You’re a working mom and you’re already strapped for time. You want to do something new for yourself, though. Perhaps it’s because you need to change things up to create more time for self-care. Maybe you need to get your creative juices flowing again. Or maybe you simply need a change because things as is aren’t working right now.
Most of us are focused on dealing with work, spending time with and taking care of our families, trying to maintain balance between those two, and trying to keep ahead of household duties. Maybe we add in things like exercise or functional pampering (think pedicure when it’s sandals season) into the mix of trying to balance our lives, but add something else? Yikes. But it’s possible. Are you thinking of the possibilities and letting your imagination wander?
Adding something new to your busy schedule
You’re a working mom and you’re realizing that you need something else in your life that isn’t work and isn’t about motherhood. Now what? Maybe the something new you want to add into your life is a new hobby or volunteering for something you’re passionate about. Perhaps you want to learn something new (e.g., a language, sewing, etc.). Do you want to learn a new skill that might help you in the future as you create a new business endeavor? Truth is that you might simply want to take more time to do something simple like read a new book consistently or meet new people. Whatever the something new is, how do you add anything new to your already busy schedule?
Realistically, adding something new can be hard. Whatever the new thing is can be pushed to the back burner every day, even when it’s something you care about. That is why I think this new thing must be something really important to you or else it can quickly fizzle out. So how do you know what to add into your life?
Questions to help you make new things happen
- What do you want to integrate into your life? Is it something concrete that you’ve thought about or just an idea that you’re developing?
- Will it make you happier or more satisfied with your life? Is it something you’re passionate or excited about or do you feel you “have to do it”?
- Why now? (Although, honestly, why not now?) Is there something that is triggering this new interest? Take a moment to understand your motivation or trigger and its effect.
- What other changes do you need to consider? As a working mom, there can be lots of moving parts. How will this fit in to everything else?
My own experience
What do I know about this? I’m in the process of writing my second book (and doing all the marketing that goes along with it and still doing the same for the first book) while being a part-time marketing consultant and acting as the primary caregiver for our two young boys in addition to all my other household duties. That’s forced me to learn a thing or two about integrating new projects into the mix. If you want to see how I manage all the things, check out my post on my 5 tips for productivity and time management. You’ll see what I use daily to keep all the stuff moving forward.
How did I add in this new project into my own mix of things?
I worked on my book for about four years, including three years for interviews, time to do a TED talk, and then time to write the book. We even had another child during that 4-year period. In fact, we had our second child the day after the brainstorming with a small group to name the book. I did that while servicing my strategic marketing clients.
For the second book, I’m still servicing my marketing clients and building that business out, supporting the first book, and building a work-life balance consultant business. I still work part time. How do I do it? I’m incredibly intentional with my time and I integrate my books into everything else on my plate, but I do it in small doses. Some mornings each week, I use my power hour to write. When that’s not the case, I work on little bites related to writing my new book each day. I use the fringes of my time as intentionally as I do the big blocks of my time. For batching or for the fringes of time, it’s easier to break down bigger goals so that your ultimate goal isn’t overwhelming.
How I created time for something new:
I don’t know how you use your time, but here are some ideas to help you figure out how your using your time and what changes you can make.
- What do you really spend your “extra” time on? Are you spending more time on things that don’t add value to your day? Only you can decide that. So, start tracking your time. Track it over a week in 15-minute increments on a Word document or Excel spreadsheet. You’ll be surprised about the little bits of time you can find here and there.
- Block out time to make it happen. Little chunks, big chunks, whatever you can put aside for it. Use batching or time blocking to make use all your time more efficiently. Check out my recent post on how I use time to be most efficient.
- Can you delegate something currently on your plate? Is there something on your plate right now that doesn’t need to be? Consider what you can get outside help with. Is there something that might be someone else’s area of expertise or maybe you can pay for the shopping service at your local grocery store? It’s a small fee in relation to your time. Or maybe you can have the groceries delivered to your home via Amazon Prime or Instacart? OK, let’s say it’s $10. That $10 fee can save you an hour of time, which could be used for something new. Totally worth it, right?
Ideas about adding something new from habit expert Gretchen Rubin:
- According to Gretchen Rubin, you should also track your efforts, so that you’re accountable
- Can you start this new hobby with a friend or maybe join a group? Gretchen Rubin talks about joining a new habits change group, but my suggestion is to join a group related to your new interest or to get an accountability partner who is a friend or acquaintance.
Have you recently included something new in all the things you balance? Did you struggle with a particular aspect? Do you have a few tips on something working incredibly well? I’d love to hear more about your experience.
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Looking for more thoughts on work-life balance or ideas to help with productivity and time management so that you can take implement new ideas? Check out the Mompowerment book in ebook or paperback on Amazon (affiliate link).
