This week for the first time in the history of our family, the boys slept past 7am every morning. We’d be lucky to get one, but two is unheard of. An extra hour or two of uninterrupted productiveness and I feel like Julie Andrews spinning on an Austrian Countryside.
The thing is no one cares that you have no time. Not your stomach, not your clients or your kids. The companies whom you owe money laugh at your precious time; even speeding up the time between months. You can’t change that. The time with the kids is most important but figuring out how to handle your free moments will make all the difference in mental, physical and financial health.
Here are a few things that have helped me rethink that time.
1.) Gordon Ramsey’s Cookery Course
Not being a great cook is not an excuse to not cool. You probably know the American Version of Gordon Ramsey, but if you’re a loyal BBC viewer you know he’s as good at teaching as he is marketing his name. His Cookery Course is the cliff notes to the culinary institute. In one season, he gives you the tips the Food Network glosses over(other than Alton Brown). In total, one hundred meals and countless time saving flavor enhancements. These are meals anyone can do and keep your kids and S.O. happy.
2.) Time Management (Macro Level) – Randy Pausch
Randy’s story is well known but it’s important to rethink your approach to time with kids on the way or already already robbing your time. I personally love his recommendation to outsourcing mundane tasks once the kids come. It’s a nice reminder that your time is more precious than money. Knowing that can significantly, increase your happiness and still be productive at the office.
3.) Mindfulness Meditation
I’m not a hardcore mediator, but it’s helpful to have a place to go to when you need to handle those surprise overloaded diapers or middle of the night rambunctious bed raiders. Here’s a quick intro video from John Kabot Zinn a medical doctor and meditation guru.
4) Meal Plan
It’s easy to get lazy with cooking habits. Spontaneity doesn’t work with little kids around. You need to meal plan. You can find a million sites for recipes and meal planning help. I love fitmencook, bulk bites and the @healthy_Italian on instagram. We use a dry erase marker on refrigerator, writing down every meal for the upcoming week and the ingredients that go with it. When we run out of food it goes right on the fridge, before heading to the store, I use my phone and snap a picture to make sure I don’t forget.5.) Google +
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My wife and I are android phone users but have mac products as well. A thing I love is Google+. All photos taken on the phone are backed up automatically and kept private. With Google plus you are able to create circles of just family members you want to share pictures with rather than posting them to your entire Facebook universe. You can create unlimited circles so every combination of people you’d like to see the pictures you can make that happen with no fuss.
In addition, they have a feature named Auto Awesome that does all sorts of cool things to your pictures including making cool video montages and gifs, combining pictures to make the best smiles, adding snow or glitter without even being prompted. The original picture goes untouched.
6.) Time Management (Micro Level) – Getting Things Done
David Allen is the man when it comes to time management. While Randy’s speech above is more about the value of time. David is all about cleaning up the clutter that invades your space, headspace included. If you think you can remember details post kids the same way you could in your no-kid period you’re wrong. I totally forgot my debit card pin number last week after using it three years every day. Write every date, every idea and every task down. Free up that valuable space in your brain that you’ll need for kid songs. Here’s a video of David getting into it a bit. The books delve much deeper.
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