How to Prioritize Your Life and Increase Your Productivity

Working moms are superheroes. It’s not easy to manage work and home life, but somehow, you do it all with grace. Today, 72% of moms are employed, and 71% agree that it’s much harder to be a mom today than it was 20-30 years ago.

Life is busy. Balancing work and home life can become a juggling act. While you can’t control everything (unfortunately), you can take steps to prioritize your life to boost productivity. 

Here’s how:

Start with Your Priorities List

Moms wear many hats. Try as we may, we can’t do everything on our own – there are only so many hours in day. But there are some things that just have to get done every day. These are your priorities.

To make your days a little less stressful and overwhelming, end each night by creating a list of the next day’s priorities (the tasks that you must get done no matter what). You’ve probably heard this tip a hundred times, but that’s because it works. 

Making a list of your must-do tasks will help you prepare for each day, so you’re not running around like a headless chicken trying to get things done at the last minute.

If you tick off everything on this list and still have time to get other things done (those “it would be nice to get this out of the way” things), bravo! But if not, at least you know you tackled the most important things. 

Eat the Frog to Stay Productive

Don’t worry, no animals will be harmed with this one. “Eating the frog” is a concept inspired by a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

Basically, tackle the hardest tasks first, so you can take on the rest of the day knowing the worst is behind you. The idea has been famously turned into a book – Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy.

It’s an idea that works. We all have things we don’t really want to do. It’s easy to procrastinate on these things, and subconsciously, you drag out the entire day just to try and avoid doing that dreaded task. Get it out of the way first thing, and you can fly through the rest of your afternoon.

For Maximum Efficiency, Focus on One Thing at a Time

As a working mom, it can feel like you’re juggling a dozen things at once. In those moments, when you’re rushing back and forth between tasks, it may feel like you’re getting a lot of things done. But in reality, it’s taking you twice as long to tick each thing off your list. 

If you really want to increase your productivity, ditch the multi-tasking and focus on one thing at a time.  

Ditch the Distractions

Distractions are the enemy of productivity, but it’s hard to stay focused when you’re constantly bombarded with emails, social media notifications and phone calls.

If you can, turn off your phone (or switch it to silent) and the TV. Eliminate as many distractions as possible to help you stay focused.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

One last important tip: Ask for help when you need it. That’s what family is for. Delegate tasks to the kids or ask your partner to help with some tasks that have trouble getting done. 

If you can’t get everything done in a day, don’t beat yourself up. Always remember that you’re doing your best, and tomorrow is another chance to clear your to-do list.

Life is busy, but when you prioritize, stay productive and ditch those pesky distractions, you’ll get more done and may even free up some “me” time. And if you need an extra helping hand, ask. The more you prioritize your life, the easier it will be to reach your goals and be more productive.

Don’t forget to read the blog about saving money.