Good Habits: A Time Management Tip – Always Have Full Hands

There is an old Irish saying that includes the line, “May you always have work for your hands to do.”  No worries there when you are a busy mom.  There is always more than plenty of work for our hands to do!  I’ve been giving a lot of thought on how we busy folks can get more cleaning done in less time.  This week’s Good Habit will help us do just that.  This week we will practice an easy time management tip, “Working like a waitress.”  It is sure to help us get more done.

 

Wait a minute, Christina.  What the heck do you mean when you say, “Work like a waitress.”  It’s really a simple idea that has two parts.  The first part is to work fast and the second is to always have your hands full.  Have you ever noticed how waitresses are always moving and always have their hands full?  They are either dropping something off or picking something up with each trip.  If we could spend our time at home working like a waitress we would surely get more done.

Laundry, cooking, cleaning, taking care of kids………..lots to do.  We all have the same 24 hours in the day so how is it that some folks seem to always have a spotless house and we can’t even get the living room to stay clean?  There are probably lots of reasons why some folks can get more done in a day. I don’t have all of the answers……….oh I wish I did!  However, these tips are sure to help us get more done in the day.  Remember, we are working on small habits that can add up to big change in our lives.  Juggling Real Food and Real Life takes practice.

Tips for getting more done!

1.  Move fast:  We busy moms don’t have time to mess around.  Limit distractions as much as you can so that you can quickly move through the house to finish your chosen tasks.  I don’t mean put on your running shoes and sprint around the house.  Sure, you could do that, but my running isn’t much faster than my walking.  What I mean is to walk around briskly without stopping to check Facebook 15 times in an hour.  Set timers.  Put on music.  Whatever helps you to stay focused and keep moving.
2. Always have full hands:  I’ve noticed that it is way easier to Finish What I Start (a previous good habit) if when I clear clutter, I always have my hands full.  Here is what it looks like:  Rather than getting dressed and leaving the bedroom to go to the kitchen for breakfast empty handed, I move from room to room with my hands full.  I carry a cup to the kitchen, then I carry the new laundry detergent that I purchased to the laundry room.  I then bring up the clean laundry to the bedroom.  Just keep moving things into their right location.  I’m always running around the house (like a turtle in peanut butter) trying to get ready for work, ready for sports practice, and ready for school.  Instead of running around empty handed, I like to run around with my hands full………..like a waitress.

I remember when I was a waitress in college how motivated I was to reduce my steps.  I would be really tired at the end of the shift if I took more steps than I needed to.  It just makes sense to apply this knowledge and process to motherhood.  Give it a try.  See if you can move from room to room with your hands full all of the time.  If you have to walk out to the kitchen to grab a glass of water to drink…….why not toss something into the trash while you are out there?  Simple tip.  You will be surprised at how much you can get done.

What simple tips do you have to get more done in the day?  Do you work through your house with your hands full?  Are you a waitress??  Tell us how to really do it!

Since I always want you to be thinking about eating real food…………..If you are looking for help in making the transition to eating more real food, you should check out the Real Food Experience posts. You can get started at the beginning or jump around the challenges. You can find a complete round-up of the program here. Each week’s challenge is full of terrific advice to help you transition from fast and processed food to a real food diet. Changes that will help you to live a healthy lifestyle and have the energy to keep up with your busy schedule. I would also love for you to join me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on a regular basis. Leave me a comment and let me know you are there. I love to visit with my readers.

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