I recently decided that, since I try to exist without sleep but for some reason my body insists on getting it, I needed some good time-saving ideas. So I reached out to a bunch of bloggers and experts who specialize in the topic, and was flooded with a tsunami of tips. Happily, I’m already doing some of this stuff. I suspect the only real solution to my lack of time would be to give away the kids, perhaps Brad and Angelina wouldn’t notice if I dropped them off. But, maybe I will try some new tips:
From Karyn Beach, a life coach and author of a program she’s releasing next month called “Get It Together Girl: A 28-Day Guide to Practical, Not Perfect, Organization”:
- Don’t underestimate small blocks of time. You would be amazed how much you can get done in fifteen, ten, or even five minutes. I love using the kitchen timer and making it into a game, “For the next five minutes, I’m going to pick up toys, straighten out the kitchen, put away clothes.” I guarantee it will be a major eye-opener. (Note from me: I challenged myself to see how many toys I could clean up in one minute and almost impaled myself with a kazoo, so please, don’t get too crazy here.)
- Use that five to ten minutes after the kids go to bed to lay out clothes (down to the underwear) for the next morning.
- Keep a bag in the backseat with any clothes or other items that need to be returned. Tape the receipts to each item and then when you are driving and happen to be in that area, you can make the return instead of planning and making a special trip or just not returning it.
These are from Lori Radun over at Momnificient, life coach and author of “The Momnificent Life—Healthy and Balanced Living For Busy Moms”:
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Delegate tasks you don’t like, or aren’t especially good at. [Note from me: Would anyone like to do my laundry? I’m not very good at it. Come to think of it, I’m also not very good at cleaning the floors. Or doing any kind of housework. Would anyone mind if I delegated all of my housework to you?]
