Lately I’ve been on a mission to simplify my life as much as possible, as a stay at home mom. I was determined not to go through another year feeling like I could never catch up and yet was missing out on the most important things in my life. I have simplified my cleaning routine, my children’s chores, my meal planning, my schedule and my business. As a stay at home mom and as a mom who works at home, I wear so many hats that it can be overwhelming! I knew I needed to implement some productivity routines to help me balance everything I had going on.

I’ve discovered some productivity habits that really help me to streamline my time and my life in general. I find that by cutting out a lot of the unnecessary, or decreasing how much time I need to spend on my to-dos, I’m left with a lot more time and energy to devote to what I truly love and enjoy doing. 

Some of the benefits of a streamlined life include:

• Having the time to spend on activities that you enjoy
• The ability to bring yourself closer to reaching your ultimate goals
• Using your time more efficiently and being more productive as a result
• Feeling more at ease and in control of the direction your life is headed

I know it can be so hard to simplify things as a busy wife and mother. But it is imperative to your health and well being! Think about what you are teaching your children if you are always running around with too much on your plate. They will follow your lead! There are many ways that a streamlined life can have a positive impact on your overall well-being and help you feel more empowered when it comes to your future and achieving your dreams. Here are my top productivity habits for stay at home moms to streamline your life and help you get on the path to feeling empowered!

PRODUCTIVITY HABITS FOR STAY AT HOME MOMS:

SIMPLIFY YOUR POSSESSIONS

Physical clutter almost always turns into mental clutter. If you’re serious about streamlining your life, this is the best place to start. Once you get the clutter under control, it will be a lot easier to simplify the other areas of your life as well.

For more in-depth tips on how to go about simplifying your possessions and decluttering, feel free to read these other posts I’ve written on this topic:

• 15 Ways To Simplify Your Life Right Now
• My Biggest Productivity Secret Revealed
• 31 Day Declutter Challenge

MAKE LISTS FOR EVERYTHING AS YOU GO

I can NOT function without a list! Seriously, I have a list at all times, and I typically have multiple lists. For example, a grocery list. We keep a magnetic notepad on the fridge. As we run out of things, it goes right on the list. The kids are trained to add to that list as they see a need. The family also knows that if it doesn’t get on the list, it doesn’t normally make it in the house! Keeping a running list on the fridge means I don’t have to go rummaging around the house, deciding what we need when it is time to head out the door. This also helps to prevent you from forgetting anything and having to do another trip shortly after.

SET UP ROUTINES

As a busy  mom, I am more about routines than schedules. Routines don’t sound like the most exciting thing to take on, but they really can do wonders for your productivity level. There are homeschool routines, cleaning routines, morning routines, evening routines, Bible study routines, etc. I think the best approach is to pick one type of routine to help you simplify your schedule and some tasks that you need to accomplish. After that one routine is established, then maybe move on to incorporating another into your life.

AUTOMATE

This is a great way to save some time and energy on remembering to pay monthly bills. Automate as many bill payments as possible so you don’t have to fret about paying anything late (or worse, actually paying late and then having to pay for a late fee!). If you are a blogger, figure out how you can automate your social media platforms!

CREATE TO-DO LISTS

I know, lists again! Are you catching a theme here? Be sure to create a to-do list the night before, so you can wake up feeling less frazzled. If I already have my planner filled out and my list made for the day, I know I can wake up in the morning and have my quiet time with the Lord, without distractions. The biggest thing is to figure out your top 3 priority tasks for the day, and try to tackle the most challenging one first. Accomplishing your hardest task of the day will likely keep you motivated enough to keep trucking through your list.

LEARN TO SAY “NO”

If something doesn’t align with your priorities in life, don’t feel guilty about saying “no” to it. You aren’t obligated to do everything in life that is asked of you. You are the keeper of your time, so it is up to you to not let others dictate how you are spending it. When we allow ourselves to become caught up in activities and perceived obligations that we don’t enjoy, it doesn’t leave much time to spend on what we actually want to do.

DELEGATE

I had a number of years where I would run around like a mad woman, trying to do it all. As my kids have gotten older, I have learned that it doesn’t do them any good to see me doing everything. They need to have me at peace as much as realistically possible. I have learned to delegate many household chores to my children. It is good for them! It teaches them life skills, how to run a home, and how to work together. I also keep a small, “honey-do list” for my husband. Not in a nagging way, just a list of things that may need to get done around the house that he tends to be more efficient at.