Moms don't get holiday days, they don't get paid, and let's face it they don't get appreciated enough. That doesn't even include the moms out there who are also holding down a full-time job and still find time to make it to all the appointments, school meetings, and activities.
My friends often refer to themselves as Taxi drivers. Between playdates, sports practice, music lessons, sports games, school activities after school (do we really need another "movie night in the gym), us moms are exhausted.
Knowing how to manage your time is a very important skill to have, and a big part of that is creating intentional margins in your schedule.
Keep reading to learn why busy moms need to create intentional margins.
What is an Intentional Margin?
An intentional margin is a gap in your schedule - the buffer. It can either be an empty slot, or it can be created by booking appointments longer than you know they are going to be, to give yourself some breathing room in between everything.
Life is busy and it is hectic, but that doesn't mean you have to run yourself ragged without a break.
Intentional margins allow you that little bit of breathing room to collect your head, grab a cup of coffee with a friend or even take your kids to the park after school, or out for ice cream on a Saturday.
Understanding How to Plan Our Your Day
When running from meeting to meeting, from chore to chore or even from office to home, it's very easy to plan things in a way that seems sensible, following on from one another to give you a packed but productive day.
Only, is it really productive? There is a core difference between being busy and being productive.
What if you built in driving time into your calendar appointemt so you didn't feel rushed or over-scheduled? Or, added an extra five minutes so that the extra-long red light didn't take you off your game. Then, use those three extra minutes showing up early to take a 3-minute-margin and gather your thoughts before dashing into the next thing on your calendar.
By learning how to plan your day and creating personal time margins in your schedule, you will see your productivity each day will increase.
Become More Efficient By Scheduling Margins into Your Day
What does it mean to be efficient? Is it being so busy you can't keep track of where you are and what you are doing there without consulting two different calendars? Not really. Some people might be able to pull it off, but it's not sustainable in creating what you ultimatly want - Harmony.
Efficiency is about getting stuff done, yes, but it is also about getting the right things done with the minimum time and stress. That is not possible when you are too busy running from one thing to another. Give yourself time to have a meeting but also (add 30 extra minutes at the end) to think about it and take any action that might come from it. You will get things done while it is fresh in your mind and save you from having to book time the next week. And let's face it, trying to rememebr what was said and going over old notes is always harder than you think it will be.
Final Thought on Why Busy Moms Need to Create Intentional Margins
Being a mom is a tough job. There is no job tougher, and you owe it to yourself to create time in your schedule for what lights YOUR hair on fire. What are your priorities? Whether it is to follow up on what was just discussed in a meeting to be more effecient to gain back time for those cuddles with your kids before they are grown and living alone. For me, coffee with a friend fills my cup, and I plan those during the week to rejuvinate me. For you, it might be a meditation practice or starting to write that book.
It is also essential for your own mental health to allow yourself the gift of time. Yes, time needs to be used wisely, but free time is just as valid and often an even more important way to use it than anyone ever realizes. If you need more time to understand why busy moms need to create intentional margins, then check out some of our other blogs.