I once completed a personality test that corporate coaches use to help place their clients into “best fit” job positions. I don’t remember my whole profile, but I do remember that I wasn’t surprised to see learner and researcher on my list. Productivity is not a challenge for me, but time is! As a busy mom with three part-time jobs, I rely on good organization and efficiency skills more than the average person. Because of these strengths, a colleague asked me to write a blog article that unveils my personal efficiency strategies. I hope one or more of these help you squeeze in the work so you have more time for play!
- I dedicated a back room as the playroom. This allows my kids to have a personal space for their play materials and to do their thing. This keeps them out of my hair while I’m working. We are lucky that they are BFFs and play really well together, sometimes for hours. I have consistently preached that we must “love and protect” each other, and we tolerate no aggression or name calling EVER. Of course the fight on occasion, but they prefer playing with each other to anything else and have grown to have similar skill levels at their play activities. Because they’re pretty independent and learned peace-making skills early, I get time to do my own thing often at home. This was NOT the case when I raised my oldest, who was an only child for eight years. I got little work done during that time. Ha-ha, true story. So if you are the parent of a single child, I suggest lots of play dates! Entertaining your child 24/7 with not time out to do what you want to do is not reasonable or sustainable.
- I equip myself to the tools I need to work at every location. I use DropBox a ton and have a smartphone, a desktop computer home, and two laptops so I’m ready to work any spare moment. This way I can work on the same document any time I have free time and all of my computers sync effortlessly.
- I color-code block scheduling on my iPhone calendar and practicing mindfulness. As you see in the lead image, I block schedule my activities throughout the day and stick to a schedule. And just like I stay committed to the present task at hand while doing work, when it’s play time I put screen media away and stay focused on friends and family. I’m a very fortunate woman to have a healthy family and thriving clinical practice. I can honestly say I love my job and my personal time. People often ask if it’s difficult to work with people in emotional pain, but what they don’t realize is I also get to see people getting better every day! Seeing people be amazing inspires me and gives me hope for the world. Love and laughter keep me balanced and fueled more than anything else, so when it’s happening I soak it in fully. #inthepresent #mindfulness.
- I hired a great coach immediately and utilized him fully. If you’re working alone, you need help! Isolation is over-rated. When I was referred to a coach when I started GKIS, I trusted my instincts and sent him my action list immediately. In turn he immediately instructed how to get each item completed. I trusted him implicitly, because somebody I respected referred him. He lived up to the hype. He gave me financially insightful, immediately applicable advice. Then, since I awkwardly mouthed off all of the time (I happen to think I’m hilarious), we became friends. His generosity didn’t stop when our coach contract did. Poor guy will never shake me. Oh ya, and I give credit when credit is due. And I do it loudly (thanks Bill O’Hanlon!)
- I only watch TV after 9 pm, and then only programs recorded on my DVR. My free time is spent outdoors, with kids, reading, listening to music, or creative development. And because my computer is in the kitchen, I’m still involved with everybody even when I’m doing my own thing. Of course, I get interrupted 8,000 times an hour, but whatever. It still gets done. It helps that I have a freakish ability to concentrate with tornadoes circling me. I can’t take credit for that, it’s genetics.
- I am a junky for digital folders. My apps are put in folders on my iPhone screen. Every document I write is in a folder within a folder. I am ultra-organized. I spend little time looking for things, because I file-rather-than-pile immediately after the document is finished.
- I seek and trust experts. If I don’t know how to do something, I ask. I surround myself with super smart, generous people that I want to be someday. As a result, they are always there to answer questions and I, in turn, am there for them always. Plus, I make sure they know how grateful I am and host lots of appreciation lunches and happy hours. I try to make all of it fun. My work partners turn into friends. Win-win. Also, I don’t hesitate to delegate and hire help if I don’t have the ability to do it myself.
- I’m not afraid to fail or look stupid. I just expect I’ll suck when I’m learning something new. Then when I’m lame at things, I’m not disappointed. I patiently keep at it assuming I’ll get better. Most the time I do. If I don’t, I hire out for it or I bail and try something else.
- I prep with an action list and outline. Prep is everything. I have an ongoing GKIS action list and move items from the TO DO to the COMPLETED sections religiously. Before I started writing the book, I had a detailed outline. Before I started blogging, I had 50 titles entered into a spreadsheet. If I come across a cool website or TED talk, I catalogue the link. Creating a vision helps guide my progress and communicate with those who help me with exactly what I need. Trello is awesome for project management! Good communication is critical.
- I have a husband who is a great partner. For the first ten years of our marriage I prided myself on doing too much inside the home as well as working outside the home. That was a foolish plan, because after ten years I burned out and semi-retired my cooking and child care monopoly. My husband once said, “I think we over-rode the pony in the coal mine,” and he was right. For the next several months of my domestic semi-retirement, I committed to being happy with grilled meat and bag o’ salad meals. Eventually he learned to be an equal, competent partner in all things. He is my rock. #Loveyoubaby
- When someone asks me to do something, I DO IT, and I dual-purpose everything. Simply put, generosity feels good. This list, for instance, will now be a blog article. Blog articles are book material. Book material is online parenting course material. And when the head of my department at the university asks me to teach a new class, I choose a class that will feed into my other interests. In life, I believe everything is connected. In work it is too. I keep an eye on the gestalt as well as the details. And in service of generosity and gratitude, I’d like to thank my friend Marco Frezza for asking me to write this list. I recently met him at a conference and was attracted to his quiet brilliance and the love that filled his eyes when he spoke of his family. Now my ten year-old son is obsessed with his brilliant YouTubes of magic tricks. Check him out! I promise you’ll also be able to tell how amazing he is. Oh, and I’m the boss of me and rarely stop at 10.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
Onward to More Awesome Parenting,
Tracy S. Bennett, Ph.D.
Mom, Clinical Psychologist, CSUCI Adjunct Faculty
www.GetKidsInternetSafe.com
Marco’s Magic:
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