Search
Close this search box.

Share what kind of mom you are!

Get to know other mom types!

10 Important Things to Remember About Time Management

Where does the time go? How can I learn to manage my time better if I can’t even find out where it went?! There are days when I look over my to-do list and am floored by how much I didn’t get done. So the leftover items from Monday get pushed to Tuesday and then Wednesday, and before you know it, Friday’s list looks so overwhelming you’d think I had 20 kids instead of two!

So, what’s the secret to an effective time management plan? The answer is in the name: You need a plan. But before you start making charts and setting timers, here are the 10 most important things to remember about time management.

1. It’s easier to manage your time when you know your priorities.

Unless you resolve to live by your own priorities (the ones you’ve set to run your household), you’ll wear yourselves out trying to meet the demands and expectations of others.

2. You can’t stop time

You, like everyone else, have 60 minutes in each hour, 24 hours in each day. Time is made up of moments, and moments are manageable.

3. You choose how you spend your time.

The minutes of your days come with a choice: Only you can decide how you’ll spend them. It’s helpful to think a day ahead when you’re making this choice. Sometimes, when we wait and see where the day takes us, it only takes us to a place where we’re scatterbrained and unproductive.

The minutes of your days come with a choice: Only you can decide how you’ll spend them. Click To Tweet

4. Keep first things first.

Don’t let the things that matter least to you rob time from the things that matter most to you. Scrolling the internet, unproductive thinking, and a disorganized house are all time thieves. Don’t give them a higher rank than your health or family.

5. Every minute matters.

There is no such thing as unimportant time. Each moment is a gift.

6. A good time management plan can make you feel like you’ve multiplied your minutes.

As you become the manager of your time, you’ll begin saving hours. Just like poor time management can cause the hours to slip away, a good plan can lead to feeling like you’ve gained an hour or two.

7. Even good plans can fail.

Be flexible. Unexpected events can interrupt the best routines. Bend with the interruption instead of resisting it.

8. Yes is a decision. So is no.

When you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else. Don’t let it be your family.

9. Efficiency is helpful, but don’t make it an idol.

When you become more efficient at performing the tasks you must do, like cleaning the bathroom or packing lunches (not in that order), you have more time for the things that matter most to you. But don’t strive for efficiency in the moments that need your time and attention, like dinner around the table.

10. You set the tone.

How you carry out each 24-hour day can make the difference between a household in a constant uproar and one that hums along smoothly. Your kids will respond to your attitude, pace, and demeanor. Remember that when you’re making your time management plan. If it stresses you out, it’ll stress your kids out, too.

What’s your best time management tip?

Used with permission from The Busy Mom’s Guide to a Happy, Organized Home by Kathy Peel.

ASK YOUR CHILD...

What’s your favorite hour of the day?

Get daily motherhood

ideas, insight, &inspiration

to your inbox!

Search