January 19th, 2020

So, it’s true. I am SLOW. I am not talking a little lagging. Picture my internal modem has been unplugged. Ever since I was little, I’d get lost in the shower. It’s been five minutes, I SWEAR. Nope. 45. Picture- the car runs out of gas waiting for me kind of slow. I blame it on undiagnosed ADD. I have zero natural concept of time. I hyperfocus and I flow, but I don’t hear the ticking of the clock. Molasses in January is an understatement.


Still, I’ve learned, trained myself and continue to push the fast forward button on my internal speedometer. Having an exceptionally organized wife helps, too. I’ve learned a lot from her.

More productive than the average Mama Bear? Maybe. I don’t want to compete, but I needed a catchy title. Did it rope you in? Good. Here’s what I mean by productive. In the course of a typical week, I’ve squeezed in 5-7 workouts, written in my book, blogged daily, graded my student’s essays, worked a teacher’s schedule (no- we don’t leave it ALL at in the classroom), tapped into my spiritual practice daily, supported my two children who have sports twice a week and all the other typical kid schedules- and - oh wait- did I take time for my partner (hmm… there’s always room for improvement). AND, I haven’t gone totally insane yet. I’m not saying or claiming it’s all pretty and perfect. I’m also not saying you have to do ALL that. BUT, if you have goals for your health, your personal passions, and anything that you’ve daydreamed about fitting into your day- you might appreciate these 5 tips for busy and slothful moms.

Here are 5 steps for doing more in the same amount of time.

1. Have a vision for yourself. Close your eyes and picture a joyful you. What are you doing? Are you eating something delicious with friends? Are you dancing with your partner? Walking in nature? Painting? Running? Playing chess? Reading in your robe? Planning a vacation? It doesn’t matter the action, but picture something that will bring you joy- and hopefully something you can do daily. I have a picture of myself writing on the beach. I know I can’t do that daily, but I can write daily and I can plan a trip to the beach daily. I can run, plan nutritious meals and listen to the Beachboys on repeat to get me closer to that joyous and beautiful image of myself writing on the beach. Get clear on what you’re motivated to do and produce in the time we’re about to carve out for YOU.
2. Believe you already are… productive, fit, beautiful, creative, a perfect partner, a loving mother… you name it. Anything you want connected to that vision is more easily brought to life if you imagine you already are that thing.. And repeat it in your head. Call up that affirmation as often as you can so your mind and heart believe it. You’ll work hard to prove the truth in that message. This trick is as ancient as the Yoga Sutras, where I first discovered this practice years ago.
3. Visualized, affirmed, it’s time to rally the troops. Schedule a family meeting to organize your week, engage your family in your goals (and create them together). This special meeting affirms the values you hold for your family as a team, celebrates successes each person has had, sets up a solution focus for any conflict (ours is almost always bedtime, housekeeping and transitions). Plus, it builds in fun time so that you can bond together. If you want more productivity, you have to have a family with a clear idea of the visions you set for yourSELF, not just for them. They can’t read your mind so if you plan to move beyond the boundaries of the typical work/school/home schedule, they need to be on board.
4. Command Center- As a family, we post the agenda for our family meetings along with any goals we made and our schedule in our command center AND on the fridge. Our command center is a huge, dry erase board in the hallway of our main level. We put it in the hub of action, but out of view from spaces our guests typically linger in. The more places we can all see the plan for the month, week and day, the more likely we are to hold one another accountable for the plan and celebrate successes related to goals during our next family meeting.
5. Squirrel Schedule. I have a friend who is an amazing behavioral specialist and she often refers to herself as a squirrel. I can relate. I’ve always needed to focus my many interests, my creative brain and the attention I place on each task. So, take those big events and make sure they are in a portable schedule. Maybe it is a calendar on the phone, or maybe it is in a notebook that is small enough to keep with you. It’s important that it is able to be carried with you and referred to often. Set alarms on your phone or your watch. 

So, here’s the BIG trick. You look for the BLOCKS in your week and in your day that are set aside for YOU! Patty and I have found that we can schedule 2-3 blocks for one another to focus on our dreams during the week. The other person is in charge, the kids are at baseball, or they are told it is “work time” so we keep to this plan. Because we laid the foundation by sharing our family values, our vision and our schedule with the kids at our family meeting, this is achievable.For more on how to make the most of your time blocks and achieve in 12 weeks what takes others a year, I recommend a book that transformed my habits. It’s called, The One Thing by Gary Keller. 

Every day, post your affirmation and your first step toward that vision you had for yourself at the top of your squirrel schedule. Where and when will you squeeze in that joyful moment- that work needed to get to that joyful place? If you need to learn a new skill to get to that vision, when can you fit that learning in? Car rides are a favorite time for me to listen to audiobooks and Podcasts. In fact, my PodCast is designed to be the length of the average commute. If you’re never without your children and Frozen II is constantly on repeat in the car, you might need to schedule to wake up thirty minutes earlier or to work while they nap (please don’t feel pressure to do it all if you are a new mom- your goal is to survive and help your child survive the day).

1. Headphones on! Make yourself a playlist- let your kids know that when the headphones are on, you are working on your goals. I learned this trick from Chalene Johnson’s podcast. She is a fellow fitness enthusiast who uses her ADD as a superpower. If we can drown out the sounds around us and our littles know to get us only in an emergency (this is most successful with elementary age +), then we have both a silent, visual reminder for our household and a way to remove extra distractions. If you don’t think headphones are strong enough and you can’t drive off to the local cafe, make a sign for the door or hang up a curtain. You’ll be able to hear the children and this gentle boundary will help you stick to it.

1. Shout Out Small Victories! As a teacher, I’ve learned that large tasks broken down into small victories yields great motivation and success. So, your slothful self only got your sneakers on in time to do one lap around the neighborhood. Write it down. It was more than you did yesterday. Add it to a list of accomplishments. In the morning and at bedtime, go back to that affirmation and plan the time you will one up yourself the following day. At your next family meeting, your progress (not perfection) should be shouted out in the celebrations. Our lives are made up of so many accomplishments that go by unnoticed. If we can turn our attention toward those small wins, we fuel our hearts and minds for more and greater momentum. 
2. Take stock, sloth. You might actually shock yourself. Living with intention means you value your time. Let go of something that you don’t NEED in order to make room for the things that FILL your cup and propel you FORWARD.

For more information, please feel free to comment. I draw from some amazing authors and thought leaders. I am happy to share what I can!
Love, 
LeeAnn

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