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I have a lot going on in my life.

I’m a mother to three very active children ranging in age from one to five. I’m married to a wonderful man who, like many husbands, tends to be more of an “idea guy” than the “get it done” type, leaving me to follow most everything we have going on to completion. I own a work/life consulting and training company that’s on a growth spurt. I teach part-time for a small handful of colleges in my area. I’m active in my church, currently acting as the “director” for the pre-school. I’m training for a half marathon later this year. And I manage to stay fairly well connected to my friends and family.

Given all my commitments, I’m often asked, “How do you do it all?”

First, I must confess life hasn’t always been this great. In fact, early on in my working motherhood years (albeit less than six years total) I went through an extremely difficult time wrought with depression and unimaginable stress. Thank God for it though, because that horrific experience was the catalyst that got me here today…about to explain how I get things done, which really boils down to this simple three-part approach…

BE ON A MISSION, PLAN WEEKLY, AND PRIORTIZE DAILY

I love mission statements. I have a personal mission as well as a corporate one for my business. My mission has become a tool that gives me focus and enables me to confidently make decisions that I’d otherwise fret over (e.g. when you’re not sure whether to attend an after-work mixer with co-workers or go home to your family).

With my missions in hand, once a week (usually a Sunday evening) I sit down with my calendar and put in all “big rocks” (you’ll recognize this metaphor is you’re a 7 Habits of Highly Effective fan, like me). “Big rocks” are your #1 priorities, or the things that really matter most to you (e.g. critical projects, family time, meetings, vacation, etc.). To decide what my “big rocks” are for any given week I ask, “What must I focus on this week to move me closer to my mission?”

Then daily, I review my task list and appointment calendar to determine what things must be done first, second, next and so on. For me, it’s usually sales/marketing calls and client follow-ups — a task I tend to procrastinate on unless done first thing!

Keeping on this kind of weekly routine requires discipline and sometimes there are Sundays when I’d rather skip the process. But when I do, my week is often chaotic, stress-filled, and I don’t get the important things done.

Bonus Tip: I avoid filling my calendar to more than 60-65% capacity. This way, if anything unexpected pops up during the week (which always happens), I have the ability to get it into my calendar with a minimal amount of stress.

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