The question I get asked all the time is, “Celeste, how in the world do you do it all?” Sometimes I chuckle too because some days I feel like I am spiraling out of control and other days, it seems like I’ve mastered the art of balance.
If you’re a multifaceted homemaker, like me, then creating a healthy balance has never been more helpful. In this blog post, I’ll share my secret to doing exactly that. You’ll also learn how to recover when things slip through the cracks, and how to prioritize your tasks so you can pivot as needed.
Time is extremely limited and you’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to do everything all the time. That’s why I’m going to share my secret to balancing homemaking, homeschooling, and my home business. Spoiler alert: it’s not much of a secret, it’s just about having a plan.
So what do homemaking, homeschooling, and entrepreneurship all have in common? They all require a lot of time, planning, effort, and organization to do, successfully. And all three look differently for everyone, but all have very similar frameworks.
So how do I juggle all my roles and responsibilities? I know social media may paint a picture of perfection, but I’m far from it. Sometimes my household tasks go undone, dinner is late, business is pushed on the back burner, and homeschool is a mere afterthought. Let’s just keep it real, even a seasoned homemaker doesn’t have it all together all the time.
But let’s focus on when things work like a well-oiled machine.
How to create a balance that works?
- Having a plan for the day
- Planning out each role separately
- Doing tasks that move the needle.
In a previous post, I talked about why having a plan is crucial for the homemaker. Well, if you’re a homeschooling homemaker with a home business, having a plan for the day is even MORE important. But is it possible to plan everything on one sheet of paper as we talked about in that post? Absolutely.
You need to plan out each role separately with all the tasks that need to get done and then narrow it down to your top 3-6 (1-2 tasks per role). These tasks should be ones that move the needle forward and not just filler work. Do you want to be busy or productive? There’s a difference.
Once you have your list, you’ll also need to put them in order of importance. Three of the tasks would go in the must-do section and the other 3 tasks would go in the nice-to-do section. While all tasks should be needle-moving tasks, not all tasks have the same level of urgency. We only think they do.
Using a planner can be beneficial for you.
While you can plan all roles on one sheet, I highly recommend you separate them out. This will be a perfect time to use a planner. This will allow you to be a bit more organized with your weeks and days. You can create a task list for each role for you to check off. If you’re new to planning, I recommend keeping it simple by using one planner for all three so you’re not overwhelmed with the planning aspect of it.
Also, one planner keeps your expectations of energy a little more realistic. More empty space typically means (or at least we think so) more tasks to put on it. You’re only one person with a set time and energy level each day.
At least for the first year of creating a routine for your household. You can always branch out into multiple planners as you develop better, more detailed systems. We’ll get into that another time.
I’ve created an all-in-one planner that can help you establish a healthy balance without a lot of fluff you don’t need and won’t use. This is great if you’re just getting into planning or wanting to simplify your planning. Download and print your planner today (or use it digitally).
Offload your household tasks to members of the family
It’s true, as a homemaker you’re the primary caretaker of the house and family, but that doesn’t mean other members can’t contribute to the well-being of the house. Yes, my husband is the breadwinner of the family, however, that doesn’t mean that’s the only way he contributes. He, too, will clean the kitchen, cook a meal, and help with the kids’ schooling.
On the same note, my son (11 yrs) contributes by cleaning the kitchen, his room, and the upstairs bathroom (from time to time). My 5 yr old daughter, will contribute by sweeping the floor and cleaning the back door (as high up as she can). This is also a great way for your children to earn rewards or even an allowance if you choose to do so.
This is not to say your family should be doing the tasks you are primarily responsible for, but it doesn’t hurt them to contribute in these ways…especially the children. Remember you are only one person.
How to recover when tasks fall through the cracks.
Everything can’t go right all the time, even when you have a plan. Here are a few tips to help you recover when things go left:
- Re-evaluate the plan for the day
- Re-evaluate priorities
- Deciding what’s not ok to let slip
It can suck when we don’t accomplish the things we set out to do, however, as I mentioned in the blog post, Having a Plan for the day is Crucial for Homemakers, I mention that having a plan allows for flexibility as needed.
If something unexpected and urgent pops up, instead of trying to cram every task in the day, go back to your list to see which one of your must-do tasks is non-negotiable. Then work on that task as time and energy allows.
If you’re having a hard time deciding your must do’s, simply ask yourself where does your priority lie. Do you have any time restraints? Do you have a task that your family absolutely need to have happen (i.e. cooking, clean uniforms, important project etc)?
Here’s an example of what I would put on my must-do list:
- Record a video for the blog
- Cook dinner
- Help kids with assignments
If I had a hard time deciding which two items to drop, I simply ask myself which of these will benefit my family the most (obviously cooking dinner would be the task I’d get done). Of course, sometimes the answer isn’t always obvious. If the task was something like laundry, I’d select to help kids with their assignments because we don’t normally go many places nowadays.
Make sense?
Conclusion:
With all of that being said, my secret isn’t much of a secret. You just need to have a plan and stick to it, offload some tasks that your family can do, and re-evaluate your plans when things fall through the cracks so you can recover quickly. You can get your free daily to-do sheet by providing your best email on the form below, but also check out the all-in-one planner to help you balance your roles better each day.
Until next time…I’ll see you at home.
Celeste