Busy Girl Guide: How to Get More Done with Less Stress
OWN YOUR DAYS INSTEAD OF LETTING YOUR DAYS OWN YOU
Feeling stretched too thin, overwhelmed, and/or overworked? Like there’s not enough hours in the day for you to accomplish what you need to? Do you want to feel more present and intentional in your day-to-day? And maybe even have some time to actually do all those things you’ve always wanted to do?
This guide is for you if you feel like you are “too busy,” overwhelmed, and in search of some relief + strategies on how to get out of this cycle and be more efficient with your time!
Read on if you are a busy gal looking to maximize your time.
As a mama of 2 under 2, who also values being the best wife, dog mom, homeowner (and Jesus follower, daughter, sister, friend, employee, etc) that I can be... oh, and let’s throw taking care of myself in the mix too – I realized something has got to give. I hated feeling like my focus could only go to one or two of these areas and the others would suffer. If you feel like you often “can’t keep up” with everyday demands, the tiniest things could be adding to your overwhelm & reducing productivity. I’ve learned it’s about creating a system to set ourselves up for success. Stay with me to learn how I have been combatting this (because I KNOW the feeling). Here I have compiled my best tips to get MORE DONE with LESS STRESS.
BECOME AN ESSENTIALIST
AKA do less, but better to make the highest possible contribution. Hot take: Living with the mindset “you can have/do it ALL” doesn’t serve us well. It’s time to trade it in for the pursuit of “the right thing, in the right way, at the right time” to help you regain control of your choices about where to spend your time and energy. HIGHLY recommend the book “Essentialism” by Greg Mckeown to learn more.
PLAN MONTHLY, WEEKLY, AND DAILY GOALS
At the end of each month, create your top big 3-5 “must accomplish” goals for the upcoming month.
Based on those monthly goals, at the end of each week, break down your top 3-5 goals for the upcoming week.
Based on those weekly goals, yep you guessed it — break down your top 3-5 goals/tasks/activities for the day.
Tip on daily tasks 💡:
Prioritize order of importance of the tasks and try to start the day with the “hardest”/most dreadful one. The rest of the day feels easier if you get that one out of the way quickest. If you complete those goals/tasks/activities and still have some extra time, you’ll feel great and anything else you do that day will be a bonus!
TIME BLOCK
When planning the above day-to-day goals/tasks/activities, learn to ask yourself how much time it will *actually* take you. Often in the past I have not been realistic, as I plan a months worth of to dos for one week and then feel so down on myself for barely making a dent in it all. For example: If you decide a particular task will take you 30 minutes, put it in your calendar and block out 30 minutes of fully present time to complete it – knowing you have a break after it’s done (or plan something to look forward to for when time is up!).
Tip on time blocking 💡:
Color code everything; it helps a lot if you are visual. Each color represents a different category of life/work.
Meal Plan + Cook in Bulk
We all know eating healthy is important for physical and mental health, but it can be challenging when we don’t have a plan in place. Unhealthy foods are always the most convenient. Not so much meal prepping, but having meals *planned* with a running grocery list of items needed for them + other items you notice throughout the week that you need more of, is huge. Consider getting a fridge magnet or dry erase board as your “menu” for the week with a “grocery list” next to it, but it can be as easy as writing it down in the notes on your phone. Then cook in bulk 2-3x/week. Cooking in bulk is great so you can eat the same dinner for a couple nights (and even pack for work lunches to-go!).
Move Your Body
There are endless benefits to exercising each day, but here I want to emphasize it’s positive impact on mental clarity (bye bye brain fog) and productivity! If possible, get your workout in first thing in the morning and reap the benefits for the rest of your day. If not then, find whenever you can sneak in as little as 10 minutes to just move – it MATTERS and will give you the boost you need. Even if you start by “habit stacking” to equal total of 10 minutes of movement a day, it counts.
Habit stacking example:
Do squats while you brush your teeth. Your brain will thank you, and your endorphins will reward you!
Become an Early Bird + Stay Consistent with Sleep Schedule
Don’t roll your eyes yet! When you wake before the world wakes, there are less distractions & more hours you can get stuff done. This could also apply to being a night owl, so pick your poison! It’s important to figure out what time you can commit to waking up/going to bed & being consistent so your body can get in a rhythm & your eating patterns are consistent. Challenge yourself to go to bed + wake up 1 hour earlier & see how you feel.
Bonus tips 💡:
Try to unplug from devices/electronics 1-2 hours before bed & notice how the quality of your sleep improves. Add in magnesium to your nighttime routine for your best sleep!
Keep Your Space TIDY
You don’t have to be a clean freak but do understand that a messy space can make a mess out of you... it really is true! A clean space sets the stage for a clearer, less chaotic mind. Instead of doing a big deep clean at the end of the week (dreadful), work to keep your house clean-ish all week long by doing “maintenance” cleaning.
How to:
Split your home up into sections & block a small amount of time to tackle specific rooms/tasks on specific days. P.S. if you have a partner/roomie, they can & should help (or hire someone if you can & take it off your plate completely)! Always divide + conquer household chores where you can.
Eliminate, Simplify, Automate, Delegate
These steps originate from Tim Ferriss book “The 4-Hour Workweek” & as you begin implementing, you’ll find that you do get time back that you can then invest in the most important aspects of your work/life.
The system works like so: If you don’t need to actually do a task & it doesn’t demonstrate any meaningful value, then eliminate it altogether. If you can’t eliminate a task but you can find a way to simplify or automate all or part of it, do that. If a task is necessary & can’t be automated, delegate it. Easier said than done but so worth it to figure out how you can apply this in your work/life!
Limit Distractions
If you are tired of hearing yourself saying “I don’t have the time,” make it your mission to track your time & find out where it is all going! You may find you still had the time to scroll on social media + binge your fave shows... It’s okay that we take breaks, we can’t be “go go go” all our lives. DO block out time for relaxation, joy, fun & self-care because these things make us show up as better humans! BUT there’s a difference between that & wasting time vegging out, so set boundaries on how much time you give to your “distractions” – sometimes you may need to be more strict than other times, depending on if you are working toward a goal or have a deadline coming up.
Give yourself Grace + Give it to God
At the end of the day, we are only human. Imperfect beings. Not robots! Our worthiness is not found in our accomplishments or productivity. We are not meant to go through this life alone, so when things get crazy, bring it to the Lord. Let Him restore you. Continually remind yourself of God’s word: Matthew 11:28 “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Small changes add up – I hope these tips were helpful! Please remember this is what has worked for ME, but it’s important to test and find your sweet spot and what works for YOU! I’d be happy to hear from you on what is working! Shoot me an email anytime at sheliveswholly@gmail.com.
Seriously, don’t be a stranger :) If you are a mama like me, we have unique time restraints and as beautiful as motherhood is, it can often be accompanied by quite a bit of overwhelm and intensify the feelings described in this guide. That is why I created a digital planner to keep me on track toward being the mama I was created to be, serving my family (and myself) best...
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