Do you ever wish there were more hours in the day? Do you often feel overwhelmed with your task list? Me too! There is just so much to do and so little time.

Like many women, I’m a full-time working mother. And like many working moms, even though the nine-to-five day is finished, doesn’t mean the work day is complete. The to-do list is just beginning when you walk through the door at home in the evening. Dinner, dishes, homework, clean-up, lunches, and house-hold chores take priority before rest and relaxation, let alone fun (or me time), can begin.

There are so many tasks that one wants to check off the to-do list on any given day. But how does one get all their shit done?!

So little time: But be realistic with what you want to accomplish in 24 hours.

One cannot work a nine (or ten, or twelve) hour day and expect to cook a gourmet dinner for the fam, spend an hour helping the kiddos with homework, spit-shine the entire house, and still manage to get in a hour-long workout before retiring for the evening.

Unless you have a home chef, a tutor for your kids, a live-in housekeeper, and a personal trainer – something’s gotta get pushed off the to-do list.

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Make yourself a manageable – and achievable – daily schedule that can actually be completed.

• Write it down. Whether you bullet journal, download an app, or simply list your tasks on a scrap of paper – pencil in what needs to be done.
• Share the to-do list. Do you have a partner at home? Share the duties in order to carve out a little alone (or couple) time.
• Prioritize the tasks. If the laundry or vacuuming isn’t a necessity for today, than put it on another day’s chore list.

So little time: You can’t thrive on all work and no play.

After a long stressful day at work, the last thing you want is a shit-load more work waiting at home for you. We all understand that household and family chores need to get done, but we all need to carve out a little bit of time for fun or tasks that spark personal joy.

Balance compulsory and elective activities within any given day.

• Split up your day’s to-do list. If you’re a morning person, check a few chores off the list in the AM, like a load of laundry or emptying the dishwasher. Then tackle a few more chores after dinner or once the kiddos are asleep.
• Family time is important, but you still have shit to do. Get the kids to help with a few of the household chores – make a game of it! It’s a win-win! You’re getting housework done and spending time with the fam!
• Do at least one task or activity just for you! Have a bath, go for an evening walk, work on your blog (ahem!), or catch up on your DVR. Self care is not selfish!

So little time: Accept that you may not get everything you need or want to get done.

We are not superheros, men or women, and one cannot be expected to perform like a marvel character and save the world every day! It’s ok that you didn’t get the laundry folded today and don’t worry if you only spent half an hour playing princess with your daughter.

Small steps are better than sitting still.

• Don’t jump in balls-to-the-walls to any strict schedule. You can’t expect to jump into a new workout schedule after being a couch potato with raving results. You’ll fall off the wagon and feel defeated.
• Instead of a daily schedule or agenda, make a weekly to do list. This method puts less pressure on completing everything in one day. Plus you can spread out the work in order to feel less stressed.
• Don’t strive for perfection. Instead aim for passable. I peruse Pinterest and home decor magazines, just like the rest of society, and only wish my home looked even remotely like any one of the images. But in reality our home will be a bit messy. Toys on the floor, dishes in the sink, cat hair on the floor, and shit stuck to the back of the toilet.

So little time: Because we’re all busy living life.

In conclusion (whew), trying to balance work and life can be a challenge, so give yourself a break. Make a list of crap that you need, or would like to, accomplish in any given day, week, or month. If you get everything done in record time, congratulations! But if there are still items left on your list to check off at the end of the week, don’t fret! You can carry it forward to next week or just say “fuck it” and go watch TV!