Are you wondering how to be a more productive mom? It’s simpler than you think. Here are the 7 habits of productive moms.
When we think of someone being a productive mom, we think of hustle, bustle, and go-go-go.
And while that’s admirable, it’s not always sustainable. If you try to be a constant woman-on-the-move, all you’re going to do is burn yourself out.
Instead, focus on building habits that will make your day more productive in simpler ways. Keeping these 7 habits will prevent you from falling behind, setting you up for a more productive day.
So what are these productive daily habits for moms? Read on to find out!
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What About the Habits of Productive Dads?
Okay, so before we dive in here- ALL of these ideas are gender neutral. Dads should also be just as worried as moms about being productive. Relationships should be partnerships.
BUT.
As Google will tell you, most dads aren’t out there googling productivity tips for dads. Moms? We are. Statistically speaking, moms care more about improving and optimizing our domestic life.
If this is not the case for your family, or if there isn’t a mom in your house, please know- we see you. This list can work for you, too.
And feel free to go over this list with your partner and see how you can divvy up these productivity habits for families more evenly.
How to Be a More Productive Mom
Being a more productive mom is less about working all the time and more about developing systems that work for you and your family.
Being a more productive mom is about being strategic, developing routines, and staying on top of things before they become a problem.
We’ve got a whole post on how to be more productive as a stay at home mom (a lot of these strategies work if you also work outside of the home like we do). If you’re just beginning your productivity journey, that’s a good place to start.
7 Habits Productive Moms Do Every Day
Let’s get on to the good stuff- here are the seven habits productive moms do every day!
Productive Moms Check the Schedule
Knowing what’s going on today prevents a LOT of time wasted on scrambling. If you don’t have a schedule already, start by setting one up. You can use a digital or personal version, but we REALLY like having a big family size one so we can keep our family up to speed, too. (And so they can help!)
Here are some scheduling ideas:
- Set up a command center– a once stop shop on the fridge to keep your life in order.
- Set up a bullet journal in a passion planner, or grab a simple yearly planner on Amazon.
- Slap this magnetic calendar on the fridge, and update it on Sundays. This is what works best for me in my current, crazy busy season of life.
Productive Moms Clear the Sink
This is more an issue of general household tidying. Cleaning a little bit every day and doing some maintenance stuff keeps the mess from becoming overwhelming.
I focus on a few big areas in my house, but having a full sink equates to a cluttered brain for me. You might have a different area, but find what triggers you in the mess department and make an effort to address that area every day.
There are a few areas you m ight want to focus on. Pick one at a time and work on it til it becomes a habit, then add another area to your routine.
Spme ideas for a daily tidy ritual:
- Have the kids pick up their rooms before bed. (Or before leaving the house, or before dinner. The idea is just to find a regular time once a day to tidy up.)
- Wipe down the bathroom sink and toilet. This is what our favorite cleaner, The Fly Lady, calls a Swish and Swipe.
- Load and run the dishwasher after dinner. Whether it’s full or not, it can be helpful to make a habit of emptying the sink and running a load of dishes.
- Address the spots where clutter piles up. This is different for all of us- some of us it’s the kitchen table, a counter, a corner of the room. For me, it’s the top of the washer and dryer. It’s a dumping ground for debris throughout the day, and I try to make sure it’s cleaned up before bed each night.
Productive Moms Address the Hamper
Check on your hamper! Is it full, overflowing, or empty? What’s the situation in your washer and dryer?
Depending on how much laundry you have, you might want to get in the habit of running one load everyday. Personally, I do clothes on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and a load of towels and/or sheets on Sundays, too.
Having a laundry plan in place and chipping away at it one bit at a time keeps the laundry situation from getting to be too much.
Productive Moms Make Quality Time a Priority
As moms, we have a LOT of relationships to juggle. With kids, partners, and friends, we have to carve out time on a regular basis for our people.
Here’s what I do daily:
- Send a quick message to a friend or two every day.
- Touch base with my mom. We call and text, and use Marco Polo to send each other little videos when we can.
- Aim for one solid conversation with my partner each day.
- Do one small thing that fills each kids’ bucket each day.
Here’s what I schedule in weekly:
- One playdate, dinner, or coffee with a friend.
- Have a solid phone conversation with my mom.
- One date night with my partner (almost always at home- check out our list of stay at home date night ideas)
- One bigger event or activity with the kids. This can be a park day, museum visit, or playdate with friends.
Productive Moms Make Time for Themselves
You have to fill your own cup, even if it’s just a little bit. You can skip a day of self care here or there without a huge impact, but if you regularly neglect yourself, you’re headed for burnout.
Check out our full list of five minute self care ideas for quick ways to sneak in some time for yourself each day.
Here are some other quick ways:
- Throw the kids in the stroller, put on a podcast or audiobook on your phone, and take a walk.
- Read a chapter or two of a book.
- Use some shower steamers to make your shower time more relaxing, and throw on some under eye masks afterwards.
- Make something- crochet, make a diamond art painting (my personal favorite), or color a sweary picture.
Productive Moms Invest in the Future
And I don’t mean your money (although sure, that too). But to truly be a more productive mom, you have to move beyond just taking care of what has to be done today.
Every day, make efforts towards making your life easier in the future.
This looks like:
- Organizing an area of your house.
- Canceling something that’s making you crazy (like ballet classes that no one is enjoying, or a streaming service you don’t use)
- Looking at the month ahead and penciling in some events.
- Placing a grocery order, drive up pickup, or Amazon delivery for things you need (food, stuff for school or activities, gifts for upcoming birthdays).
- Addressing something that’s been stressing you out. Every night there’s at least one thing that keeps me up stressing. I try to fix that thing first thing when I wake up.
- Automate something. Set up an auto bill pay, put something on subscribe and save, sign up for HP Instant Ink for your ink and paper, or set up a Walmart+ account to get your groceries delivered.
Productive Moms Give Themselves Grace
The most important habit of productive moms? Reminding yourself that it doesn’t need to happen all at once.
No one is productive all the time (just look at how many episodes of Real Housewives I stream and you’ll see that). The key is to chip away at the parts of your life that you struggle with and get better, bit by bit.
Some days you’ll be killing it, and some days you’ll be a hot mess. Just remind yourself that you average out to amazing. You really have a lot to be proud of yourself for all ready.
So that’s it- the 7 habits of productive moms. Focus on your routines and habits, and build upon your own strengths and challenges. Bit by bit, you’ll find that you’re able to catch your breath more and more.
And I’m sure there’s some habits we missed- we’d love to hear about them in the comments!
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