Time Management Tips for Corporate Working Moms
Motherhood is one of the most challenging yet rewarding journeys of them all. Raising little humans to become well-established and successful adults is no walk in the park. It can take massive amounts of time and energy. But as mentally and physically taxing as being a mother is on its own, corporate working moms specifically (~32% of women in the labor force) often struggle with discovering that ideal work/life balance.
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Harvard Business School performed a 2019 survey that found 80% of employed persons with caregiving responsibilities said it affected their work performance and productivity.
Overall, between trying to meet corporate deadlines, engaging with c-level clients, and taking care of your family all at the same time, it stands to reason why corporate working moms often drop the ball in some form or another. Does this describe your current life? Understand that you are not alone. There are key things you can do to feel more stable, confident, and balanced wherever your attention lies – and it all boils down to one foundational thing, time management.
Time management for working moms is the golden outlet to successfully juggling all the intricacies of life. Knowing how to effectively practice is the very thing that will make these hectic days much easier to tackle.
Time Management Tips for Working Moms
Set Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals is the cornerstone to successful time management. In general, corporate working moms tend to get bogged down with the concept of trying to achieve unrealistic objectives for themselves, then getting stressed out when they fail.
Instead of getting stuck in this cycle, set realistic milestones for yourself. Ones that you know you can handle during this phase in your life. From slimming your schedule to reorganizing it, managing your time with realistic goals will help you stay on track. It will also make you balanced, and positive as you bounce between family and your professional career.
Time Management Tips: Only Work on Today’s Important Tasks
Prioritization and sticking to a daily schedule is a wonderful time management practice that can support working homes on turning their attention on the things that matter the most during a given day.
Some tasks are more important than others, which means some things can be held off until tomorrow or to a later date. Even more, if you are ahead of the game, don’t take on the duties that are scheduled for tomorrow.
Let it be, and stick to your daily plan so you don’t overwhelm yourself with ‘trying to get ahead’. Remember, more is not always better, as doing 1-2 high-stake tasks at 100% is much better than doing 5-6 tasks at 75%.
Time Management Tips: Refrain from Multi-Tasking
One key tip in regards to time management tips for working moms is to avoid too much multi-tasking. Sure, multi-tasking can be a great way to kill two birds with one stone, but adding too much of it within your schedule can do much more harm than good.
For instance, Entreprenur.com states that multi-tasking can hurt productivity, progress and overall quality of work. Furthermore, it has also been shown to drop someone’s IQ by 15 points. Yikes. As an alternative, aim to do just a few prioritized tasks each day to achieve optimal results. This will allow you to still have enough focus power and energy to spend it on yourself and your kids at home later.
Control Your Home Environment
If you want that desired work/life balance, then you have to incorporate time management at home as well. Going from a schedule-driven workplace culture to an unstructured home is not going to help you or your kids. For this, think about setting concrete time rules that fit your family’s dynamic.
This means having a stringent dinner, bath, play/learn, clean up, and bedtime routines that you and your kids follow. That way they are getting all their needs met when you get home from work. In a nutshell, structure and routine at home offer tons of advantages to children in their developmental stages. Plus it helps you not have to work overtime trying to keep up with everything at home.
Time Management Tips: Set Time Aside For YOU
You cannot reach your fullest potential at work or as a mother if you are running on empty. That is why setting some scheduled time aside to focus on your wellbeing is critical. That’s a benefit you and everyone around you. Self-care, whatever that looks like to you, is pinnacle for you to become the best corporate employee, wife, mother, and friend.
So, keep yourself in mind when you are time managing because your body needs time to rejuvenate. That way you can achieve peak performance and balance. Even just scheduling in 15-30 minutes of doing something for yourself a day (i.e., meditation, hot bath, a nature walk, etc.) can work wonders at recharging you.
Additional Work/Life Balance Resources
Do you need more support than just time management tips for working mom tips? If so, there are tons of additional work/life balance resources out there that can help you navigate if you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
For example, there are several support groups where you can converse with other women just like you. This will enable you to gain new perspectives and time management skills to achieve a more balanced, quality life. Some of those said resources include:
If you feel like you need more tailored support than what these tools can offer, consider talking to a therapist near. They will help you get on the right track towards giving your job, your kids, and your wellbeing exactly what they need.
Summary – You Can Do Both
Being a working mom within the corporate business sector is undeniably commendable. You are proving to other young girls that strong women can break that glass ceiling and achieve their career dreams. All while raising a beautiful family along the way. But the fact of the matter is that it is not an easy double-duty path to take, and once that relies heavily on leveraging time management.
All in all, if you are feeling off-kilter right now, take a step back and rearrange your time into a more structured routine that works for you. Take advantage of the time management for working mom tips above. Utilize the resources around you that were all strategically designed to guide corporate working moms towards reaching their full potential regardless of the shoes they’re wearing.
Because at the end of the day, you can be a corporate professional and an amazing mother at the same time. And sometimes just a few actionable tweaks to your schedule can help you recognize that.
