How can I manage my time better when planning weekly meals?

We suggest planning your weekly menu out on Sunday of each week before the week gets started.  If you know your son has a baseball game or your daughter has dancing then you will plan accordingly on that day. You can shop on Sunday and have all of the recipe items on hand. You can either order out for dinner or cook ahead and have it ready to go when you get home. You can even order days prior on the Papa John's website and have the pizza ready when you get there.

What are some simple tips to save more time as a busy parent who works?

Use a to-do list template. Since your end goal is to manage your time more effectively, it would be ridiculous to spend a ton of time writing out your most common to-do list items each day. I created my own to-do list template which includes all of my daily tasks. This ensures I don’t spend time writing them down, and I can schedule them in with my more unique tasks that I only have to perform today. Include even the most menial tasks. On your list, you should include every single solitary thing you do during the day that takes up time. Seriously. I’m talking meals, working out, taking a shower and calling your mother. This is not a business task management list, this is a time management list. If you spend time on things you think you’ll remember on your own, include it. Prioritize your list items. The order in which you perform necessary tasks is where the magic happens. Think about the most optimal order in which you can accomplish your tasks — you can often squeeze three or four things into the same amount of time that it would otherwise take you to accomplish just one. Start your list with 5 small, easy tasks.  If I decide to start my day with five quick, simple tasks before tackling my first large list item, I look down at my list about an hour later and I’ve already made a dent. I feel like I’m on a roll, and I’m more likely to ramp up my productivity for the day.

Time Saving Tips

Do you find yourself running from one place to another? SO busy you left your cell phone at the grocery store? Here's a tip for you: hold a time intervention for yourself. If your life is bursting at the seams then you can benefit from a day off work to reassess your life priorities. Maybe it means evaluating what your time is worth and outsourcing some things. It might mean taking a break from social engagements for a while to build the right foundation. You may need a time overhaul in your life. Try taking a mental break and remove one thing from your schedule for today that is the least important. It might be putting off doing the laundry or postponing a work call. Spend that time totally luxuriating in the something in the present moment and not thinking about your schedule, or future plans, at all.

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