Seems like a weird question to ask right? Who would enjoy being a workaholic mom? If you think about it though, either we continue to work all the time because we enjoy it or we’re insane. Isn’t the definition of insanity to repeatedly do the same thing over again and expect a different result?

Do you constantly work all the time thinking that eventually you’ll be done with your to-do list?

How’s that working out for you?

Productivity and time management experts have been teaching us for years how to manage our days so that we get more done and check all the boxes on our to-do list. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you will never finish your to-do list. And the fact that you keep trying to is literally driving you crazy.

The most productive, successful people in the world never finish a to-do list. They don’t even try to. They prioritize what’s more important and they commit to finishing those things. And for the rest, well if it happens, great…And if it doesn’t, well that’s fine too.

The key to the success of these highly influential people is they know what’s important and they focus on that first. They have non-negotiables they commit to every day. That could be family, work (and by work I mean income-producing activities, not checking email), or community engagement or volunteer work. Whatever it is, they do those things first and get to the rest if they can.

We, meaning women, are the worst about this. We prioritize everybody else before ourselves. We get the kids stuff ready for school the night before, but don’t do the same for us. The kids have a bedtime, but we stay up all hours of the night. We prepare dinner for the family but don’t actually eat ourselves until after everyone else is taken care of and in bed. We start our workday by checking email, responding to everyone else’s priorities and ignoring our own. We don’t work out because we don’t have time, but yet we never miss an episode of Insecure.

Am I making sense here?

Before you can feel productive and less overwhelmed, you have to first know what your priorities are. What is important to you?

I say start with 3 categories in your life that are absolutely non-negotiables for you. Do this now….

Write down your 3 non-negotiable categories and then pick one thing to accomplish each day in that category. Now there may be a ton of things on your list within each category you just defined, but I want you to pick the highest mileage activity. The one thing that if you accomplished that today, you just might break out into your happy dance in a room full of people and feel like a badass boss mom.

Done? Great!  Show me your badass boss mom status and reply “hell yes!” and share at least one priority in the comments below.

Oh, to answer my question, I don’t think you enjoy being a workaholic, but hey, I’ve been wrong before….

Talk soon,