7 ways to be highly productive and efficient

Why is it important to have a highly productive and efficient daily life?

Productive doesn’t always equal efficient. Before we can dive into that vague statement, we must understand each word separately. What does it mean to be productive?

“Achieving or producing a significant amount or result.”

Oxford Languages

Productivity at home, means getting a lot of tasks completed off of your “to-do” list. We as moms know, that our “to-do list” is never ending. It is important to keep our tasks realistic and with a stopping point. Being productive at home also enables us to complete one task, as a result of crossing off a different one. This leads us to efficiency. What does it mean to be efficient?

“Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.”

Oxford Languages

Efficiency can be seen as a measurement of productivity. Moms who are efficient at home, typically consider this skill to be multitasking. Multitasking is basically the ability execute efficiency which leads you to being what? Productive.

Motherhood requires us to be highly productive in our daily routines, whether we realize it or not. Any task that needs to be completed, yields a product. So, here are 7 ways to help you be highly productive and do it efficiently.

1. Prioritize what tasks are most important to have a productive and efficient day

We all want to label everything we feel like we must accomplish as a priority. However, this makes it much more difficult to efficiently finish the important tasks we have. You must choose what to make a priority in your life, however I can help you better identify these things. Ask yourself these questions:

• If you need to complete one thing, before you can do something else…it is a priority. Doing things in an intentional order, will help keep your list moving smoothly.
• Use your gut instinct to develop a sense of urgency. An urgent matter, that could cause harm or destruction, is a priority.
• If you are able to complete the job quickly, that is a good starting point. If it can wait until later, that means it isn’t a priority.
• Don’t set yourself up to fail by prioritizing a task that will make you too stressed or frustrated. If you end up feeling defeated from the first thing you try…the rest of the day will be an uphill battle.

2. Focus on the most important tasks first to encourage efficiency

The reason we need to understand how to prioritize, is to help order our daily goals. Try making a list the night before, of 3-5 tasks you need to accomplish the next day. I have created a free printable to do list you can use each night.

To do tomorrow

These tasks need to be things that you realistically can complete. It is important to list them in order of priority. What is the most important item that will be the most significant to complete? Having a tangible list helps motivate you by seeing what’s next. There is always a satisfying feeling that comes with crossing off a job you have completed. If you are not able to finish something, add it to the list at the beginning of the next day. Check out my mom organization ideas board on Pinterest if you need more tips on deciding what takes priority.

3. In order to be highly productive and efficient, manage your time wisely

Don’t spend too much time on a single task. It is so easy to get lost in what you are doing. This is one of the main causes of unfinished business. Any extra time you need to finish one assignment, is time taken away from the next. If you have a daunting project, try splitting it up. This will require you to establish specific stopping points. Using a timer is a great way to hold yourself accountable to starting and stopping times. By sticking to these time limits, you are also motivating yourself to speed up a bit.

Create a scheduled that allows you to divide up time in an order that makes sense for what you need to do. Keep in mind, it is a better idea to tackle larger tasks earlier in the day. This will allow you time later in the day to revisit what you may not have finished. When you hold yourself accountable to timelines, you will internally begin managing your time more efficiently.

Be mindful that choosing a time to complete any task is dependent on the type of focus you may need to put towards it. One of the biggest tips to time management is planning ahead. Try to find ways to jump start your day by planning ahead.

4. De-clutter your space in order to be more productive and efficient

Take a look at my post about organization tips. That is the first step to de-cluttering. Making sure every item has a home. It may seem simple but knowing exactly where to find any tools or materials needed throughout the day is essential in becoming more efficient. De-cluttering helps you take control of your space and create an improved lifestyle. It is much easier to cook, clean, and navigate through a kitchen free of “extra stuff.” Most people sleep better in a tidy bedroom. Your overall well-being improves when you have the space and clarity to do things in an aesthetically pleasing environment.

Decluttering also is a way of re-organizing your space. This will naturally lead to helping you prioritize many aspects of your life. This is a great task to add to your to do list. Add a different area in your home to de-clutter each day.

“Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.”

Marie Kondo

5. Designate each area of your home for a specific purpose

It is so important for you and your family to have boundaries in your home. Setting boundaries will help you be more efficient in how and where you carry out tasks. By having an office, or work area, you will be encouraged to only work in that space. If your children have a playroom, or an organized space in their room for toys/games…it makes it much easier to keep that space tidy.

This also gives everyone else in your family the opportunity to pitch in and help. More people working on a set task definitely boosts productivity. Post schedules or expectations in these spaces to give more responsibility to your family. If others know what to expect, it makes them more confident to follow directions and lessen your load.

Do your best to keeps these spaces intentional and use them for the reason you have designed it for.

6. Focus on one thing at a time

It is never wise to rush to complete something. Remember, you can be productive but that doesn’t mean you are being efficient. If you finish something quickly but end up having to fix it or start over, that is not efficient. Sometimes as mom, we pride ourselves on multitasking. It is a skill not everyone can do, and it is sometimes necessary (especially if you have multiple children. That being said, the more efficient you are at a single task, creates an environment that takes away the need to multitask.

Limit distractions that will cause you to lose focus on the task at hand. This skill is harder to do than it sounds. I suggest you apply this to your list. Don’t do multiple tasks on your daily list at the same time. Focus on one thing, cross it off, and move to the next. Prioritizing doesn’t mean share time; it means something is so significant that it requires its own time.

This means you may need to save certain tasks for a time in the day you have the ability to focus more than others. For example, I typically fold and sort clothes in the evening when I can binge watch my favorite shows and the kids are asleep. Then first thing in the morning, I put their clothes away. This allows me to focus on my laundry without distraction. Do what works best for your family and turn it into a habit.

7. Pre-Plan your weeks, to make your day highly efficient and productive

This is one of the big things for me. Any area you can plan ahead in, PLAN! You can check out my ETSY shop for several organizing and planning resources. Having a menu set up for your family each week is a game changer. Not only does this help your family know what to expect every day for each meal, but they can help! I have a 4-week plan you can purchase! It has family friendly meals for breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner for 4 whole weeks!

Click here for the menu

I also talked about laying out clothes for the entire week, rather than each night. If you do that on Sunday, that is one less thing to add to your daily to-do list. Some other things that will help you pre-plan:

• Always check the weather forecast
• create a strong morning and bedtime routine
• create a chore/housework schedule
• Budget
• Use a mom binder
• use a calendar

Remember, this is a process and should be looked at as a lifestyle change. Give yourself grace and take it one day at a time. Efficiency takes practice but will inevitably result in productivity. Motherhood requires balance, and the more efficient you are in daily activities, the more time you can love on your babies.

Surviving the Day,

Erica