Sarah Griffith -

Tips For How Busy Moms Stay On Track 

If someone were to ask me what my secret is to balancing everything that I do, I would attribute it to my organization skills. That is one area that I really am great at. I am a planner. My life has daily to- do lists, weekly meal plans, and weekly lesson plans. Basically I live and die by my calendar.  While this is not for everyone it is what works for me. I would encourage you to give these behaviors a try. You might find that it helps calm the storm of chaos that a busy life brings with it.  Maybe I am the only one who feels like this but as a working mom I feel like I have run a marathon all before I even get to work everyday. Each morning when the alarm goes off it’s a race to get everything accomplished and where I need to be on time.  Below you will find my top 10 working mom secrets to stay organized.

1.     Invest in a cleaning lady – After I had Carter I couldn’t keep up with having a spotless house and balancing a career. I am very particular about our house and I like things clean, spotless to be exact. I was finding that I was sacrificing quality family time to clean up. One of my wiser older mentors told me that cleaning ladies were every workingwoman’s secret. She was right. Mine comes every other Thursday and it is the best money I spend each month. I plan for them to come at the end of the week so my weekend starts out with a clean house.

2.     Each Sunday I plan out all of my outfits – I iron them and even pick out the accessories and shoes. Not only do I get all of my things ready for the week but I also pick out my sons outfits for the week so that our mornings are less chaotic. Often people say isn’t that a pain to have to think that far in advance – yes it is but I sure am happy I did it on a Wednesday morning when I am running behind. It’s the little things you do that set you up for success.

3.     In addition to laying out my clothes and my sons I also lay out my workout clothes for each day. Having them out is a visible reminder that I need to do it before the days starts. After a busy day of teaching, making dinner and bath time the last thing I want to do is come home and exercise. Gotta get it done in the mornings!

4.     After my workout and shower I spend time each morning reading at least 10 pages a day of personal development. What I have found that reading books that focus on positivity and growth are a great way to start the day. If you look at really successful people and ask them what they do differently than the rest of the world you will often hear them say that they devote time each day to personal growth. For me since I am a busy, busy momma I read while I dry my hair each morning. I guess I kill two birds with one stone that way right?

5.     Each Saturday or Sunday we meal plan for the week. While I meal plan I make my grocery list. We shop on Sunday so everything is fresh for the week. This ensures I have all of the ingredients for what I want to make for dinner each night. The list also keeps me from buying things we don’t need. Shopping without a list is an impossible task for us. I usually do some meal prep as well on Sundays so that things are partially prepped for dinners and lunches.

6.     Each night I pack my lunch and my son’s lunch. Not only our lunches but also even our drinks. In the mornings I need to be able to open the fridge and pull out the lunchbox rather than have to pack the lunchbox. I simply don’t have the time. On days that I don’t do it the night before I find myself flustered and grouchy in the morning trying to do that before we have to leave.

7.     My breakfast is not really a breakfast. I start each day with Shakeology – Shakeology is a whole meal replacement. It truly is a super – food. I have been drinking it everyday since February. It is the perfect kick-start to my morning. It gives me lots of energy and does not require more than a minute of my time each morning to blend up. Since I practice clean eating I eat every two hours so around 9:00 am I tend to have a “breakfast like” snack.

8.     At the end of each day I try my best to unplug and remove myself from the digital world. I find that I shot for 30 minutes before I end my day. It really feels like the only time I am at peace and uninterrupted. I spend all of my day being connected – I am constantly talking, emailing, checking in with my challengers on social media, texting. You all know what I mean. We live in a distracted world. It’s nice to take a break and remove myself. 

9.     I focus on being “all there” wherever I am.  At work I try my best to stay off social media, away from my phone and text messages and only focus on my work life. When I am home my focus is on my son and my husband. I truly don’t want bothered with anything during that time. I feel like we get so very little of it I want to treasure the time when I have it.

10. Even down to our shoes we are ready for the day each morning. After all if you are running a marathon each morning you have to start with your shoes.