The 1st of the month represents a fresh start.

A new beginning.

A new month to focus on what matters most to you!

For me, the current date is October 1st. 3 months of 2024 remain. I have 3 months left to continue working towards accomplishing my goals.

There is still plenty of time to tackle your yearly goals. Or to readjust your goals to fit what is most important to you now. It’s completely acceptable to modify them to your current needs and desires.

Let’s set some goals for this month! But first, why are monthly goals even worth thinking about?

• Goals can help keep us on track and prioritize.
• They can help keep us accountable to ourselves.
• Goals can help us reflect on what’s truly important to us.
• They can help us stick with the daily habits we want to implement.

Now it’s time to dive in! We’ll start with the steps you should follow to set your monthly goals and make a game plan for achieving them this month.

Success is just around the corner.

If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.

James Clear

Step-by-Step Guide to Monthly Goal Setting

#1-Identify the areas you want to focus on this month.

Reflect on what is most important to you for this particular month (October for me). I’d encourage you to start with no more than 3 focus areas, especially if monthly goal-setting is brand-new to you!

• Do you want to get back on track with your fitness routine?
• Spend more time with God?
• Invest more time and effort into your marriage?
• Work on decluttering areas of your home?

At this point, just write down a few areas to focus on. These are broad topics; we will narrow it down in step #2!

Some examples are: Read more. Start working out more consistently. Focus more on my marriage.

#2-Write down more specific SMART goals.

In this next step, you will be narrowing down your general themes into more specific ones. You need to describe more precisely what the goal will entail for you. Make sure you have SMART goals, which stand for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

Here are some examples to help you understand the concept of a SMART goal better.

Start working out more consistently —> My goal is to complete 3 (30-minute) workouts each week.

Read more —> My goal is to read 1 fiction book this month.

Invest more in my marriage —>My goal is to go on 1 date night with my husband this month and spend 15 minutes in intentional conversation each evening.

At first, you have a general idea, then you will make it very specific as to what that looks like for you personally. Take time to complete this step now & you’re getting closer to the finish line!

#3-Plan how to fit these monthly goals into your everyday life.

Once you have your specific goals ready to go, now you have to make a plan. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, plan to fail.” You can’t expect to succeed just because you have goals written down.

Planning is the next step! You cannot neglect or overlook it.

You’ll want to identify when, where, and how will you fit each goal into your day, week, or month. Again, I’ll share some examples to get you thinking about how to apply to your own goals.

Example #1: Your goal is to complete 3 (30-minute) workouts every week.

When: Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings at 6:00am

Where: In my living room

How: A MadFit workout video on YouTube (for about 30 minutes)

Plan specifically when (what days/times) and where you will work on this goal. Plan specifically how you will complete your goal. I know life doesn’t always work out perfectly. Things get in the way and keep us from what we plan to do.

It’s not always avoidable, but sometimes it is. Which leads us to step #4.

#4-Plan to eliminate obstacles that may stand in the way of achieving your goals.

Things are not always going to go smoothly. You have to plan ahead for any potential obstacles you foresee encountering.

Back to the workout example, what obstacles might arise?

• Being prepared ahead of time will help limit some excuses. Your solution is to set out your workout clothes and any equipment you need the night before.

• Not knowing which workout to complete & wasting all your time trying to find one. The solution here is to again be prepared the night before, by already having chosen which workout you’re going to complete. It eliminates decision fatigue too.

• Not waking up on time or feeling “too tired” could also prevent the workout from happening. The night before, plan to get to sleep earlier and put your alarm in a different room. That way you actually have to get up and out of bed.

There’s a common theme here! Preparing & planning the night before. Preparing & planning ahead of time.

Consider any obstacles you might face, so you can adequately prepare for them and hopefully (fingers crossed) avoid them. Most of your obstacles can be taken care of with a little preparation.

My Monthly Goals for October

I want to preface this by saying that I have planned and executed monthly goals for numerous months now. Some of these are ongoing (comparable to habits), but still important goals I want to incorporate into my month. Many goals you may be able to fit into your daily routines and rhythms.

Please don’t let my goals list overwhelm you! I wanted to include them all, to give plenty of examples for deciding on your specific goals and how to plan for them.

I have several categories for my monthly goals: personal goals, homemaking goals, health & fitness goals, relationship goals, & work goals. Some months I focus more on one category than another, but overall, these are what I choose to focus on this month.

I hope you will be motivated to set your own goals and crush them this month!

Personal Goals

Reading

My goal for the month is to read 3 fiction books and 1 non-fiction book.

Where, when, & how will I accomplish this?

I plan to read for 30 minutes every night in bed before going to sleep (fiction). I will read for 15 minutes while eating my lunch each day (non-fiction).

I can also make time on Fridays and Saturdays to read extra in the evenings, as I tend to stay up later on the weekends.

Obstacles: Starting a new book is always difficult for me, as I need to get into the storyline first. I will attempt to start a new book when I can dedicate a larger chunk of time. I will have books readily available from the Libby app (or library) so I always have a book on hand that I’m interested in reading.

Spiritual Health

My goal for the month is to spend time with God every day.

Where, when, and how will I accomplish this?

I will set aside 25-30 minutes in my morning routine (before getting ready for the day) to spend time doing the following quiet time activities:

• Gratitude journal
• Biblical affirmations
• Bible reading
• Bible verse meditation/memorization
• Prayer time

I have my morning basket with all the materials I use during this time. I will complete my devotional time on the couch.

Obstacles: Weekends. Because I do tend to sleep in and by that time the kids are up & quiet time happens less often. I will need to ensure I wake up 30 minutes before my children or set up a quiet activity for them so I can spend that time with God.

Health & Wellness

Workout

My goal this month is to complete 4 or more gym workouts and 4 outdoor walks per week.

Where, when, & how will I accomplish this?

At 2:00pm each weekday, I will go to the gym and complete cardio for 30 minutes & strength training for 30 minutes.

After dropping the kids off at school, I will take a 30-minute walk outdoors in the neighborhood.

Obstacles: Not being ready in my workout clothes before bringing the kids to school. If I am prepared, then I can head out for my walk right after school drop-off.

I am good with motivation at the start of the week, so I will make sure to start Monday strong and then continue that momentum throughout the week. The goal is to complete 4 workouts before Friday.

Homemaking

Cooking/Baking

My goal is to make at least 4 new recipes this month.

When, where, & how will I accomplish this?

Every Sunday while meal planning & making my grocery list, I will decide on a recipe and buy the ingredients needed. On Monday morning, I will spend time in the kitchen baking or preparing that recipe.

Obstacles: Indecisiveness on what recipe to try. I need to have ideas pinned on Pinterest ready to go.

Learning something new

My goal is to learn as much as I can about sourdough bread baking & start making bread.

When, where, & how will I accomplish this?

I have already purchased my sourdough starter (no, I wasn’t brave enough to make my own). I have begun feeding it & doing the whole discard process. I have made sourdough discard pancakes, which the kids loved.

Although this goal isn’t entirely specific, it’s hard to be specific while learning something new. Basically, my goal is to learn as much as I can about sourdough bread & baking.

Obstacles: Making time to spend on this. Learning something new isn’t necessary, so it’s left on the back burner. I need to make intentional time each week to spend researching & trying new recipes.

Home Projects

My goal is to complete three or more home projects this month.

• Declutter the Master closet.
• Declutter/organize the garage.
• Plant fall flowers.

When, where, & how will I accomplish this?

For the master closet, I will need to set aside time on a weekend to work with my husband to declutter his clothes. Also, I will need to schedule a time to bring all the clothing items to be donated, since I don’t consider the task complete until the clutter has left my house!

The garage has been looming over me for a while, so I need to schedule a date (October 4th!) to dedicate to it. I plan on selling some items, so I will need to take pictures & attempt to sell the items.

Obstacles: I also lack motivation to get started on decluttering & organizing projects especially, so I just need to plan a day for each & stick to it. Have supplies ready (trash bags, boxes) to donate.

Work Goals

My goal this month is to post 8 new blogs posts.

When, where, & how will I accomplish this?

I will need to complete an average of 2 blog posts per week to be complete by October 31st.

This requires planning content ahead for the entire month of October. This will include spending one morning a week to work at a local coffee shop, which helps me focus much better and be more productive.

Obstacles: Sick kids, home tasks, & other things can get me off track. Setting aside adequate time to write & planning ahead.

Relationship goals

My goal this month is to have 1 date night with my husband.

A second goal is to have an intentional “day date” with at least 2 of my children.

When, where, & how will I accomplish this?

The details are to be determined for these goals since days and times will need to be scheduled with my husband, as well as any necessary childcare.

Definitely get any dates scheduled on the calendar as soon as possible. The earlier the better!

Set your Goals Today!

I hope by now you have been able to reflect on a couple of goals you want to tackle this next month. Write them down and plan how to work on them daily or weekly.

The Key is Planning! Goals can’t just exist in your head. You must make an intentional plan and follow through with it. It has to be realistic, with your current season of life & your demanding responsibilities.

It’s totally fine to have only one goal, one sole focus for the month. Buckle down and work hard on it & you will feel so accomplished by the end of the month!

Related Productivity Posts to Check out Next:

Curious about using your time more effectively with time blocking? Check out: TIME BLOCKING: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

Want to get on track with your night routine? This blog post is sure to be helpful: THE IDEAL NIGHT ROUTINE TO SET YOU UP FOR SUCCESS THE NEXT DAY.

Ok, we all could use some help being more productive but also present as a mother. This one will be beneficial to read: BE A MORE PRODUCTIVE, YET PRESENT MAMA TODAY.

24 HOURS. Everyone has the same, limited amount of time each day. How will you spend it? That is the question we all get to determine the answer to, each and every day. Time blocking can help you effectively spend those 24 hours. So that you can accomplish everything you need to get done, in order to make time for what you want to do.

Does this sound out of reach to you? Keep reading! I promise, with a little thought and planning, it is completely possible to live a more balanced, yet productive life.

If you’ve never heard of time blocking, I’m here to help you understand the basics and how to apply this planning method to your life. If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed with the idea of time blocking or don’t see the value in it, my goal is to provide some guidance.

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.

William Penn

What is Time Blocking?

For those of you who are confused about this whole “time blocking” concept, let me explain. Time blocking is simply splitting up those 24 hours in a day into smaller chunks of time. You will assign “blocks” of time, that fit with the flow of your day. My time blocks range from 1 1/2 to 3 hours in length. I have set up my blocks based on the rhythms and routines of my day. They may or may not be consistent from day to day, depending on your work schedule or other variables.

Planning your day in sections of time dedicated to different types of tasks and routines, can be an immense help in planning your day. For example, there will be certain times of day meant to focus on household tasks and certain times of the day for focusing on self-care.

Time blocking can ultimately help you be more productive, while not racing around all day either.

Do you ever ask this question: how can I get it all done? I have a to-do list a mile long and no idea HOW to get it all done! Time blocking can be the answer to your problems, so let’s get started. I’ll take you through this process step-by-step to create your own time blocking schedule!

How to Get Started with Time Blocking

A little background about me: My days have recently changed, as now all 4 of my kids are in school full time. I am not currently leaving each day to work a full-time job either. My days may look completely different than yours, but that’s ok! The same time blocking technique will still be effective no matter your daily schedule.

You may want to grab a notebook or a sheet of paper before we dive right in!

1. Begin by determining the rhythms of your day.

Ask yourself the following questions to determine the rhythms of your day:

• What is your wake-up time?
• What is your typical bedtime?
• What events need to happen in between?
• What times do you eat each meal?
• What times do you work or have other commitments?

If you wake up at 6am and leave by 8:30am, this will probably be your first block of time for the day.

If you work outside the home from 9am-5pm, this will most likely be your work block.

If you are done with work at 5 and your kids go to bed at 7:30pm, this could be your evening routine block.

Write down any times that you must (or want to) stick with on a daily basis.

Tip: Make your first block of time be your “Mom Morning Routine,” and complete this before your kids even wake up! This is your own personal time before other people require your time and energy.

In this season of my life, these are the blocks I chose for my day. They go with the already determined flow of my day. Again, yours may look completely different and that’s totally fine! Just take a little time now to think through how time blocking would look for your day and write it down.

From here, I will start inputting tasks into each block.

2. Input all the daily tasks that MUST BE done every day.

These are the tasks you want to include on most days (like 90% of the time, or more!). Definitely give yourself grace and if situations arise, sometimes these tasks don’t get complete. But for the most part, these are the general day-to-day activities you complete on a daily basis.

Examples may include the following:

• Getting yourself ready in the morning
• Homework time
• Making dinner
• Bathtime for the kids
• School pickup and drop off

I have filled in my time blocking schedule below with all the non-negotiables of my day. These are the things that are set in stone each day. They must happen or I strongly desire for them to happen, so I include them every day in the same block of time. The rest I will fill in each day with my to-do list items, which will vary from day to day (we’ll get to that step soon!)

Note: I usually don’t time block on the weekends, because we tend to be more relaxed and flexible then. If you desire to be more productive on the weekends, time blocking could be really beneficial.

Do I 100% of the time read to my daughters before bed? No, but I aim for 90% of the time. Do I 100% of the time complete a workout? No, but since it is literally scheduled into my day, it is harder to make excuses. So, 80-90% of weekdays, I fit it in.

3. Make it realistic.

Decide what “block” each to-do list item best fits into. If you have your kids with you full time every day, obviously it will be more challenging to accomplish as many tasks as possible. You definitely want to balance time with your kids and time being productive.

I have a couple other blog posts that discuss being productive you may want to check out:

BEST PRODUCTIVITY TIPS FOR MOMS

BE A MORE PRODUCTIVE, YET PRESENT MAMA TODAY

You can’t realistically fit 10 items into a 2-hour block of time unless you’re Wonder Woman.

For me, it would be easy to get discouraged, if I try to do too much and fail. The number of things I chose to accomplish on each day is realistic for me. Obviously, if you’re feeling extra productive one day, feel free to schedule more in. And if the opposite is true and you’re feeling tired and need a more relaxing day, make time for that.

4. Be flexible!

Things will come up and throw a wrench in your routine.

Things will throw off your schedule, preventing you from accomplishing everything some days.

Can you push it to a different time block for the day? Or can it wait until the following day?

Don’t be afraid to shift a to-do item to another block (if it will fit in that time frame). And some things can wait until tomorrow. The world will not end if we didn’t get that laundry folded, even though it was time blocked into our night routine block.

I think that time blocking definitely allows for flexibility, which is essential especially in life as a mom!

Tip: Plan to accomplish the most important things FIRST, if possible. Don’t leave something that is absolutely essential until 9pm when the kids are in bed and you’re exhausted. Try to tackle it earlier in the day.

A Time Blocking Scenario: A Typical Day in my Life

Let me better expound on this by providing a real-life scenario. Below is my to-do list for a typical Tuesday.

11 items to get accomplished! It may seem overwhelming just glancing over the list.

BUT… let’s go ahead and place the tasks in each block where they best fit.

I feel confident that my to-do list tasks can all be accomplished on this particular day. And that is because I scheduled them in the block of time where there is adequate time to complete them.

You’ll notice in the scenario above I don’t schedule anything “extra” in the evening block of time. This is time when I try to focus on my kids and their needs above anything else. I’m not going to add in a bunch of extra homemaking tasks when I know time will not allow for that.

Get Started with Time Blocking Today

It may take you some time to get your daily blocks figured out and that’s ok! Once you have your blocks set up & the non-negotiable tasks within those blocks, you can add in your other must-do activities from your to-do list each day.

Don’t get overwhelmed! Keep it simple at first until you get in a groove with your block schedule.

I’m going to admit that sometimes I’m not so great at managing my time.

I’m an avid reader and can easily let an hour slip away caught up in a thrilling book. Now I have a designated time each evening when I allow myself to spend time reading. I don’t need to feel guilty about doing the activity I love, because I made time for everything else earlier in the day. Now, I can spend the last block of the day relaxing and doing what I want to do.

I can also easily get caught up in any number of tasks, that I realize my kids have played independently for hours at a time. Now I have a certain time set aside each day for focusing solely on my kids and their needs.

Tip: Set an alarm for 30 minutes before the end of each block. Then you’re aware when you need to wrap up that part of your day and be ready to move onto the next.

Time Blocking: Final Thoughts

I hope you have a better understanding of time blocking after reading this blog post and that you’re able to implement this planning technique into your life soon! Designating certain times of the day for certain activities and to-dos can help eliminate any time management issues you may have.

Make time for what matters most to you, by being more productive. And above all, everything you do each day is for Jesus Christ. Go about your tasks each day in a way that will honor and glorify Him.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

You’ve made it to the end of a long day. The kids are all tucked in bed. Maybe not asleep, but physically in their beds. You’re exhausted, like really exhausted. You truthfully just want to lay in your nice comfortable bed and binge watch your latest Netflix obsession. That sounds like the perfect night routine, right?!

But wait a minute…

• Your sink is a mountain of dirty dishes. 
• Your kids’ backpacks are…well… who knows where they were dumped after school.
• Toys are littered across the living room floor.
• Your child’s dinner plate is still on the table attracting flies.

There is a battle waging war in your mind…

Leave it. Deal with it tomorrow. You deserve to relax.

On the other hand… No, what are you thinking? You can’t leave the mess. You really should clean up! You’ll regret it in the morning if you don’t.

So, ultimately what voice do you listen to??

Please choose the second option! Don’t get into bed with the house looking like a pigsty, no matter how convenient it might feel in the moment. I promise, the future you will thank you, if you take the time now to reset your home.

Steps to a Successful Night Routine

30 minutes! It shouldn’t take much longer than that to complete a few tasks that will make your home look and feel better.

You want your next day to be successful. You hope to avoid the stress of rushing around in the morning to find what you need. You desire to wake up to a calm, clean space.

Complete the following steps to ensure success for the following day. Also, feel free to add steps that apply more to your season of life or delete those that are not applicable. I hope this blog post will motivate you to find a night routine that works well for you and that it’s a routine you can stick with for the long haul! Or don’t be afraid to make adjustments to your routine to make it as streamlined as possible.

Close out your kitchen.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s the place where the family tends to gather, to eat, and to make the biggest mess (at least that’s my case).

To ensure your home runs smoothly the next day, I believe it is very important to reset this space each evening.

• Do the dishes or put the dishes in the dishwasher and START the dishwasher. (Our dishwasher doesn’t work, so I always do the dishes by hand. Not fun, but worth it the next morning!)
• Clean off the table and counters the best you can.
• Wipe down the counters. You don’t want to deal with a sticky, crumb encrusted counter the next morning.

Does your kitchen have to be spotless? No way! I have a whole corner that almost never is, but the main kitchen area should be ready to go the next day.

Tidy the main area.

For my house, I consider the “main area” to be the living room, dining room, and entry way. This part of my home is open concept and if I’m sitting on the couch reading my devotions in the morning, I love this area to be tidy and clutter-free. A negative effect of clutter is that it can result in heightened anxiety and stress levels, so by removing this each night, it can help you feel calmer!

• Tidy the living room. Arrange the throw pillows and blankets.
• Clean up the lingering toys or shoes (or socks).
• Give the floors a quick vacuum if time allows (or enlist your son or daughter to help with this).

A good solution would be to recruit others and make it a family effort each night! You can set a timer for right before (or after) dinner, and everyone can be involved in the cleanup process. Even 5 minutes should be adequate. Make it a challenge and make it fun, so the kids are more motivated to help.

If you keep up on this each day, it should only take a couple minutes each evening to get the area back to square one. Another tip: If you have kids home with you all day, you can spend 5 minutes after each meal to complete a quick clean up together.

Prep for the next day.

Summer is almost upon us, but during the school year, make sure school stuff is ready to go for the next day. During the summer, prep anything you might need for the next day (towels, swimsuits, water bottles, etc.) to make things run more smoothly.

During the school year, these are the items I like to have prepared the night before:

• Backpacks (planners are signed, papers are removed, homework is complete, etc.)
• Lunchboxes are cleaned out & ready to go for the next day
• Shoes!
• Clothes are laid out
• Devices are charged (kids have laptops for school & my devices as well!)

Make sure each item has a “home,” where it is returned to each day after school or each evening. For example, backpacks should always be returned to their hooks or lunchboxes should always be returned to a specific location in the pantry.

Plan for the next day.

Pull out your planner or your Google Calendar and make a brief plan for the next day. You don’t have to plan in 15 or 30-minute increments, but a general plan should be sufficient.

Check for appointments or meetings. Check on what your children may need for show and tell or a field trip. Check what’s on your meal plan for dinner the next day. Cover all the basics for the following day and you’ll be one step ahead of the game! It definitely feels better to be one step ahead than five steps behind.

Have you heard of a Brain Dump? If your brain tends to race each night once you lay your head on your pillow, keep a notebook on your nightstand. Write down those thoughts as they come to mind. Jot down the things you don’t want to forget. This will help you feel more at peace and let your mind calm down and be able to rest.

Spend some time on self-care.

Bare minimum, brush your teeth and cleanse your face. You must take care of your oral health and your skin! I highly encourage you to make these nightly habits that are non-negotiable. The book, Tiny Habits, by BJ Fogg is a helpful place to start if you’re hoping to set up some daily healthy habits that will stick. He teaches that it’s important to set up a prompt, or you might have heard the term “habit stacking”. As soon as I put my kids to bed, I will go brush my teeth. You always put your kids to bed, so once that is complete, add in the habit of brushing your teeth.

Another example: As soon as I’m finished brushing my teeth, I will complete my skincare routine. Adding these new habits to existing habits, can help you remember them better and ensure that they happen each night because there is a certain time planned for them to happen.

What do you want the relaxing portion of your night routine to look like? Watching Netflix while cuddled up in bed? Taking a nice long, hot shower or hot bubble bath? Stretching? Reading? Spending time talking with your husband? There are so many options here!

You have to decide what helps set you up for a good night’s sleep. I’m not going to tell you to take a nice long bubble bath if you do not even like baths. And I won’t recommend reading for 30 minutes before bed if reading is the last thing you desire to do each night. Find what helps YOU wind down and feel relaxed. You worked hard and you deserve some time for what fills your cup!

Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.

Eleanor Brownn

Start a Productive, yet Relaxing Night Routine Tonight

You will be so thankful you spent that extra time to prepare your space and yourself for a good night’s sleep and for the next morning. It is so worth it! The nights I decide, the dishes can wait and the toys will be there tomorrow, I always regret it the next morning.

Take the time to be productive first. Then you can actually enjoy relaxing afterward. I guarantee you will enjoy the relaxing part of your night routine ten times more when your space is tidy, and your makeup is washed off your face!

This will also help immensely with implementing a morning routine that runs smoothly and efficiently.

Be intentional. Set yourself up for success the night before.

Don’t assume your morning will run well, if you don’t take intentional steps the night before! Start tonight, don’t wait!

Also, check out my morning routine blog post HERE to assist you in creating a morning routine that you LOVE!

Everyone likes the idea of being productive and getting everything done. It’s the follow through that is most difficult to do. Are you lacking motivation? Do you lack the time? Are there too many little people who need your attention at once? I’ve been there! My daughter Hazley was 13 months when my youngest daughter was born. I had to learn really quickly how to cater to 2 tiny humans who both needed me for EVERYTHING.

In this blog post, I will share some of the best productivity tips I have learned in my motherhood journey. Even if you are not a mom, these tips can be super helpful for you too.

My season of life has changed, but I still feel the pull, the struggle of balancing everyone and everything. You may have heard some of these productivity tips before but stick with me. I can relate to what your challenges are! I am living in the trenches of motherhood, with four kids ages 4-11.

1. Make a plan the NIGHT BEFORE.

You’ve all heard the saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Well, it is so true. You MUST have a plan in place if you want any chance of success at being productive.

First you need to know the basics for the next day:

• What appointments or extracurricular activities are scheduled?
• What meals will you eat?
• What house tasks need to be completed?
• What errands need to be ran?
• Are there any items you need to purchase?

You can eliminate so many issues just by thinking through (and writing down!) those few important details for the following day. The reason I recommend doing this the night before, is so you wake up knowing a general outline for the day. It helps me sleep better, knowing that I have a tentative plan for the next day.

Find a planner that fits your needs! It doesn’t have to be pretty (although there are some beautiful planners out there!) I would check out the function of it more than anything-does it have what YOU need to plan your day and week ahead?

I’m sure you need space to write down your to-do list and this planner even has a spot to record your goals for the week. It also includes a habit tracker, so you can focus on various habits each week. If you want a monthly overview, make sure you buy one that includes that feature. Another note is an undated planner could be beneficial, especially if you fall off the wagon for a week here & there. That way you’re not wasting pages, since you can write in your own dates!

I can almost guarantee that this tip with help you be more a more productive person. Planning does not guarantee the follow through, but it is one step in the right direction.

2. Have daily routines or rhythms that you follow.

Have routines set in place so that you and your family know what to expect and so you automatically know what comes next. This will avoid the need to repeat yourself over and over again. It will take the guess work out of the equation too. These can include a morning routine, afterschool routine, and a night routine.

When your kids wake up in the morning, what do they need to do? When they get home from school, what tasks do they need to complete? What activities need to be completed before bed each night? A simple, yet effective routine, can streamline your morning and the rest of your day.

Obviously, some days may be different, but there should be a general flow. For example, my kids know to get a snack first thing after school. Then they know to get their binders and any paperwork to show me.

There’s a certain order to things. It helps keep the peace and uncertainty at bay. Kids thrive on routine, rather than chaos. Plus, it will eliminate ALL the questions.

I know that I personally thrive on routine too. Do I ALWAYS stick to my routines exactly? Not 100%. However, more often than not, I do. They help me be productive and accomplish what I need to get done. AND even make time for what I want to get done.

3. Make mundane tasks more enjoyable by multitasking.

By mundane tasks, I mean cleaning, doing the dishes, folding laundry, and anything else similar. These tasks are a part of life that you can make a little more enjoyable by listening to your favorite podcast or watching a YouTube video, for example.

Do you have a topic you want to learn more about? Find a podcast that caters to your interests. You can multitask- learn something new and accomplish something at the same time.

Now I don’t recommend multitasking for accomplishing some tasks. Like don’t try to cook dinner and help your child with homework and clean out your pantry at the same time. But pairing a podcast, audiobook, or Youtube video in certain circumstances, will help the mundane feel less daunting.

As a matter of fact, some evenings I even look forward to doing the dishes, so I can watch one of my favorite YouTubers. Combining what needs to get done, with something enjoyable to you, is a great way be more productive!

4. Set a timer (and try to beat the timer!)

I often times will use this method for a quick room tidy. Set a timer for 10 minutes and move as quickly as possible to clean whatever room in that amount of time. Didn’t finish? Don’t stress, just set the timer for an additional time and you’ll be sure to finish that time around.

You can set a timer for getting ready in the morning or for decluttering a drawer. Have an extra 20 minutes before you need to pick up your kids? Set a timer and get moving! If you appreciate a good challenge, this will could be really motivating for you.

For blog writing, I will set an hour timer and write, write, write for an hour. When the time is up, I can decide to take a break or continue longer, if time allows. You can do the same for any project you’ve procrastinate on. Set a timer and you get to decide to stop when the timer goes off, or to keep going!

Knowing that you’re on a time crunch also seems to help trick your brain into focusing better. Since you only have a certain window of time, you will be more apt to focus and be productive, rather than allow distractions to creep in.

Use this productivity tip for anything you’re hoping to accomplish!

5. Set alarms in your phone.

Do you tend to be forgetful? Even if you usually don’t, setting alarms for certain times can help you stay on track or remember important information. Let’s say you need to leave at 2:30 tomorrow to make it to your 3:00 doctor appointment, I would encourage you to set TWO alarms. One for 2:20 and one for 2:30. Why? To give yourself 10 minutes wiggle room, for “just in case” situations. You know, like your kid needs to use the bathroom or you forget something once you’re already in the car.

I will even set alarms for when I hope to have the bedtime routine started by or when I need to have the kids finished getting ready by.

Don’t overdo it, so that you’re hearing alarms go off left and right. BUT if there’s a certain pain point in your day and you feel like setting an alarm would be helpful, it probably will be!

6. Don’t sit down and say you’ll do it later (because you probably won’t!)

Have you ever heard that an object in motion stays in motion??

Keep yourself “in motion” so that you keep the energy flow moving.

If I stay busy, floating from task to task, I get so much done. However, if I decide to just take a break, especially later in the evening, I don’t finish what I need to. I have made it a point to get the kitchen cleaned right after dinner, because if I don’t, it’s so much harder to be motivated to do after the kids go to sleep.

I’ve found so many times that it’s so hard for me to pick back up where I left off. I say, “I’ll just give myself 20 minutes to scroll (or to relax).” 20 minutes turns into 30, 40 minutes, then you’ve wasted an hour. You could have already had the task accomplished by that time. Plus, an additional task!

Don’t get me wrong. I am not discouraging taking a break or resting. You need that too! Just wait until the job is done. I promise you’ll feel so much better with your accomplishment than just putting it off until later.

You might have heard that if it takes 5 minutes or less, just do it NOW. I encourage you to try that today.

7. Prioritize time to rest and recharge.

If you want to show up as your best self, you need to make time for rest and relaxation. You can’t run on empty and you can’t run efficiently on low either.

Get adequate sleep! It’s so important to get a good night’s sleep in order to be productive the next day. You physically can’t get your to-do list done when you are surviving on 5 hours of sleep.

I understand the challenge of having a child that doesn’t sleep well at night or who refuses to go to sleep at a reasonable time. I’ve been there! In those times where a good night’s sleep seems like a faraway memory, just do your best with the energy you have.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that you need to “give yourself grace.” If you don’t have the energy that day (or any day for that matter), do your best for your family and for God. And if you’ve done your best, then give yourself grace & accept the facts. Sometimes you can’t get everything done and that has to be okay.

8. Keep distractions to a minimum.

Of course, if you’re a mama, your kids are a “welcome distraction.” The distractions I’m mostly talking about are the ones we all know too well. Hint, hint, you’re on it right now. Finish reading this blog post, but when you’re done, put your device away!

Social media. Our phones. The biggest distractions we have. PUT IT AWAY! Especially if you want to have a productive day. It’s impossible to get everything done if your phone is constantly in reach. You’ve got to have a ton of self-control, (self-control I don’t have) if you can keep your phone in your pocket all day and not be on it. Give me all your tips!! Because I have not mastered that.

But in all seriousness, take a little break from your phone. Complete your mission and get things done! It will help you immensely.

Not to mention, you’ll feel so much better. I know how yucky I feel if I’m spending too much time on my phone. Facebook caused me to feel that way, so I got rid of it. I really can’t believe how much time I have saved these past four months, by eliminating that completely (but that’s a topic for another day!)

Identify any other distractions that may be stealing your time and attention. Try to make a plan so that these distractions don’t continue to prevent you from being your most productive self.

Be More Productive Today

I can guarantee you’ll be more productive today if you adopt even one or two of these productivity tips! If you keep distractions away (mainly social media), you’ll have so much more time for what matters most to you. If you start planning, you’ll go to bed each night feeling proud of how much you’ve accomplished. Use alarms and timers to keep you on track, as well as establish routines and down time to maximize your productivity.

Want to read more on how to be super productive, but also a very present mom to your kids? Check out this blog post: Be a More Productive, yet Present Mama Today.

One last thing, if you haven’t already made your to-do list for today, stop and do that now! Then, go tackle something on your list. You’ll feel more motivated to keep going once you take the first step: just get started!

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze button. 5 minutes later you hear the blaring alarm again. Snooze again. Is this a familiar pattern to you? I know it was the reality of my morning routine for years and years, but NO MORE!

It is HARD to wake up in the morning. That’s why it is super important to have intentions set for the morning. Why do you want to wake up early? What are you hoping to accomplish with your time before the rest of your house is awake? You must answer those questions first and foremost.

• Do you wish to get a workout knocked out first thing?
• Do you desire to sit and watch your favorite YouTuber?
• Do you simply want to sit in silence with your cup of coffee?

Figure out your WHY before you’ll have any motivation to stop hitting snooze.

When I’m tempted to skip my morning routine or another form of self-care, I remind myself that I can better serve the people I love and the projects I care about when I start with me.

Courtney Carver

4 Steps to a Productive Morning Routine

Personally, I have a 4-step plan that I use every morning. Incorporating activities from each of these categories, helps set my day up for success. I focus on myself and what I need first! Only then am I able to give to my family and other responsibilities later on. They are the following:

#1-Move your body.

#2-Nourish your soul.

#3-Prepare your appearance.

#4-Nourish your body.

I have finally found a way to fit all those steps into my morning. Has it been easy to get to this point? NO WAY! Does the morning always work out perfectly according to my plan? Definitely not. But I refuse to keep hitting my snooze button. Because if hitting my snooze button is the first decision I make every morning, it sets me up for failure. My first choice now is to choose success for myself, by getting up right away and starting my day.

I will mention too that what your body and soul needs from one day to the next may vary. So be willing to be flexible each day and your morning routine can change depending on your mood, energy level, or other factors.

Now I will briefly summarize each step in the morning routine and mention various activities you can choose to implement. Just choose which is most important to YOU to add to your morning routine.

STEP #1 – Move Your Body.

There are a bunch of ways to tackle this, so really, it’s all about figuring out what works best for you. Your movement dependent on how much time you can dedicate to movement and how important your fitness goals are.

• Will you take a 20 minute walk around your neighborhood?
• Do a 5-10 minute stretch?
• Go to the gym and workout for an entire hour?
• Complete a 15 minute workout on YouTube? (This is the option I will choose most often!)

Or maybe you have time later in your day when you prioritize movement. As a bare minimum, I recommend that you stretch or move for a couple minutes to get your blood flowing.

Again, maybe Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you have more time available, so those will be the days you go for a walk. However, Tuesdays and Thursdays, you have to go into the office, so you only have time to do a 5-minute stretch. That’s great! As long as you’re moving your body, you’re on the right track!

STEP #2 – Nourish Your Soul.

By this I mean taking care of your spiritual health, however this may look for you. If you don’t consider yourself a “spiritual person,” don’t skip this step! I’m recommending you do something that will help you feel at peace, to feel thankful, and to start your day off with a positive mindset.

Here are some ideas. Pick one or two or all of them!

• Will you write in a gratitude journal?
• Pray for your kids and husband?
• Spend time reading a chapter in the Bible?
• Say positive affirmations?
• Sit in silence and meditate?
• Listen to a podcast?

The main goal here is to fill your mind and heart with things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

STEP #3 – Prepare Your Physical Appearance.

I believe this step is essential for a great morning routine, whether you work outside the home or don’t leave your house all day! You will feel better about yourself and your appearance, and ultimately you will accomplish more throughout your day.

You want to feel clean and put together, so block out enough time to do that in the morning. I promise it will make all the difference!! The best decision you can make is to completely get yourself ready, by completing all of the tasks below.

• Take a shower.
• Get dressed in an outfit that makes you feel good.
• Do your makeup, however simple or complex you want.
• Do your hair.
• Do a skincare routine (whether it’s 2 steps or 6 steps!)

Personally, I try to make time for all of the self-care activities above and it only takes me about 20 minutes! If you pick out your outfit the night before, you could be even quicker than that.

STEP #4 – Nourish Your Body.

Your body can’t move and thrive on EMPTY. Give it what it needs: the hydration, the protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Don’t wait until lunchtime. You may think you can survive off of 4 cups of coffee and nothing else until 1pm, but I offer a different perspective.

• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Take your vitamins and supplements. 
• Drink plenty of water.

Obviously, nutrition will look a little different for everyone, but you know what your body needs. Do you prefer a breakfast of eggs or Greek yogurt or protein pancakes?? Consult with your doctor if you’re not sure what vitamins you individually need. I can guarantee every single human NEEDS water first thing. Your body needs to be replenished after going all night without it.

After you’ve completed the steps above (choosing which is most important to you), you’re ready to start an AMAZING day!

My Morning Routine as a Mom of 4

If you’re not sure how to fit all this in, I’m including my mommy morning routine. Yes, you may have to wake up a little earlier, but you can fit in the things that are significant to you.

Below I include my exact morning routine, including timestamps:

5:00AM-My Alarm goes off.

I give myself 15 minutes to get up, take care of my oral health, put my contacts in, and fill up my water. Then, I start drinking water, at least 8 oz right away.

5:15AM-Start workout

By this time, I try to have my workout video started (check out MadFit on YouTube, which has so many great at home workouts in 15-30 minutes!) I literally only spend 15 minutes moving my body at this time. I simply get it done before I have time to make 500 excuses as to why I can’t fit it in.

5:35AM-Take vitamins

Workout is DONE! Then I’ll take my vitamins and make my greens (I am using the one from Live Conscious). 

5:40AM-Get Ready

I make it a priority to get completely ready for the day. This means the same thing every single day, in this exact same order. I’m a creature of habit. Shower, get dressed into a simple, everyday outfit, skincare, touch up my hair with the flat iron, & then minimal makeup. The process takes all of 20 minutes.

6:00AM-Time with God

At this time, I’ll spend some quiet time with God. I have a gratitude journal where I’ll write down 3 things I’m grateful for and 3 things that would make today great. Then, I say a few biblical affirmations, all of which are based on bible verses (ex. I am a daughter of the King. I am fearfully & wonderfully made).

After that, I will dive into my bible study time. I am currently studying through Experiencing God, which focuses on ways we can experience God through prayer, the Bible, church, and our circumstances. It is split up into days, so I just complete one day and use my Bible to look up the various Scriptures. I also make sure to pray through what God taught me, as well as praying for my kids, my husband, and any other important matters.

6:25AM-Make Lunches

I always make the kid’s lunches in the morning. If you prefer to prep lunches in the evening, that’s probably the better choice. But again, I’m a creature of habit, so I’ve always done it in the mornings. My two younger daughters refuse to eat the lunch provided at school, so I pack them a lunch (a sandwich, fruit, veggies & ranch, chips, & a granola bar is a typical lunch).

6:40AM-Get Brezlyn Ready

I’ll wake up my 4-year-old daughter at this time. Mornings are rough for little kids, so I devote the next 20 minutes solely to getting her ready. My mom will bring her to school for me!

7:00AM-Get Hazley, Alizae, & Ezra Ready

Brezlyn goes with Nana to school. I wake my other three kids up to make sure they get ready for school on time. My 5-year-old, Hazley, is NOT a morning person, so again, I devote the next 25 minutes to getting her ready. I haven’t mentioned that my two youngest daughters have extremely curly, tangly hair. So, it’s never a quick task! She’ll usually eat breakfast and watch her tablet while I do her hair; I’ve found that’s the “easiest” way to get it done.

7:25AM-Make my breakfast

My older two kids, Alizae and Ezra are 10 and 11, so they are self-sufficient in completing all their morning tasks. I give them a 5-minute reminder at this time, and I’ll make my bowl of Greek yogurt, berries, and granola to eat in the car line. This is real mom life!

7:30AM-Leave for school

Luckily, the kid’s school is less than a 5-minute drive! I’m gone and back in 15 minutes or less.

7:45AM-Start AM chores

I will begin quick morning chores, like starting a load of laundry, making the beds, or putting dishes away from the night before. I give the house a quick tidy (if it’s needed).

8:00AM-Morning Walk

Time for a morning walk! The sun is shining by this time. I may turn on a podcast to listen to as I walk or spend this time in prayer. Depending on how I feel, I will walk around the neighborhood for 20-30 minutes.

8:30AM-Coffee!!

Can you tell I get excited about this part of my morning routine?? I wait until this time so I can actually ENJOY it. I can take my time to savor it, without fear of my coffee getting cold & having to reheat it 17 times.

9:00AM-Work Time

If I am working on my blog that particular day, my goal is to start working by 9AM. Or I will begin working on homemaking tasks or other things required by a mom of 4. There’s always PLENTY to do!

Four hours after waking up, my actual workday starts. By that point, I have completed those things most valuable to me. Notice I do things I WANT to do (walk & workout, time with God) and things I HAVE to do (get my kids ready and off to school).

You will enjoy your day that much more when you include things you WANT to do, things that fill your cup. A 5AM wakeup time might not be your cup of tea but figure out at least ONE THING you want to do in your morning routine.

By 9AM, I have taken care of my physical health in numerous ways, my spiritual well-being, and I feel confident in my physical appearance.

What can you do TODAY (or TOMORROW) that will set your day up for success? Try to include at least one activity from each of the four categories I explained in this blog post.

I hope you find a morning routine YOU LOVE and that it motivates you to NOT hit that snooze button!