Top 10 Tips for Busy Moms and Women Managing Work and Home

SALT LAKE CITY--(EON:Enhanced Online News)--Every year more and more women find themselves struggling to balance their lives. Busy women are bombarded with demands on their time, whether it is split between home and the office, being a stay-at-home mom, or a woman with a successful career, they all face a daunting task.

“Women today are faced with too much information bombarding them, overwhelming to-do lists and not enough time in one day to complete the list, let alone in an entire week.”

Julie Morgenstern, the New York Times best-selling author of Making Work Work, Organizing from the Inside Out, Time Management from the Inside Out and Never Check E-mail in the Morning, says, “Women today are faced with too much information bombarding them, overwhelming to-do lists and not enough time in one day to complete the list, let alone in an entire week.”

Morgenstern, who is a contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine and has been interviewed by The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The New York Times, believes most women know how liberating and satisfying it would feel to accomplish all of their personal and professional goals, but they set too many without a specific plan for achieving them. They are pulled in so many directions they don’t accomplish much and are left with feelings of frustration and guilt.

“Trying to complete too many goals and tasks can leave you feeling frustrated, unfulfilled and exhausted. But, if you are very clear about those three or four most important things you must complete today, then you can let go of the rest until tomorrow because you have accomplished what really matters most,” says Morgenstern.

Morgenstern recently partnered with FranklinCovey® (NYSE:FC) to design and launch her first exclusive organizing system and collection, Time Management Your Way. The new product line is based on her own methodology, which she has taught clients for 17 years, and is also closely aligned with the principles FranklinCovey teaches regarding time management, organization, productivity, and goal achievement.

Morgenstern and FranklinCovey offer the following 10 tips for busy women seeking life balance:

10 Tips for Busy Moms and Women Managing Work and Home
1.		ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES BETWEEN WORK AND HOME
		Schedule how many hours you will spend at work and stay focused on achieving your three or four most important work goals for the week or day. Work hard at work but know when to go home and when you get there, be at home. Spend quality time engaged in self-renewing activities with people you care about. Women who are well-balanced thrive more in both environments.
2.		PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE
		For busy moms and women, every minute in the morning is precious. Get out the door faster by preparing the night before. Pre-pack lunches, backpacks and purses; coordinate bathroom schedules; plan and lay out clothes; and review the following day's schedule before going to bed at a good time.
3.		TAKE TIME FOR WEEKLY AND DAILY PLANNING
		Set aside 20 minutes each week and 10 minutes each day to plan your time and schedule, including the most important goals, tasks and appointments. Reviewing your week and day can also give you added insight as to how you can better manage your time.
4.		WRITE IT DOWN
		Remembering everything without recording it is a challenge that eludes even the brightest minds. Use a planning tool, either a paper planner or planning software and a handheld device, to enter your goals, tasks, appointments and contacts.
5.		GROUP LIKE TASKS
		Grouping similar tasks or tasks that can be completed together will maximize your time. If you have to revisit the same store multiple times for things that could have been purchased the first trip, you are spending not saving time.
6.		SAY "NO"
		When presented with a new opportunity on which to spend your time, ask yourself, "What is the wisest and best use of my time right now and what do I have to remove from my schedule in order to make time for this?" If the given opportunity does not meet that criterion, appropriately and graciously say, "No."
7.		ESTIMATE YOUR TIME
		The easiest way to get overwhelmed is by being unrealistic about how long it takes to complete certain tasks. Realistically estimate how long each of your goals or tasks will take to complete and schedule the appropriate amount of time into your planning system.
8.		BE FLEXIBLE
		Circumstances change, and new opportunities can be both urgent and important. Be flexible and willing to change your schedule and reprioritize it to accomplish something that is most important.
9.		ESTABLISH ROUTINES
		Guarantee that you make time for what is important by creating routines. Set aside a regular time in the day to spend time with your spouse, kids, or on those activities that are important to you in your life. For example, spend time each night talking with your family about their day or time exercising.
10.		MAKE "ME-TIME" A PRIORITY - RENEW YOURSELF
		One of the number one complaints women have about their over-packed schedule is the lack of time for self. Self-renewal leads to having a more balanced life. Make time in your schedule for activities (physical health, escape and people) which are renewing and re-energizing.

Morgenstern says, “No one lives a perfectly balanced life, especially busy women. I encourage every woman to ask herself, `What is the one change I can make to better organize and manage my time so I have a more balanced life?' Once you have examined and identified the one thing you need to change, work on it until you are successful in accomplishing the change. Then, keep repeating the process. Eventually, you will feel a greater sense of peace, fulfillment and contribution in the days and years to come.”

The Julie Morgenstern Organizing System and Collection by FranklinCovey (Time Management Your Way) includes a wire-bound paper planning system, leather binders, purses and accessories. For more information, call 1-800-236-2571, visit FranklinCovey retail stores nationwide, or www.franklincovey.com/julie.

About FranklinCovey

FranklinCovey (NYSE:FC) is the global leader in effectiveness training, productivity tools, and assessment services for organizations and individuals. FranklinCovey helps companies succeed by unleashing the power of their workforce to focus and execute on top business priorities. Clients include 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Organizations and individuals access FranklinCovey products and services through corporate training, licensed client facilitators, one-on-one coaching, public workshops, catalogs, 87 retail stores and www.franklincovey.com. FranklinCovey has nearly 1,500 associates providing professional services and products in the United States and for 37 international offices, serving more than 100 countries.

About Julie Morgenstern Enterprises

Julie Morgenstern (www.juliemorgenstern.com) is the New York Times best-selling author of Making Work Work, Organizing from the Inside Out, Time Management from the Inside Out and Never Check E-mail in the Morning and is a contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Bottom Line Business and Cosmopolitan magazine. She has also appeared on several television and radio programs, including The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and National Public Radio. Since opening her professional organizing business in 1989, Morgenstern and her staff have organized the homes, offices, and schedules of such clients as American Express, Microsoft, The Miami Heat, NYC Mayor’s Office, Sony Music, FedEx, Victoria’s Secret, Time Warner, Inc., and Viacom/MTV.

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