I recently heard an episode of one of my favorite podcasts about an approach to working when you’re overwhelmed. Her tip was to create a prioritized list of 10-minute tasks. She had been under the weather and also caring for a sick child and 10-minute increments were sometimes all she had to get things done. The tip is smart and easy to do (love those). It can also have a big impact on keeping things moving and not coming to a screeching halt when things are overwhelming.
It got me thinking on other small tweaks I have done recently (or am trying out) that have a big impact. Here are 4 more tips to help make you more productive with little changes.
Working playdates
I mentioned this summer that I started doing networking playdates and working playdates. They have really helped, especially when I was interviewing moms for my book research. My boys had time with a playmate while another mom and I worked. It’s definitely a win for all involved (and it might even relieve some mommy guilt about getting a few more things done and not playing when you have a deadline). Chances are, you might already be setting up playdates. Why not make those playdates more productive for you and another mom starting this week? I’m not saying you shouldn’t have social time with other moms and your kids. Socialize another time, though, when you don’t have looming deadlines. And maybe even with adults only, with a cocktail in hand.
Work on Top Priorities First
There are times we have long lists, which are overwhelming. It feels good to check things off the list, so we might do bunch of easy tasks that don’t necessarily have a big impact first. Essentially, we do a bunch of small tasks and leave the most important ones for later, when we’re likely even more overwhelmed than we felt initially. Marissa Lawton suggests you figure out your non-negotiables (and even better, make sure they relate to business things). I work on the things that are really important first and sprinkle in the other things.
Have 3-5 Specific Goals for the Day
We all have our goals for our projects, but what about your daily goals? I have started creating daily goals so that I know exactly what I have to do. And I try to have 3-5 things that I’m trying to achieve for the day. This requires me breaking down a bigger goal into bite-sized chunks. And it reinforces the working on top priorities first approach. Some of these goals things might be something small like registering my child for a school activity, but there is a deadline and a benefit to taking a bit of time to get it done. Plus, I can schedule small tasks as a break between large blocks of time, especially when I’m focused for a stretch of time doing something that requires focus, like writing.
Schedule email time
Do emails seem to create a time suck all day? Schedule time to check emails and only check email then. Several moms I interviewed shared the need to set boundaries and expectations with your teammates and colleagues. From the beginning, share when you respond to email or set the expectation of response in X hours, unless it’s an emergency. If things need to adjust because of changes in your life, you can certainly reframe expectations and your structure. It’s definitely easier to do from the get-go, though.
All these small changes or shifts in approach have helped or are helping me be more productive during my work time. As a professional part-time working mom, I want to spend time with our boys doing fun stuff. The more efficient and productive I can be with work stuff, the more time I can devote to fun and being in the moment with our boys.
Do you have any easy-to-implement tips that work for you? I’d love to hear them in the comments.
