Stop the Busyness and Increase Productivity Today

photo by Bianca Stingl

Stop the Busyness and Increase Productivity Today

byStephanie Elie

Posted 02/01/10 6:00 am EST | Digital

Topicsbusy moms, busyness, leisure time

Take the kids to school, go to work, go to meetings, decide what’s for dinner.  Don’t forget soccer practice, pick up cookies for tomorrow’s party, cook dinner, wash clothes, wash dishes, wash kids, go to bed and oh yeah breath.

If this sounds like a typical day for you then you are yet another busy mom. I know I was sucked into being a busy mom, heck the name of my blog is Bizzie Mommy, so much that I realized I’m not accomplish ANYTHING.

Lately there has been a lot of chatter about busy moms. There was an article in the Washington Post about an editor/mother trying to determine where all of her time was going. She even enlisted in the help of John Robinson a sociologist at the University of Maryland who claimed that moms have 30 hours of leisure time every week. He claims that finding "leisure time" is an act of will.

I read another post written by Michele Dortch at The Integrated Mother, "Why are you so busy?" hit home when she wrote, "In the workplace, busyness is like a badge of self-importance as we run around with our hair on fire, rushing from meeting to meeting, deadline to deadline, etc… At home we believe our busyness is accomplishing something meaningful as we rush our kids to extra curricular activities or busy ourselves with endless housework."

Busyness seems to go with being a mom, it’s what we do. But does it really have to be that way. I’ve spent the last year attempting to balance a full-time job, an online store, a blog and a family and I "loved" being busy. I was doing it all and proud of it. But what I didn’t realize is the busyness behind "doing-it-all" was stressing me out, I was stressed out all the time, I was sick more than usual, and worst of all I felt guilty for not spending enough time with my kids.

Last year I was so caught up, like so many others, in busyness that I lost my ability to even imagine what true leisure is like. I can’t even remember a time when I was "truly" productive. But this year I’m changing my focus.

This year I’m going to give myself some time, set realistic goals, take on fewer projects, and most importantly enjoy my family and find some time for me.

Won’t you join me in letting go of busyness and reconnect to find some leisure time for yourself?

"Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy." - Richard Halloway

Business Baby Shower Contest for Entrepreneurial Moms

Business Baby Shower Contest for Entrepreneurial Moms

byStephanie Elie

Posted 01/18/10 2:36 pm EST | Digital

Topicsbusiness baby shower, mom entreprenuer

Mom entrepreneurs are opening new businesses in the United States and Canada at an amazing rate. They envision an opportunity to develop new products and services in search for financial independence.

If you are a mom entrepreneur then you should check out the Business Baby Shower (businessbabyshower.com) contest hosted by The Mom Entrepreneur and Corporate Mom Dropouts.

The Business Baby Shower is open to mom entrepreneurs in any industry who are looking to start, grow or expand their business. The concept was developed by Lucinda Cross of Corporate Mom DropOuts and Traci Bisson of The Mom Entrepreneur, both of whom have spent many years supporting and educating women entrepreneurs about how to start and grow a business.

The Business Baby Shower contest runs from January 1 – April 30, 2010 and will help bring awareness to your products and services. Each participant will need to complete the application process as well as submit a two minute video of their business for consideration.

Three winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) will be selected in May by a panel of judges. Winners will receive thousands of dollars worth of media exposure for their business from Media Sponsors as well as gifts, services and bonuses from Contest Sponsors.

Balancing motherhood and running a company is a unique challenge, the Business Baby Shower Contest is a way to recognize and reward mom entrepreneurs for their success.

To participate in the Business Baby Shower contest please visit www.businessbabyshower.com for more information.

4 Tips for Mom Entrepreneurs – Don’t Forget to Make Time for You

4 Tips for Mom Entrepreneurs – Don’t Forget to Make Time for You

byStephanie Elie

Posted 01/13/10 3:14 pm EST | Digital

Topicsmom entrepreneur, mommy time out, take time for you

With the New Year come new priorities and new goals for the future. As mom entrepreneurs it’s important to take time out for YOURSELF. You see other busy Mom Entrepreneurs make time for themselves, but you can’t figure out how, and you don’t even have time to ask. Here are four quick tips on how to squeeze in some me time.

  1. Take a break
    Have you ever been overwhelmed and feel you can’t stop for fear that it will only push you farther behind. When you are in a high-stress situation, your thinking is often cluttered and you become less productive. Take a break, whether it’s just 15 minutes or a full-day, stop and enjoy your day and clear your mind. Even though it sounds counterproductive it really works. Taking a break can provide some clarity and help you complete your tasks on time.
  2. Take time out to socialize each week
    Take some time away from your business each week to socialize with friends, your partner, fellow entrepreneurs or even alone. All work and no play makes for one grumpy stressed out mom entrepreneur.
  3. Take a few “Mommy Minutes” as often as possible
    Ponn Sabra, author of Empowering Women to Power Network, puts herself on “time out” and takes “Mommy Minutes” as often as possible. Ponn sits in a self-made sauna in the bathroom with the hot shower running or enjoys a favorite goodie (she sometimes hides special ice cream sandwiches in the back corner of her freezer where no one, even her husband, can find them.) Ponn also insists that “adults need naps, too!” Whether for ten minutes or forty-five, it is important just to take a nap. The revitalization you receive from a catnap is very powerful. If you are unable to nap in the middle of a chaotic day, it is important to take yourself out of the situation to regain focus. You will have more energy if you meditate and clear your head.
  4. Go “off duty” regularly
    In Linda Goodman Pillsbury’s Survival Tips for Working Moms, she recommends choosing a regular time when you are “off duty.” For example, you might say that after 8:30 every night, the kids cannot bother you with “Where are my blue jeans?” “I need cookies for a school party tomorrow,” etc. (Of course, you are there for emergencies.) Children will soon learn to ask for what they need before you go off duty or wait until the morning. This works on very young children up to teenagers.

While trying to build my businesses this past year I can say I’ve totally neglected ME, and I think it’s affected both my business and family. This year I plan on taking steps to balance my life with work and fun.

How do you plan on taking time out for YOU, this year?

You can find the "Mommy Needs a Time Out" t shirt on zazzle.com

Five Day Planners for Busy Moms

Five Day Planners for Busy Moms

byStephanie Elie

Posted 01/08/10 4:04 pm EST | Digital

Topicsbusiness, day planner, get organized

It’s that time of year again, where we scurry to the local stationary store and rummage through the aisles of calendars and organizers looking for the "perfect" one. I’ve tried them all, Day Runner, Day Timer, FranklinCovey, momAgenda, Truly Mom, and At-A-Glance. I compiled a list of some of the most popular planners for busy moms.

momAgenda Day Planner
www.momagenda.com

The Mom Agenda is one of my favorite day planners providing you plenty of space to track your schedule and up to 4 children. I love the fact that you can view your schedule by month or track things weekly. The 17-month calendar runs through December 2010 and includes a positive quote each week. Included with the planner is the momEssentials pamphlet that can be removed and reused from year to year. The original desktop momAgenda planner (7"x9"x1") comes in 6 stylish colors and is also available in a Faux Crocodile cover. 

You can also opt for the momAgenda Mini-Daily planner (5"x7"x1") which fits nicely in a purse or work bag. The Mini-Planner has all of the essentials as the original momAgenda, the difference is the 13-month calendar that runs through August 2010.

There is also a myAgenda Desktop calendar that is the same as momAgenda but meant for everyone not just the moms.

Planners range from $40.00 - 45.00 - currently on sale 30-50% off

momAgenda Personal Portfolio
www.momagenda.com

Another one of my favorite momAgenda products is the Personal Portfolio in a Crocodile cover.  The control obsessed will love this bonded leather 3-ring binder, making it flexible and easy to customize. Each binder includes pockets for holding extra papers and business cards and has a nice secure snap closure.

The Personal Portfolio allows you the extra space for writing in all of your essentials like important phone numbers, medical information, birthdays, addresses and much more. Included extras inlude to-do lists, blank lined note pages, planning pages, tabs and a ruler. 

If you are looking for a customized solution, then the momAgenda Personal Portfolio may be the planner for you.

Price: $145.00 currently 15% off

Truly Mom
www.trulymom.com

The truly mom planners are designed for the "list making" mom. If you aren’t organized unless there is a list to go by then this is the planner for you. The Truly Mom planner comes with a spiral bound weekly/monthly calendar that starts on September 2009 and runs through December 2010.

The Truly Mom planner also comes with a handy pullout address book for storing important phone numbers and addresses. It comes with a "my day" pad that covers an entire day of activities, listing things to do, just for me, don’t forget, calls to make, what’s for dinner and gifts to purchase. At the bottom there is space to fill in your child’s activities for the day as well. This is by far my favorite pad.

Truly Mom recently introduced a smaller version of their planner the Truly Tiny. It contains a weekly/monthly calendar, a sticky note pad, note to note pad and a pen. The Truly Tiny does not come with an address book but one can be added to your order.

Planners range from $37.00 to $90.00 

Bizzi2Go Planner
www.bizzimom.com

The Bizzi2Go Planner (5.7" by 7.5") is small enough to fit into your purse, brief case, camera bag or diaper bag. But don’t let the small size concern you as the calendar opens to a roomy 18.5" which allows you plenty of room to plan your day.

The Bizzi2Go calendar is a monthly dated calendar that runs from January to December. The organizer also comes with several lead pages to store important information including contacts and addresses, emergency contacts, medical information, favorite take-out and favorite websites and much more.

Price: $24.95

Go Mom! Planner
www.gomominc.com

The Go Mom! Planner is another calendar to help moms plan and organize their day, unlike the other calendars in this list you can find the Go Mom! at your local Target, Staples or Office Max. 

The calendar comes with both an undated monthly and weekly view so you can start using the calendar any time of the year. Each week provides a place to plan meals as well as a section just for mom.

There are so many calendars and planners available its a challenge finding the perfect fit. For busy moms a calendar designed specifically for them is the best option because it allows you to incorporate your child's schedule as well as your own. 

If you know of any other calendars designed by and for moms we would love to hear about it. 

 

Just Say No to New Year’s Resolutions

Just Say No to New Year’s Resolutions

byStephanie Elie

Posted 12/30/09 5:27 pm EST | Digital

Topicsnew year's resolutions, resolutions

Loose weight, eat healthy, make more money, save money, take a vacation, cook more, eat less… We all make them, but how many people actually stick to their New Year’s Resolutions?

Last year I vowed to create "a life resolution" instead of a "New Year’s resolution" and even with the covert name change I still wasn’t able to stick to my goals. I vowed to take care of myself, eat better, workout and relax every once in awhile. I’m not really eating that much better, I still haven’t been able to stick to a workout schedule and relaxing, what’s that?

Did you know that on average only a quarter of the population will achieve their New Year resolutions in 2010? Why such a small number? People tend to dwell on the "bad things" that would happen if they do not achieve their goals. They rely on willpower and fantasize about becoming successful. According to Professor Wiseman of University of Hertfordshire this type of thinking "simply doesn’t work." He says that if you, "break your goals into small steps, rewarding yourself when each stage is passed, you are more likely to succeed."

Looking back at resolutions past, I did the same thing, my goals were backed by "willpower," and they weren’t broken down into steps and were often over generalized. This year I’m going to follow Professor Wiseman’s tips and set small achievable goals.

Prof. Wiseman offers 10 secrets to making successful New Years resolutions:

  1. Make only one resolution; your chances of success are greater when you channel energy into changing just one aspect of your behavior.
  2. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to think about your resolution and instead devote some time a few days before to reflect upon what you really want to achieve.
  3. Avoid previous resolutions, deciding to re-visit a past resolution sets you up for frustration and disappoint.
  4. Don’t run with the crowd and go with the usual resolutions. Instead think about what you really want out of life.
  5. Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are concrete, measurable, and time-based.
  6. Tell your friends and family about your goals, thus increasing the fear of failure and eliciting support.
  7. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals by creating a checklist of how life would be better once you obtain your aim.
  8. Give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a sub-goal, thus maintaining motivation and a sense of progress.
  9. Make your plans and progress concrete by keeping a hand-written journal, completing a computer spreadsheet or covering a notice cork board with graphs and pictures.
  10. Expect to revert to your old habits from time to time. Treat any failure as a temporary set-back rather than a reason to give up altogether.

Source: Key to keeping New Year resolutions revealed by psychologist @ telegraph.co.uk.
Photo Credit: Optical illusion

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Project Simplify: Let it go, then let it go again

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Ready Set Blog e-Book, Get your kids Writing with a Family Blog

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