You’ve got a busy lifestyle and I totally get it. As a single mom, I feel like I’m constantly juggling my time, and sometimes it can get overwhelming. Here are the tips and ways that help me stay sane the most that will help you balance your life and work.
Top 10 Tips to Balance Your Life
10) Breathe
Whether you take some time for yourself, an afternoon nap, a trip to the park with the kids, a dinner date with your mate, a trip to the spa, whatever YOU do to relax, I encourage you to do it! Your work will be there when you get back, believe me. 🙂 Some of the funnest times in my life have been “planned fun.” Take a short trip, go to the lake, just play. This is the BEST part of being self employed for me. You don’t HAVE to work everyday if you plan things. Go out and enjoy it!
9) Create a Ba-Bam List or Thankful Journal
Whatever you call it, keep a record of ALL that you HAVE done. In times of physical and emotional drain, this will inspire you to look at everything you’ve accomplished. Even if it’s simple, you’ll feel much better. 1) Woke up, Ba-Bam! 2) Fed the kids breakfast, Ba-Bam! 3) Went Grocery Shopping, Ba-Bam! Ba-Bam!
8) Prioritize your To-Do’s
Focus on the most important things you need to accomplish and get those done, rather than trying to do everything. At the end of the day, you will feel much more accomplished, and not so overwhelmed. You’ll suddenly see more time on your side as you spend each day focusing on the priorities. This will keep you from feeling like ‘I don’t know where to start.’ Make a list and USE it. Get the daily planner printable I use each day to stay on track or feel free to use this free printable calendar as well.
7) Organize Your Home
Have you ever lost something and spent a good portion of your day looking for it? Being organized will save you a lot of time and help you feel more in charge of your day. For inspiration and ideas, check out my pinterest page as well as the entire organization section on the site. If you are just starting out, doing just one new organization trick a day, will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
6) Take Advantage of Help
The internet is a great source of help. YouTube videos, blogs that feature how-to’s, there’s even a free printable daily chore planner located here Time Warp Wife. Another way to utilize help is when someone offers. This week, a friend of mine offered to take the kids for the day so I could get a break. You wanna know what I said? “No, thank you.” What am I crazy. My pride got in the way here thinking I need to be supermom or that it’ll look like I don’t love my kids if I say yes. That’s foolishness. My ex-husband lives 16 hours away, like I don’t have help. Don’t over-think things. Be safe for sure, but if you trust the situation and the help, take it!
5) Set aside specific time to work
As a mom myself with little ones at my sides all day, I know how hard it is finding time to get some work done. Each day, I have to set aside some special time to get my work done. My goal is that I must invest at least 4 hours a day into my businesses. For you, that may be different. In the mornings, before the little ones wake up = 2 hours stolen. In the evenings, after the kids are in bed = 2 more hours stolen. An occasional quiet time in their rooms/nap-time in the middle of the day = 1 hour stolen. Make a plan and be consistent. It’s not a race, but if it were, the turtle beats the hare every time! 🙂
4) Stay On Top of Your Health
When you feel sick, you’re not making the most of your time. That nagging pain is always there stealing your time and attention. Don’t let it. Do the things that keep you healthy. Exercise, eat right, use health products and so forth.
3) Pray
Pray that God will lead you in the direction He wants you to go. Pray that He will bless you in your endeavors. Pray that He sustain you emotionally and physically. We have a great God that cares about every detail of our lives, every hair on our head. The pattern of our life should be pointing those around us toward Him and His love.
2) Keep your eye on the prize
Set goals and clearly define them. How long will it take you to do such and such. What are your 30 day goals, 90 day goals, 1 year goals, 5 year goals. One of my favorite sayings is: If you change nothing, nothing will change. What do YOU WANT to change? How can you make it happen? Maybe it’s being a better mom, spending more time with your kids. Maybe it’s a business goal, whatever it is, go after it. No one will make it happen FOR you!
1) Never lose focus
You can let a lot of things slip and be okay. But you can NEVER let your relationship with the Lord slip. Don’t ever become too busy that you let the world choke out your relationship with God. This is one of the things I struggle with the most because of all the opportunities in my life, and I constantly have to turn down solid ones, because I know it’s not toward my end goal or that it will take away the time I so desperately fight for to be with my kids. I mean, that’s the whole reason I stay at home with my kids and fight daily as a single mom to do so. To just let it all slip away is not on the agenda. Fight for that focus, fight for time with God, because if you don’t, I assure you, it WILL slip away.
What are the elements of a balanced life to you? What is the importance of balance in life?
