Warning! This is a real-life story of how being a parent makes you more productive! š
I have to admit before I had a kid(s), my life was less productive.
āSay whaaat?!ā you may ask.
Yes.
It’s true.
There are a number of reasons for that, though.
The first reason was that Iāve perceived time differently.
I had no problem with it.
I had as much time as I needed. And I managed to get my obligations done on time, every time.
I really canāt remember a single moment when I broke the deadlineā¦ (at least not some big one š )
But the truth is, I didnāt have as many obligations as I do now.
Which is also the second reason for lesser productivity.
Itās simple, I had a lesser amount of tasks.
(or maybe I just didn’t push myself with some ambitious goals, I don’t know?…)
And maybe the third reason is that I didnāt need to think about various solutions to get the work done because there was (almost always) enough time for it.
Needless to say, all of that changed when my first child came (and just continued in the same manner after the second one was born).
So, what has changed?
I’ll tell you…
I realized time management is vital
The first major shock was having less sleep.
That one was the most disturbing for me.
I really love to sleep longer than the average person, but for now, that time has passed.
However, miraculously, after a while, I got used to a shorter sleep (thank the Lord, otherwise I donāt know how would I remain sane š ).
And by that, I instantly gained āadditionalā time in a day to get the jobs done.
(if you’re in a pursuit to find the “extra” time in a day, here are 9 Best Kept Secrets To Create Extra Time And Still Do The Work – it’s worth the reading)
The next big difference was the number of tasks which have rapidly risen.
By having a child you instantly get (at least) 10 additional daily tasks you didnāt have before.
And you just have to find the time to do them, or at least to be way better in time management skills.
The sheer amount of tasks pushes me to be more productive, whether I like it or not.
(Donāt get me wrong, Iām not talking about āDonāt have kidsā here. Having at least one child is a complete life-changing, wonderful event, that truly transforms you as a person. It has many beautiful sides, but the truth is it also brings a lot of work and worries, too.)
Even though we all know there are exactly 24 hours in each and every day, after having children, I value those same hours way more.
Who knows what (additional unplanned tasks) will tomorrow bring (you never know that with the kids; one day theyāre fine, the next they have a fever).
Because of that, I try to complete every task for the day on that same day (or even sooner š ).
I’m more mindful about my tasks and their execution
I am more action-oriented now.
And when you are action-driven, it automatically means that you procrastinate waaay less.
In some strange way, the more tasks I have (up to a reasonable number, of course), the better I am at organizing and getting them done.
On the contrary, when being faced with just 2-3 tasks (in the past life, of course), they appeared to me as āOh, itās not so much, I can do them at any timeā¦ā which actually lead me to procrastination or a delay in executing them.
Sounds totally contrary to logic, I know, but the experience (at least mine, guilty as charged, I admit!) proves it is possible.
Iām being realistic about what can be done with the kids around and what can be done when alone.
Therefore, I like to classify the job as being either more physically demanding or mentally demanding.
I commit myself to these two types of tasks at different periods of the day.
Nowadays when I do have the free time at the house (meaning no-kids-around-free-time), the tasks that canāt be done when the little ones are around me are then being done.
At those moments I focus only on the mentally demanding task(s) and try to complete them at a super-fast speed.
(but keep in mind the quality of work, though, so adjust the speed to the maximum one which doesnāt result in a loss of quality! š )
Regarding the more physically demanding tasks (and the majority of them are just the regular housework), I like to batch them as much as possible.
Productivity tools and techniques help me out
I always loved notebooks, journals, and stuff, but now for me, my bullet journal is an essential productivity tool I use every day.
It helps me to clearly see and track my tasks so I can prioritize better.
I (nearly) donāt have a single item in my not important+not urgent field of time management matrix.
And I used to have (sometimes even a lot) of those in the past.
Believe it or not, there are days and days when I donāt turn the TV on.
And honestly, I donāt miss it.
(the internet is a whole different story, though! š But, nevertheless, I (try) not to waste time in there, either)
I guess I could write some more about how my kids changed my productivity (for the better!), but I think Iāll stop here.
The key elements were told.
What about you?
If youāre a parent, did you experience something similar to this?
If not, does this make sense to you?
Share your opinions!
Talk to you soon,
This is so true. I often wonder what the heck I did before having my daughter. I went back to school when she was 5 months old, so I completely understand prioritizing. Working and going to school with a baby/toddler is not easy. Your comment about being realistic about what can get done with kids around – so true. My daughter is 2.5 now, so I don’t even try to get real work done with her around LOL š Such great tips.
Kudos for having a baby and working + going to school! I can totally sympathize with it (and, yeah, it ain’t easy…)! Yes, it is really funny, when you look back it really does appear like “What on Earth did I spend my time on back then?”. š I love your comment, thanks for taking the time to write it. Wishing you many professional (and personal) victories in the future!