21 Ways to Get More Out of Your Day

I'm thrilled to welcome my friend and colleague, Debra Sanchez as my guest blogger today. Today's busy moms (and dads) can glean from her wisdom on how to make your sitting and waiting time a bit more productive.

Image by George Hodan

 

Mom on the Run – 21 Ways to Get More 

Out of Your Day

 by Debra Sanchez

Rush, rush, rush.  Everyone is in such a hurry these days.  Parents have so much to do and so little time to do it.  Today’s economy has made it necessary, in most families, for both parents to work, often more than one job each.

Kids are more active in school and community activities than ever before.  They are in sports, music lessons, scouts, church groups, and other things that need to be juggled into 24 hours. And that doesn’t include the time spent at doctor and dentist appointments. 

When my family was younger, they kept my juggling skills well tuned.  A dozen years ago, our son was in college. Our 16-year-old daughter was active in soccer, church youth group and many school clubs.  She also had a part-time job.  Our 8-year-old had piano lessons, Brownies and played softball in spring.

My husband worked long hours and he also coached soccer year round.  I had two jobs, helped with my daughter’s Brownie troop, edited our church’s newsletter, and in my “spare time” I was working on my college degree.

With our hectic schedule, there were a lot of things that I wished I had time to do. One day, while sitting in the car waiting for my daughter to get out of school I realized that I did have time to get a few little things done. 

We all have times when we just sit and wait.  I came up with this list of things that can be done while you wait. Some can be done anywhere, but everything on this list can be done in your parked vehicle.

1.    Read the newspaper

2.    Read a book

3.    Read a magazine

4.    Knit or crochet

5.    Sew or mend

6.    Fold laundry

7.    Listen to news

8.    Listen to music

9.    Listen to an audio book

10.  Do word puzzles

11.  Take a five minute nap

12.  Eat your lunch (or other meal or snack)

13.  Plan your menu

14.  Make your grocery list

15.  Clip coupons

16.  Update your calendar or day planner

17.  Balance your checkbook

18.  Pay your bills

19.  Enjoy the scenery

20.  Relax in the peace and quiet

21.  Write something  

Consider some of the routine tasks that you have to tackle in your own life.  Think about the kinds of places where your life parks you in “hurry up and wait” situations. Plan to use some of that waiting time to do simple tasks that might not get done “later” when you are exhausted from your chaotic schedule. Bring your supplies, tools, or ideas, whatever you need to do the job.  Or maybe just bring a travel mug with your favorite beverage and relax.

Whether you use your down time to catch up on chores, to make plans and lists, or to relax and catch your breath is up to you. After all, your time is yours.

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Debra Sanchez has moved over thirty times... so far. She and her husband currently live in Cheswick, Pennsylvania, and have three adult children and four grandchildren. She has won awards at writers conferences in various genres, including children’s stories, poetry, fantasy, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Several of her plays and monologues have been produced at festivals, churches, and theater camps. Some of her work has been published in literary magazines, local newspapers, and her short story “Hazy Decision” was published in an anthology in September, 2014. Visit Deb's website here.