Monday Motivation: Self-Prioritization

Happy MONDAY! I hope your weekend was filled with love and sunshine while celebrating Mother’s Day. I enjoyed seeing pictures of all the sweet mommas and their kids. I even shed a few tears reading stories of those being transparent on such a sentimental day. I hope you all were able to checkout my Mother’s Day Note. If not it can be found here!

Today, I am feeling so at peace and I hope you are too! However, complacency is out to get me BUT I’m choosing to remain focused. I have so many goals I still have yet to reach and time is still NOT waiting for anyone.

My intent is to make this week one of self-prioritization. Last week, I worked out only two days…. TWO! To be honest, I cannot recall what changed or hindered my consistent workout streak. Although it was a very PRODUCTIVE week, I failed in prioritizing that part of me. So I am sharing a few pointers I am using to prioritize myself.

:: Tips To Maintain Self-Prioritization ::

Create A List: Create a realistic list of all things you want to achieve this week. On that list, highlight those things that pertain to caring for yourself and make them your top priority. There are a LOT of things I want to do but realistically cannot squeeze into one week. My top goals for this week are getting back on a consistent workout schedule (5 days per week), wash and style my hair, and complete daily Spanish lessons on Duolingo. These are things I know I can commit to and check off my list.

Simplify Tasks: Life as a Mom is busy and it has been busier since I began blogging. House duties tend to pile up quicker, especially when I complicate them. When this happens I have little to no time to do things for myself. For instance, meal prepping or even just planning out meals now that we have a one year old can be challenging. A couple of weeks ago I began creating a weekly dinner menu and it has been very helpful. A few ways this has benefited our family is by sticking to healthy and nutritious meals, less runs to the grocery store, less food wasted, and less ordering out. One more PLUS, I have leftover time to focus on me! Find out more about our weekly dinner menu experience here.

Categorize Tasks by Days: I have found this to be a key to success and a barrier in becoming overwhelmed. As our son became more mobile, I noticed I was less successful at getting things done around the house or even for myself. Now he does go to daycare which helps, but sometimes he stays home like today. Even so, him being at daycare does not always mean I can get everything done in one day. Before he was born I could meal prep, clean our home, do laundry, workout, and go to happy hour all in one day! Now I have to categorize those tasks plus more so that I am not overwhelmed and still have time to myself. One way I do this is by reserving laundry two days out of the week because it will pile up, become overwhelming, and strip time away from things I can do for me!

Set Time Limits: Now this may not be applicable to everything but do try to do so with tasks that can be completed with a time lit. When I was a stay-at-home Mom I watched The Real mostly every day from 11am – 12 pm. It was like my girl time while Isaiah slept. On my off days I still reserve that hour to catch an episode and sometimes complete folding ALL laundry during that time as well. That one hour set aside allows me to have somewhat “me” time while completing a task for the day. Also, I saved myself an hour an hour that can be used on ME!

Identify and Eliminate/Minimize Distractions: This can be easier said than done but can help you not waste time that can be used on prioritizing yourself. Us millennials are known for being on our cell phones hours at a time. The networks we use are so strategic at maintaining our interest that before we know it, hours have been wasted and nothing has been gained. Been there, done that, and I KNOW I am not alone. Be honest with yourself, make a mental note, and take action. You cannot expect to prioritize yourself when you are prioritizing keeping up with the life of people who could care less about you or to get to know you!

I hope this helps motivate you as much as it has helped me! May this week be one of growth, intention, triumph, AND self-prioritization!