Whether your greatest concern at the moment is a large merger, how to get a child from point A to point B while you’re out of town for a conference, or even what you’re going to serve for dinner tonight, one thing remains the same:
You’re wishing you had more time to figure it out.
In the fast paced world we live in it’s hard to believe there will ever be a moment in which we’re not scrambling to accomplish something, but I believe such a time exists!
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However, that time is not here yet, so I’ve come up with a few basic tips to help you along until said glorious time arrives. And since we’re all about social media tips here at The Social Nurse, be on the lookout for ways these tips can be applied to social media throughout the article as well!
1. Set realistic goals.
You can’t work 8 hours, cook a 4 course meal, clean the house, mow the lawn, and tackle laundry all in one day (if you can, I’d like your tips)! Therefore, it’s important to start each day with 3-5 things you want to accomplish. For instance, my list for today looks like this:
- Finish custom order
- Clean out nursery closet
- Put away laundry
- Write blog post
I only list things that are outside of my normal daily routine (taking care of children, keeping the house picked up, cooking dinner, running errands, etc.) in order to stay focused and not get overwhelmed. I’m a stay at home mom/daycare provider/virtual assistant who restores furniture and does custom home design pieces, so my list may look very different than yours, but you get the idea!
Social media tidbit: Rome (or a solid social media presence) wasn’t built in a day, so don’t go in thinking it will be up and running smoothly right away. For instance, if you’re new to Pinterest I’d suggest your first day look something like this:
- Sign up
- Choose profile photo
- Name pin boards
2. Keep a thorough and up to date calendar.
I suggest using only one calendar for everything. Work duties, social events, appointments, kids’ activities, etc. This keeps you from getting your wires crossed. If a time/date changes, go to the calendar and change it right then and there, not when you get around to it. Because trust me; you’ll never get around to it.
Social media tidbit: If you’re managing multiple social media accounts, we recommend using a multi-platform managing site such as Buffer. Not only will it keep everything organized in one place, but it’s guaranteed to save you loads of time too.
3. Schedule time for extras.
Do you have something “extra” that has to be taken care of? If so, instead of waiting for time to present itself (because it never will), I recommend scheduling time for said task. For example, I have a large furniture order sitting in my garage right now, so I’ve set aside time each week to work on it until it’s completed. If I hadn’t carved out said time, my client would still be waiting on their furniture next July.
Social media tidbit: Do you have a marketing graphic you need to make for an upcoming event? Does your Facebook cover photo need updated? Set aside time without interruptions to work on these sort of things so they don’t continue to pile up and stress you out!
4. Ask for help.
In the modern day Pinterest filled world we live in, it’s easy to buy into the lie that we can do it all ourselves, but that simply isn’t healthy. It’s a guarantee that sometimes you’ll need to be doing 4 things at once, or be in 2 places at once, but the truth of the matter is you just can’t be. Therefore, the next time you’re in a bind may I suggest something crazy? Just ask for help.
Social media tidbit: If you find yourself spending countless amounts of hours scheduling, monitoring, and managing your social media accounts, it may be time to look into hiring someone else to do the job. When you look at how much of your time you spend, you just may come out on top by paying someone else to do it.
5. Don’t freak out.
I have to remind myself of this one often. Some days your list just won’t get done. Simply prioritize, do what you can, reschedule what you can’t, and move on. You’ll be glad you didn’t stress yourself out over it in the long run.
Social media tidbit: A wise woman with an outstanding social media presence once told me “don’t worry about being absent from social media for a few days. I once went a few months without posting and still gained followers.” This is so true! Although we obviously don’t recommend this for optimal results, sometimes it just happens and surprisingly enough; life goes on.
I hope one or more of these “busy mom tips” help you out in the juggling game of life!
If you’d like a little more help managing your social media presence and/or learning the ropes of any/all social media platforms check out The Social Nurses course offerings here or e-mail Carol at carol@thesocialnurse.com for further information on personal social media coaching!
If you’re looking for a great calendar with lots of customizable options, I suggest checking out these amazing and FREE printables by Babble! Tip: Use a different color pen or marker for each member of your family to keep things more organized.
Thanks for the helpful tips on time management skills! As a mother of two young children and balancing work (nurse navigator), family life etc..it is always useful to have any extra tips!
Thankfuully for emerginmg ventures, business continuity planning also can have optimistic
short-term results.