When I first became a homemaker, it was easy to feel discouraged at the end of the day. I worked so hard all day long, but it felt like I had nothing to show for it.
Now, after several years of being a full-time homemaker I have learned how to be + feel productive in my role as a homemaker!
REDEFINE PRODUCTIVITY
Homemaking is repetitive, often thankless work. If you’re living by the world’s perspective of productivity – you’ll never live up.
If you want to feel satisfied in your important roll as a homemaker – you need to define what productivity means to YOU.
To me, productivity means an orderly, tidy home (note: not perfect!!), simple nourishing meals for my family, and connectedness with my spouse and children. At the end of the day if I’ve accomplished these things – I’m succeeding!
Of course, there are other things I’d LIKE to achieve each day. But these are the non-negotiables in my life.
Productivity might mean something different to you! That’s the beauty of it, we can all have different values and priorities.
But don’t look to the side at what other people are doing and then beat yourself up for not achieving the same result.
Maybe a clean home really isn’t all that important to you, but working out daily is! Then you should modify your productivity goals to reflect that.
GET READY EVERY DAY
Have you ever read a productivity list where getting ready wasn’t on it? I didn’t think so. That’s because no one feels productive in their pajamas!
Just like everything else with homemaking – getting ready is something you can and should personalize!
Do you need to shower and wash your hair daily? Or is some dry shampoo and a braid sufficient? Do you like to live in leggings and oversized tees (🙋🏼♀️) or are old-fashioned, homemade skirts more your style?
Think about what you want your daily, signature look to be. It doesn’t have to be glamorous or fancy – just put together!
Choose a time of the day to spend a few moments getting yourself ready for the day – you’ll feel so much better than when you stay in pjs until noon! (Don’t worry, I’m guilty of that too!)
HAVE A ROUTINE
Having some sort of routine or schedule can help you stay on top of household chores, while also allowing you free time to do other things.
I like to have a loose weekly rhythm, which you can read about here. This ensures that I stay on top of my chores (And don’t forget to mop for 3 weeks!), while also allowing me the freedom to not clean all.day.long because I know what will get done tomorrow!
Routines don’t have to be just for cleaning! You can create a routine with your children. If they’re homeschooled (or even if they aren’t!) you can set aside certain days for different activities. This could include a day for the library, a “field trip”, a family day, or a day to spend time with friends.
Having days set aside for different tasks takes the pressure off from doing something every single day!
PLAN AHEAD
In the evening I like to look at my day ahead. This is when I’ll discuss with my husband if we have any commitments, appointments, etc.
I also like to make my to-do list the night before! This allows me to start the day knowing what to expect and prioritize what needs to be done.
HAVE A LIST
As I just mentioned, I’m a list person!
I like to make a list, with pen and paper, first thing in the morning of the tasks I’d like to complete that day.
The key to feeling productive with your list is to highlight the 3 most important tasks.
If you write a list with 27 tasks and only complete 15, you’re going to feel like a failure! But if know your top 3 priorities, and finish them – then you’ll feel encouraged and productive when you have time for other things!
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
You may think that self-care is unrelated to productivity as a homemaker, but you’re wrong! Taking care of yourself – getting enough sleep, eating healthy food regularly throughout the day, dealing with stress, reading lifegiving books or devotions and even doing things for fun are going to make you a better, more productive homemaker!
If you’re feeling burnt out, resentful or exhausted – you aren’t going to thrive in your roll at home. But if you’re feeling well cared for and healthy – you’ll succeed!
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