How to Set Priorities As a Working Mom
If I followed you around for the next week, would I be able to figure out your priorities?
Work (that's easy)
Family (of course)
But what else? (Is there anything else?)
Would I see that health, movement, sleep, friendships, your marriage, or a hobby is also a priority?
With so many things to focus on and so little time, how do you choose? Especially when you're not in the practice of choosing because work and family have sort of been chosen for you.
As a new mom, you probably chose things out of necessity.
You replaced going out with going to bed early. You replaced early morning workouts with nursing sessions. You replaced reading with soothing a crying baby. It's what you have to do. You have to prioritize parenting, sleeping, and the necessities.
But as your time slowly opens up, minute by minute with each phase, you start having options again.
And this is where so many of you get stuck.
You want to do it all.
You want to "make the most" of the extra time.
You want to choose correctly.
So you end up feeling paralyzed.
But what if the decision you make, the priorities you choose, weren't binding? What if they're just for now? And what if making that decision could be fun?
I teach priorities as just another tool that can help you be intentional with your time.
There is no grade for "getting it right". There is no consequence for choosing incorrectly. There is no time wasted experimenting as you figure out what's important to you. If anything, it's the best way to spend your time.
If you want to have fun with it, start by asking yourself a few simple questions:
What do you miss? We all have those activities, interests, or relationships that we remember fondly from a different stage of life. What are they?
How does it feel? When you think about some of those ideas, how does your body react? With excitement and nerves or with dread and overwhelm? Picturing yourself practicing that priority and paying attention to how your body reacts can help you find an idea worth pursuing.
Who do you want to be? As you think about who you are and who you're becoming, do any of these ideas support the vision you have for yourself?
What if there is no right priority? What if there is no right choice and the best choice is the one you start integrating into your life because that's the only way you'll know whether it's important or not?
Priorities can change. They're meant to change.
All I'm asking you to do right now is to set your priorities so you have another tool to help you when it comes to deciding how to use your time. In the same way that a supportive to-do list and planning process aid you in focusing on the most important things, choosing your priorities for this season help you when unsure of where to focus your time and energy.
I love setting priorities because it's a decision I know my future self will thank me for. And it's an exercise I willingly revisit over and over again.
Ready for a to-do list that makes prioritizing easy?
The Working Mom’s Ultimate Guide to Getting It Done will walk you through step-by-step my process for keeping work and life organized so you feel confident that you’re prioritizing the most important things.