Sweatshirt – New Balance | Leggings – Alo Yoga | Sneakers – Nike | Hat – J. Crew | Sunglasses – Illesteva (old but similar here) | Water bottle – S’well

 

Today’s post is going to be a bit of chatty one. I asked on my insta-stories recently what sort of posts or content many of you want to see and I received quite a few questions about time management and how I balance my time with the blog, Miles, life, etc. So to jump right into it and be perfectly transparent, I haven’t quite mastered it yet. I work at it every day but it is still a challenge.
When I had a corporate job, I would often structure my to-do list by level of priority or importance. The things that were for my boss or were time sensitive would get done first. For many years, I worked from home with my corporate job so I would set aside a certain day of the week for office work so I could be out in the field the rest of the week meeting with my teams (I was a sales executive). Since I made my own schedule during that time, I did learn how to be more self disciplined which has helped me now that I run my own blog. I took my blog full time 2 years ago but shortly after I did, my father became terminally ill and passed away, I got pregnant and then miscarried, we moved into our current home with my mother and then I became pregnant again soon after. Needless to say, things were a bit chaotic.
Adding Miles into the mix has definitely brought a new dynamic and need for a certain routine which can be hard some days. I am beyond grateful that my mother lives with us and watches Miles so I can work/run errands/etc. What most surprised me about becoming a mother is the amount of guilt I feel over anything Miles related. I knew people talked about it but I couldn’t really understand it until I felt it for myself. That has created an emotional distraction that can make time management challenging at times. But we are slowly getting into a groove and it gets a bit easier every day.
Here are a few things that I do which help me with balance and time management (some things are very small but still make a difference for me):

 

  • I clean up as a I go. It only takes me a few seconds to put something back right after I use it but I feel so much better when things are organized around the house.
  • If something can take me less than 5 minutes, I will do it right away rather than putting it off. Making my bed is the best example of this. I feel so much better once it is made, but sometimes want to skip it because I tell myself “I don’t have time”. I actually timed myself once to see how long it took me (it was under 3 minutes, sometimes even faster), and I know that I have 3 minutes to spare.
  • This one is more mental, but I have stopped saying “I’m sooooo busy” or “I have soooo much to do” because it makes me feel overwhelmed. I will tell myself “I have plenty of time to accomplish what I need” or “I can definitely get everything done” which sets me up for success. It’s crazy how what we tell ourselves can really affect how well we perform that day.
  • I will sometimes put an actual time frame next to items on my to do list when I feel that I have too much to do. Seeing how long it will actually take helps me realize I can get it all done. This has made me realize just how much I can accomplish in 60 minutes. It can also show you when you have overcommitted or packed your day with too much just by adding all the time up.
  • This one is more personal but I know what my limit is when it comes to activities, work, errands, etc. I hate feeling frazzled and run down and will simply say no or choose to skip something in order to be more successful at the things I have said “yes” to. Everyone’s threshold is different but being honest with myself about what mine was helped me find a better balance.
  • I am someone that will move on to another task before one is finished because I get distracted easily. Next thing I know, I have 5 unfinished tasks instead of 1 complete one and 4 left to do. I will now finish a task completely before moving on to the next.
  • I make the basics easy for myself. Even before I was blogging, I had a makeup routine that I liked and could do quickly. A hairstyle that I could work with in the time frame I had to get ready each day. And basic pieces in my closet that I could grab in a pinch and know I look good. It can take time to find all these things but once you do, it can really help to simplify your day.
I know many of these things seem like simple no-brainers, but sometimes that is all it takes. Balance and time management is a struggle for most people not just myself so I know that it will be a work in progress my entire life.
I would love to hear your thoughts on balance and time management. Do you feel that you have a good hold on it? What are some of your tips that help you balance your time better?