How to Get More Done as a SAHM

Have you ever wondered, how can I get more done as a SAHM?  I have these little kids with me all day.  Someone is always needing me!  I feel you, momma!  Can I tell you a secret I don’t like to admit?  Keeping everything organized and tidy around the house doesn’t come easy to me.  As a more creatively minded person my brain just doesn’t see spaces the same way some of you do.  It isn’t easy for me.  And I am sure many of you are still better at it than I am.  But, in the last year or so I have stumbled on a system that has helped increase my productivity at home so much!  I wish I had figured this out years ago, but hopefully it can help some of you now!

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Make a list of what you want to get done as a SAHM

You can’t be very productive if you don’t know what to do.  I have always been a list maker, but for some reason I didn’t really utilize lists much when it came to my household to dos.  But seriously, do you know how much time you can waste just trying to figure out what to do next?  It sound so silly, but I can talk with my husband about needing to get something done in the morning and by the time I have a moment to get it done, I don’t remember what I needed to do.  It’s probably because as moms we have solve one hundred other problems in the meantime!  But trust me that this will help. 

I make a master list every week of the things that need to get done.  Some items, like tracking our expenses, are on the list every week.  Things like deep cleaning the refrigerator are one the list less often.  There are both things to clean and tasks to do, like pay bills on the list! And don’t worry about the list being too long.  Anything you don’t finish this week you can roll over to next week’s list, but if you don’t write it down you may forget it!

 Pick a Productivity Time

Next, you will want to think about your day and pick a time you want to make your productive time.  When I was home full time,  that time was late morning.  I am a morning person, but I also wanted to make sure I had taken time to exercise, read my Bible and have one on one play time with my son first.  Once I had those things done, I felt more ready to dive into being productive.  Now that I am working during the day, I have a lot less time at home, but I am currently try to give myself a small productive time after dinner to make sure things don’t get too out of control around the house!

If you have kids at home with you, another thing to consider is what they can be doing during this time.  My little guy is three, so he mostly just follows me around and finds something to play with wherever I am.  Sometimes when he is having a hard time, I may put him in his high chair with a snack or set out a toy and play with him for a few minutes to get him going.  If you have older kids, you may want to send them outside to play or you could have them join you with their household chores during this time.  And honestly, you may have to experiment a bit before you figure out what works.  But make sure you set your expectations with your older kids so you aren’t frustrated by constant interruptions.

Do Your Top Three

The final step each day is to look at your long to do list and to pick your top three things you want to accomplish.  I usually try to pick one big task and two smaller tasks.  If you have a really big task you know you can’t get done in one day then just break it into 15 minute work periods.  When I was reorganizing my kids room, I put in my top three for over a week, work for 15 minutes in the kids room.  This kept me making progress without feeling overwhelmed with the giant task. 

Whatever I pick, I write these top three tasks in my planner.  When productivity time comes I don’t have to waste time trying to decide what to do, I just do what is in my top three.  I have become so much more productive using this system.  I won’t tell you it is perfect.  Does my two year old still have days he just wants to be held and be with mom.  Yes.  When my big kids are home, do I sometimes have to stop and help work out conflict?  Definitely.  But, when the issues are dealt with I know exactly where to go back and begin working again. 

I love hearing your stories! Let me know if you use the top 3 system and if it works for you!  

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