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Busy mom schedule? Oh, I know the feeling! You’re exhausted, feeling like life is way busier than it was supposed to be… I get it!
Hey, I’m a recovered workaholic mom who allowed a full agenda and a suffocating multi-task life almost kill me, and I mean it! I want nothing to do with a crazy busy life anymore.
Homeschooling 3 children and blogging at the same time are challenging and I have to be absolutely focused and organized with my time, always allowing plenty of margins to work with because life 24/7 with 3 children is unpredictable.
I love doing both, homeschooling and blogging, and you can read my reasons for homeschooling here and why I started a mom blog here. Both are worth doing it! And it is totally possible to homeschool and work at the same time as long as you do it right!
Friend, start doing the happy dance because I have great news for you!
You can get out of your busy mom schedule for good!
My best secret weapon is creating my ideal week schedule, something I learned to craft from Michael Hyatt and I have been using it for the past two years. It looked way different and crowded when I was still working outside the house but this is what it looks like now.
My ideal week schedule looked way different and crowded when I was still working outside the house but this is what it looks like now:
Notice that I have self-care, homeschool, housework, meals, blogging and family time all scheduled. I try to stick to it as much as I can, remember, this is my IDEAL WEEK schedule, not necessarily how my week goes every week. The themes keep me focused on what I am supposed to be doing and when and I have plenty of white space (margins) on my evenings and weekends so I can rest, read, connect with my husband, meet with friends, etc.
Even though I have set hours showing in my ideal week schedule, it would be impossible to do everything on the right time set! That’s just unrealistic. We need to allow room for flexibility too! For the unexpected. What really works for me and for everyone else really is to set a routine that happens according to your family natural rhythm. Time boxing instead of a set schedule also works really well!
I love to see how this system is helping other moms and bloggers! This is what Kristi from SavvySchooling.com had to say about it:
My new routine: I found this incredible post on They Call Me Blessed. (If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, definitely do! She has a ton of amazing content and I know I’ve only just hit the tip of the iceberg.) She talks about planning out your ideal schedule which becomes the routine you strive for. Sometimes you hit it right on the money and sometimes you don’t…at all. But the important part is that you have something you work towards.
After reading Ana’s post and looking at her routine, I built one for myself. After using it for a while now, I think I want to tweak it but it has been so helpful to have this ideal to strive for. It keeps me from flailing around randomly.
How to turn your busy mom schedule into your ideal week schedule allowing plenty of margins to breath?
Here are my 7 best tips to help manage your busy mom schedule. These will help you find balance and rest again:
- Put yourself first – always! A rested mom is a happier and better mom. Care for yourself so you can care for others, especially if you homeschool! Ahem. If you do, then check out these 3 things every homeschool mom needs.
- Keep yourself encouraged and motivated. Here are a few ideas how.
- Turn off all notifications on your smartphone, delete your social media apps and email from it. You won’t believe how much time you will have after breaking from your social media addiction.
- Simplify as much as you can.
- Learn to say NO! This will save you a lot of time and help you focus on your priorities. Not every opportunity is your assignment!
- Cut extra things out of your schedule if you are overwhelmed. My kids have not taken any extra lessons for over a year. Life got so much better for us as a family!
- When you cook, double your recipe and freeze half. I share a few of my time-saving ideas for healthy eating here and also, check out my lazy-mom guide to plan meals like a pro here.
For much more on how to get out of your busy mom schedule, watch the video below!
Download Your Ideal Week Template here:
Related Posts:
More Posts on Time Management:
Your Turn: Are you feeling too busy to be blessed? Are you desperate to get out of your busy mom’s schedule and have control of your time? Share your thoughts in comments below.
Ana is the unhurried homeschool mom of 3, wife, and homeschool blogger.
She loves to encourage, inspire and empower moms to go from stressed to blessed by providing them with the tips, strategies, and resources they need to succeed. Ana is the founder of They Call Me Blessed and the creator of:
5 Days to Your Best Homeschool Years,
Hebrew for Homeschoolers,
Charlotte Mason Online Conference,
The Homeschool Sisterhood,
Grow Your Blog Partying in 30 Days, and
the Beyond Blessed Life Planner.
She leads a vibrant free community for homeschool moms on Facebook and you can connect with her at www.facebook.com/theycallmeblessedblog.
Thanks for sharing this! I started a spreadsheet similar to this a while ago in an attempt to get my schedule more under control but abandoned it. I think what I was missing were the themes for the time blocks, rather than just a straight up schedule. I am looking forward to going back to that spreadsheet and adding those in to see how that changes my mindset!
Yes, Kristi! And remember to create margins and that this is your IDEAL week, not everyday you will follow it through but as long as you keep following it as close as you can it works wonders!! Say NO! Allow yourself to breath between activities. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear your feedback.
I am literally working on it now. Combining this with your fantastic meal planning tips and I know I need to block some time in my schedule for “Planning and Prep”…probably after the boys are in bed, if I’m honest with myself. I have just been feeling so scattered and disorganized lately. So many things have been falling through the cracks and it’s driving me nuts. This is exactly the kind of inspiration and jump start I needed to get myself back on track. (I’m a planner so this chaos has been killing me! lol) Seriously…thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Kristi recently posted…Uniquely Fed: An Honest Look at the Realities of Breastfeeding, Part Four – The Importance of Support
I know the feeling! When things are disorganized around me my brain shuts down to make things worse. LOL
Thank you for encouraging moms to put themselves first! It’s so hard to do but it’s a great reminder that if we are not ok then no one else will be!
Thank you for encouraging moms to put themselves first! It’s such an important message!
Catherine Collins Alford recently posted…Student Loans Aren’t The Only Problem Hitting College Students Today
I have an ideal day page that looks similar to this, but breaks down our day by person in the household. I’ve been wondering how to take a step back and look at an ideal week, and I think this is the little nudge I’ve needed to get there! I’m going to use my own schedule as the backbone, since the kids are where I am 99% of the time. If I am doing something and the kids aren’t involved, they are usually enjoying free play. Thanks for the nudge!
Perfect, Amanda!! I would love to take a look at yours. 😀 There is always room for improvements!
Hi Ana,
Can you tell me where to get the template? I don’t see a link. I have something similar that I’ve done in word, but would love to take a look at this template. Thank you
Yes, fill out the form in the post to receive it. 🙂
I was trying to figure out the best place to ask this question so will give it a try. I have looked at your planner and am interested but had a couple of questions. If it is undated how do you print the dates or do you write them in? What size does it print? What is the best way to print it? And I am sure you can only print the pages you want right? Thanks so much for you time! Paula
Hi Paula!! Excellent questions and YES to all of them. 😀
The Beyond Blessed Life PLanner is undated so you can write your dates in. The best benefit of an undated planner is to pay once and keep using it year after year. The planner prints in full US letter size and you can print it at home or at places like Staples, Office Depot, etc. You can have your print bound at those places too or simply use a 3 ring binder for your planner. Lots of moms do that!
You can print all the pages you want. Inside your dashboard, once you buy the planner, you will find a video tutorial on ideas on how to print it and assemble it and also a guide to print your life planner separated from your meal planner and self-care journal if you wish.
I hope this answers your questions!
I can’t wait for you to get your planner and start enjoying it!!