I juggle quite a few roles in between blogging. I’m a busy mom and preschool teacher in addition to many other responsibilities. This blog has afforded me great opportunities to work from home but multi-tasking and time management is critical for success. With out my blog organization binder I wouldn’t have a clue as to where I should be spending my time while working from home. In a short series with tips and free printables to keep your blog organized I have already shared how I keep track of my month in review and social media growth and income, expenses, and sales. Now I’m sharing how I manage to stay on top of several different calendars combined and hope to avoid schedule conflicts with a printable calendar.
My to do lists are completely separate from my schedule and calendar. I have a full year written in on my printable calendar to help me keep track of all my appointments, conference calls, events, and other responsibilities with a time associated. I actively use the current month and a few months ahead but it’s nice to have access to an entire year for later appointments like my daughter’s scheduled visit to the dentist. Those appointments are six months apart and being able to pencil the appointment time in my printed calendar guarantees it won’t be overlooked. I get sidetracked my pretty fonts and images so I made the calendar very simple with nothing special to look at except my own handwritten notes. The calendar print can be used all year long with out having to change the months or days electronically; simply write in the month you are working on.
As for time management, finding a balance is important and different for everyone. It might sound crazy when I tell you I get up everyday at 3:00 am to work on blog posts. Finding a quiet time in my day with out distractions is challenging so I try to get all of my writing done when everyone in my home is sleeping. I work in my preschool classroom in the morning until early afternoon. I use a short time in the afternoon when my daughter is napping and the sun is out for good photography lighting to take photos in my yard. Sometimes it’s not possible to get it all done and I end up using a light box inside. House responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc. all fit into the afternoon and early evening. Classroom prep, blogging campaign work, and all other tasks manage to get done after my daughter is in bed each night. Add all the other appointments and family errands and I’m not sure how I do it all. Being super mommy seems to happen naturally 24 hours a day. We all are different with unique family needs and goals. Find a balance for yourself and understand it’s constantly changing. Every few months, as my daughter’s activities change and she grows, my time priorities change too. For now I’ll keep moving along knowing this blog has created great work opportunities and professional development while finding a balance for my personal life. In the meantime, I’ll keep writing down every commitment on my printable calendar hoping nothing in my schedule is overlooked.
Print your free Printable calendar to help you manage a busy schedule.
Juggling several different schedules makes it challenging for me to fit everything on one printed calendar. I use three different calendars held in my blog organization binder to help me stay organized. My calendars include a family schedule, my campaign leader schedule, and my husband’s schedule so I can avoid scheduling conflicts.
Do you have any tips for time management?
Use my tips for bloggers to print and create an organization binder that works for you.