the sink while you brush your teeth. When I do this, I don’t clean the whole thing at one time though. One night, maybe I wipe down the mirror, the next night I’ll scrub the toilet, then maybe I’ll clean the sink. Maybe you think it’s gross to do those two things in tandem, but you’d probably think it’s more gross if I never cleaned my bathroom. You get the idea though. Figure out what works for you.
Another thing you can try is doing multiple tasks at one time. I was finding that by the time I got to the end of the day, there were so many things I didn’t get a chance to do. I didn’t take the girls outside, I didn’t get any exercise, or I wished that I could have done some homeschooling with my girls. Part of the reason I didn’t like taking my girls outside was because I needed to be out there with them, and if I allowed them to, they’d be out there for several hours. I have so much I need to get done in a day that it’s hard to just take a chunk out of my day and sit outside.
I started thinking of things I could do while they were playing. It was early spring, so there’s only so much I can do in the garden. Then I realized that I could exercise while they are out there! I can do my stretches and exercises, I can ride my bike around in the yard, or my favorite thing has been to just go for a walk or a run in the backyard while they play. I can keep an eye on my girls while they play, I can get the exercise that I desperately need, and I can even catch up on my video conversations through Marco Polo or even a quick phone call while I walk. It’s a win, win!
Think about all the tasks you need to do in a day. Then think about whether you can do something else at the same time while completing that task. For instance, you have to eat every day. I’ve recently been using my lunch time to do a little bit of school with my oldest. She’s only 3, but she loves learning and there’s plenty of things she can learn even at a young age. While I’m eating, we look at a book together and she’ll sound out the words while I finish my lunch.
You can take this concept and apply it to your specific life. Perhaps you have some emails you need to catch up on. Take a couple bites, and write a couple lines to an email while you’re chewing. Read that book you keep saying you’re going to finish, while you’re eating! I’m not saying you have to live a rushed life where you can’t even enjoy a relaxed mealtime. However, I find that it helps me get more done in a smaller amount of time so that I can enjoy some downtime later in the day.
What are some other tasks that can be done at the same time? Maybe you like watching tv, or listening to sermons or podcasts, or maybe you want to do a video chat with your best friend. I find that these are all things I can do while folding laundry or exercising. Watch some YouTube while you organize your kid’s toys. Pick up the living room while you chat with your mom. You get the idea. The opportunities are endless!
Another thing that has been a great help to me is having regular routines. This is not in my nature, because I tend to live a chaotic, disorganized life. I don’t have regular schedules and I tend to fly by the seat of my pants every moment of my life. However, I was finding myself getting frustrated at the daily tasks that will always need done, like dishes, laundry and meal prepping. We don’t have a dishwasher, so the task of dishes is quite daunting, especially if you let the dishes pile up. I started realizing that if I just woke up knowing that I was going to do dishes immediately, the dishes wouldn’t get piled up.
This is just an example from my life, but I figured it might help to know what I do, so you can think about a routine for your own personal life. First thing in the morning, I start a load of laundry. I often throw the clothes in the washer with the soap the night before, so that I only have to hit start in the morning. Then I get my girls breakfast. While my girls are eating, I wash the dishes, and sometimes I start a little of my dinner prep as well. It’s no fun rushing around to chop all the veggies, peel potatoes or measure out ingredients right at dinner time. After the dishes and meal prep, I eat my breakfast.
The reason I don’t eat with my girls is that I find it’s easier to get things done while my toddlers are occupied with eating. While I’m eating my breakfast, sometimes I do a quick school lesson with my oldest. After eating, I continue doing general cleaning tasks and meal prep, while my kids play on their own. Then, if it’s a nice day, we try to go outside. While my kids are playing, I exercise in the yard and do different tasks that need done outside. After that, I get my kids lunch, and continue to get tasks done around the house while they are eating. My kids go down for a nap after lunch, and then I get a little quiet time myself!
I usually do spend some time relaxing and doing something I enjoy like watching YouTube or catching up on my Marco Polo video messages, but I often will fold laundry or do my strength exercises for my ab separation or my pelvic floor at the same time. Then I do a reset in the livingroom and try to tidy up a bit, so that the evening shift isn’t so crazy. I won’t go into any more of my routine because I’m sure you are falling asleep at this point. But I did want to give you an idea of what I do to try to stay efficient during the day.
Your life may look entirely different from mine. Perhaps you have different tasks that need done during the day. Maybe you work part time, run a business from home, or you are homeschooling full time. Sit down tonight and think of a few ways that you can either stack habits in your life or make your day look a little more efficient.
The last tip I’ll leave you with comes from the YouTuber, “That Practical Mom.” Do something today that your future self will thank you for. Do all the dishes the night before, so that you can wake up to an empty sink. Prep the laundry before you go to bed so that you can just hit start in the morning. Pick up that pile of clothes you keep walking by. Take something upstairs to put away, as you tuck your kids in at night. Peel the potatoes in the morning so you don’t have to do it while you’re cooking supper. Your future self will thank you.
Till Next Time,
Abby
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