I feel like no matter what’s going on in the world things always seem chaotic. Throw two little ones in the mix and I feel like chaos is our resting state! The holiday time of year is especially crazy because the kids have so much going on, it’s my busiest time for work, and Charlotte turns 2! So I wanted to share some tips I have on how to stay productive during chaotic times because we all have them!
How To Stay Productive During Chaotic Times
Keep several lists: Lists are so helpful when you’re stressed. Writing everything down that needs to get done short term and long term. I always have a daily to-do list, a weekly to-do list, and then a long-term to-do list. I think organizing things this way really helps me see the big and small picture of what needs to get done.
Prioritize the must do’s first: When things are chaotic and you are worried about being productive make sure the MUST DO’s get done first. This may be personal life, work, whatever. Just make sure you are doing the absolute must do’s. That will make you feel productive and take the stress away.
Delegate when you can: Sometimes you just have to ask for help. Especially during a chaotic time. Delegate to your partner, a friend, etc. I know last week I needed way more help from Andrew and I just asked for it. I also delegated some of my work tasks to my VA (she is the best). It will help you stay on the main tasks at hand and feel productive.
Say no to anything extra: I am HORRIBLE at saying no. I end up on way too many committees and take on way more than I need to. One of my big goals for 2021 is to say no more. Some people have their year of yes, I am going to have a year of no. It’s OK to say no for your mental health.
Talk to someone: Get all of your stress and frustrations out. It helps so much for me to vent to Andrew and he is always the first to help me figure out what needs to get done and what to do first.
Give yourself grace: It’s OK to not be perfect at this. It’s OK to mess up. Just give yourself grace and realize tomorrow is another day.
How do you stay productive during chaotic times??
This post was originally published in 2020 but has been updated for 2021.
I’ve learned to delegate things for the sake of wanting to have more time with the family. This year has been an interesting one and I’m thankful for the lessons it’s taught me.
Keeping lists definitely helps me. I make sure I get things done but also feel like my brain can focus because I am not trying to remember all the things I need to still do.
Oof, my problem is that I’m almost *overly* productive most days and my husband constantly has to tell me to slow down or take a break. I’ll just keep going and going and forget to eat or rest! Oops. But delegating sounds so nice – I wish I had a VA to help me out haha!
This is a vital and interesting article! Yes, we need to say no when needed. Keeping separate lists helps me to focus on the right things and not to feel overwhelmed.
Love these tips! I’m a total list maker– it helps me stay organized and focus on the tasks I need to complete. I also agree with giving yourself some grace– we all need to be a bit easier on ourselves!
These are such great ways to keep your sanity during these hectic times for sure! I agree that delegating is really important and super helpful!
Amazing tips! I also wanna add meditation, since i started to meditate, i am a lot more productive.
I’ve learned to delegate things for the sake of wanting to have more time with the family. This year has been an interesting one and I’m thankful for the lessons it’s taught me.
I would be lost without my lists! And learning to say no is definitely an important skill.
My planner definitely helps me to stay on track with my productivity. If it isn’t written down it ain’t getting done lol
I have two little ones, and it really can be challenging to stay productive when things are so busy! These are great tips.
Great tips! I am a list maker so I totally agree with that!!
Keeping lists definitely helps me. I make sure I get things done but also feel like my brain can focus because I am not trying to remember all the things I need to still do.
Oof, my problem is that I’m almost *overly* productive most days and my husband constantly has to tell me to slow down or take a break. I’ll just keep going and going and forget to eat or rest! Oops. But delegating sounds so nice – I wish I had a VA to help me out haha!
This is a vital and interesting article! Yes, we need to say no when needed. Keeping separate lists helps me to focus on the right things and not to feel overwhelmed.
These are such great tips – ESPECIALLY this time of year! I’m a huge fan of lists and definitely agree with the idea of tackling must-dos first.
Love these tips! I’m a total list maker– it helps me stay organized and focus on the tasks I need to complete. I also agree with giving yourself some grace– we all need to be a bit easier on ourselves!