Here’s A Simple Time Management Strategy For Busy Parents And Business Owners
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Time management between work and parenthood is not easy
I’m a new freelancer and first-time parent of a toddler. Time management is a new life skill I’m still learning — I have more things to do and less time to get it all done.
When I decided to go back to work part-time, I struggled with how to manage my own schedule along with my son’s daily routine. (I do have some childcare help, so that really helps.)
The thing I was struggling with wasn’t that I couldn’t keep up with my son’s routine, but it was the fact that I couldn’t figure out a way to focus on other things and actually get them done. I always felt rushed and like tasks were only halfway complete. Feeling like this day after day made me feel demotivated and confused, like I was doing things, but not getting things done, if that makes sense?
Changing my perspective on how I spend my time is a game changer
Every week I have a habit of writing out a to-do list and naturally my brain goes straight to the idea that I need to start checking things off as I get them done. But it’s not efficient because I waste a lot of time and energy between very different tasks such as playdates for my son, errands for the house and trying to get work done all happening on the same day. I thought that’s what life was supposed to look like when I became a parent — always scrambling for time, right?
As a parent and business owner, there is a constant battle for time and where it goes, but I discovered a simple time management strategy that I think works really well.
Using the “entrepreneur’s dilemma” as inspiration for time management
I implemented this time management strategy after reading the Inc. magazine article “Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, or Friends: Pick 3” by Jessica Stillman, which elaborates on the “entrepreneur’s dilemma”. This notion was developed by Randi Zuckerberg, who was the head of marketing at Facebook, and now runs her own business and is a mom of two.
The entrepreneur’s dilemma is essentially Zuckerberg’s take on how to allocate time so you can (in theory) ‘do it all’ — but there’s a twist: you can do it all, just not every day. Each day you have to choose three priorities to focus on from a list of five — work, sleep, family, fitness or friends — and forget the other two. The idea is that you remain more focused when you know what you are choosing to spend your time on, but also what you are okay letting go of.
For example, right now my top three priorities for Monday to Friday are family, work, and fitness, which means I don’t socialize and I don’t sleep much on the weekdays because my time and energy is focused on the other three priorities. On the weekends, it changes and my top three are family, sleep and friends, so fitness and work don’t really happen and I’m okay with it.
Customizing priorities that make sense for my life
The article identified work, sleep, family, fitness or friends as priorities to choose from and I think they work for most people. But if it doesn’t, then I say create your own list of priorities to choose from.
I added content creation and kids activities as priorities because these are tasks that require special time and attention, which I feel are in addition to the list above. So, go ahead and customize the priorities, and then apply the rule of choosing three to focus on.
Here’s what I like about dividing up my time into priorities: it makes things so much more simpler and less stressful. I’m no longer looking at time in terms of minutes and hours and scrambling to squeeze in things on my to-do list. Instead, I’m thinking in terms of priorities — what requires my attention — and ensuring they are taken care of.
By adopting a time management strategy where I focus on giving my best to the chosen priorities of the day allows me to be agile and flexible, but also not feel guilty in case things (as it often happens) don’t go according to plan. I feel a lot calmer and happier planning out my days this way.
Do you agree or disagree? Leave your thoughts below. I’d love to hear from you.
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