The Manic Mother’s Time Management Tip!

Are you finding yourself tearing your hair out at the end of the day?

Depressed at the sight of your to-do list that keeps growing, rather than shrinking?

Have you ever written extra things on your to-do list, that you have already done, just to tick things off?

Well, here’s a technique I would like to share with you.

But first, I have to say keeping a diary is great. I have a diary that incorporates my to-do list and I sit down a couple of times per day to keep it updated. That way, when I cast my bleary eyes over it at breakfast, I can just go into auto-pilot and start doing whatever needs doing without having to think about it.

And yes, I have to say all those tips like laying out clothes, packing bags and making lunches etc the night before, all work very well.

My top strategy is this: if the job seems like it’s too big, then do it for 30 minutes and stop. The trick here is to make a start on it. Hopefully once you have started, you will see that breaking it down into a few 30 minute slots is the answer to getting it done!

Maybe there is a room in your house that is a complete tip and needs clearing out and organising but it seems too big to tackle and you just don’t have the time. Or maybe a big, long-term project at work that you should really get started now before the deadline is too close for comfort.

To use the room analogy, spend 30 minutes clearing a couple of drawers. Then the next day spend another 30 minutes clearing the cupboard. Then another 30 the day after that going through all the accumulated paperwork…and so on. Soon enough you will have cleared and organised your entire room! One of my clients did this and over 6 weeks, threw away 32 big bags of rubbish. The trick was to break it down into small tasks and consistently do 30 minutes a day. You could do this for your project at work too.

Change the ‘big job’ into something much more manageable.

What could you do today that would make the biggest impact on how you manage your time?


Kirstie Gillon-Wood is the Founder and Director of 90 Degree Coaching, a company created by a woman for women. We specialize in working with women and mothers who are ambitious, driven and passionate to achieve their personal and professional goals. We give women a hand up, not a hand out.

Further Reading:

Time Management Strategies – Revitalize Enthusiasm and Productivity Using the 3 Gratitude Exercises

Say Goodbye to Procrastination Using This 3-Step Process