Successful Mamas are easy to spot: they seem to have everything together, even though you know they lead a busy life. They juggle kids, a Pinterest perfect house, a side job, a thriving marriage, volunteer work, and time to exercise, read, or engage in self-care.
Umm, how is that possible? In reality, we know they slave over dirty dishes and mountains of laundry just like the rest of us. We know that their kids have meltdowns, they eat cereal for dinner, and their toilets don’t get scrubbed every week.
But there are a few things these Mamas do that make life more successful (including Walmart grocery pickup and Amazon deliveries). In fact, here are five habits that helpful busy Mamas like yourself be more successful. Let’s quit our judging and hop on the productivity train!
Habit #1: Take care of your body
Don’t glaze over this habit! Mamas who radiant energy and glow with joy do so because they take care of their body.
That means getting as much sleep as possible (exclusions: the newborn phase and date nights). Put your phone in another room at night, keep your bedroom dark and cool, and try to establish a routine bedtime and wake time.
Eat a balanced diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, and proteins with minimal caffeine and sugar. Be sure to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. If needed, pause for snacks in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon just like your kids do.
Drink plenty of water, too. Successful Mamas understand that their bodies need to stay hydrated in order to fully absorb the needed nutrients from food.
Aim for at least fifteen minutes of physical activity per day. Experiment with the 7-minute exercise, Tone It Up daily moves, take a walk around the block, or have a dance party with your kids.
Plus, taking a break to eat makes you more productive. Food or a mini exercise session gives you energy, and taking a few minutes away from your task means you can get back at it with a fresh perspective.
- How I get out of bed and exercise first thing every morning
- How I stay fit with only 15 minutes of exercise per day
- The best workouts for Mamas on-the-go
- How much water should I drink everyday?
- This one fact will change how you interact with food
Habit #2: Stop multitasking
I know, asking a Mama to stop multitasking is like asking the sky to stop being blue. Can it truly be done? Yes! Successful Mamas do one thing at a time. When she is playing outside with her kiddos, she is fully in the moment. When she’s having coffee with a friend, she is 100% in that conversation. While she is exercising, that’s the only thing on her mind. That means her cell phone isn’t in front of her face, her earbuds are not in her ears, and her mind is not elsewhere.
Why? Focusing on the task in front of you boosts your productivity.
However, there is one exception to this: mindless tasks. You can be actively listening and looking at your son as he tells you about his day at school while you mindlessly fold towels. You can be exercising while you listen to an audiobook. You can even wash the dishes, drive, or clean your while you talk on the phone or chat with your husband. The key to successful multitasking is to be an active listener who maintains eye contact and engaged body language.
- Questions to ask your kids after school (better than “How was your day?”)
- Small ways Moms can escape the day that was
Habit #3: Abide by your calendar
Calendars can bring your freedom or they can feel like a prison. The most productive Mamas understand that a schedule can be the best way to live a successful life.
Once a week (typically on a Sunday or Monday), take a few minutes to fill out your calendar. Include the obvious tasks like appointments, kid’s events, meetings, and work obligations. Then schedule cooking/meals, house cleaning tasks, and social events. If desired, add exercise times and date nights to the calendar. Don’t forget to schedule when you can order and pickup your weekly groceries!
At this point, notice where you have blocks of free time. Decide to fill them with a family outing, or leave them open for free time. In fact, don’t feel guilty about keeping a few hours blocked off for personal time.
Why schedule every to-do item on your calendar? Because you’re always more likely to tackle the easy tasks first, pushing the other ones farther and farther down the list. By scheduling them, they won’t get overlooked.
Habit #4: Spend time tech-free
Have you ever thought about what your child sees when they look at you during a special moment? Often they see the back of your phone instead of the proud expressions on your face. How does your child see you on a typical weeknight? Again, they might see your eyes glued to your device.
The most successful Mamas know that technology can suck away energy and cause you to miss the ordinary moments of everyday life. Combat the tendency to be on your screens and you’ll be more productive.
Schedule screen-free time every week…or better yet, everyday! Start with just an hour a day, such as at the dinner table. Talk to your kids about these screen-free experiences. Then, gradually increase to one screen free weekend per month as an entire family. Those ordinary, screen free moments will be the ones remembered for years to come.
Habit #5: Be yourself.
Mamas who are both successful and productive have one more thing in common: they know who they are. She invests in things she loves, from cardio ballet to crafts for her home, from volunteering with homeless women to reading a novel just for fun.
Doing things that you love provides you with a surplus of energy. And often your best ideas are generated in moments of creativity. This isn’t about doing something you think you should do. Literally just do whatever you love!
Doing something you enjoy once a day for five minutes, like reading a new book, or once a week for an hour, like taking a class on a topic that excites you, or once a month, like retreating to the nearby beach for a day in the sand. These habits reduce your stress and therefore make you more productive.
- 3 Ways busy Mamas can engage in self-care every day
- Mama, don’t forget to celebrate yourself on Mother’s Day!
It’s time to get productive!
Want to make 2020 a memorable year for success and productivity in your life? Try out these five habits and there’s no doubt you’ll be glowing with success and overflowing with productivity!