These tips go beyond the typical strategies of time blockings, SMART goals and get a planner.
One night, after Logan had finally fallen asleep, I sobbed into my husband’s chest.
“This is so hard!” I choked out. “I don’t sleep anymore. Logan only stays asleep 45 minutes at a time. I can’t get him to latch properly. How am I supposed to run a business when I can barely keep my eyes open?”
All my husband could do was hold me tight – until the baby monitor crackled with Logan’s cries three minutes later.
I was exhausted, frazzled, and overwhelmed. As a mom entrepreneur, the chaos of balancing diapers and deadlines was taking its toll, and the endless cycle felt suffocating: wake every hour for feeds, attempt to work between naps, question if entrepreneurship was even possible anymore.
Desperate for answers about how to get time back in my business, I turned to Google. Hours of searching left me slumped at my computer, staring at the same generic productivity advice: “Use a planner! Time-block your day! Create SMART goals!”
I almost laughed. When was the last time a toddler respected a “time block”?
That’s when I realized: we need a new approach to time management – one that actually works for mom entrepreneurs in the beautiful chaos of our real lives.
In this blog post, as a productivity and time coach for mom entrepreneurs, I will be covering 3 time management tips for mom entrepreneurs that actually help you get time back in your business while embracing the reality of mom life.
Tip #1: Embrace Your New Reality
Let’s be honest – being a mom entrepreneur with little ones means juggling two full-time jobs simultaneously. Your days look nothing like they used to, whether you’re coming from a 9-5 background or your pre-kids business life. Yet sometimes we resist accepting that our time and energy capacity has shifted. We convince ourselves we’ll have “a full day” to work on our business, only to end up with scattered moments during naptime. We plan around school hours, then a sick child derails our entire week.
Here’s the truth: accepting this new reality is your first step forward to getting time back in your business. The second is giving yourself grace for where you are right now. And the third? Remembering this is just a season. Your current juggle isn’t your forever reality – it’s your right now reality.
Tip #2: Master Your Inner World to Master Your Time
How you think and feel shapes everything – your actions, your productivity, and ultimately, your results. Picture this: You’re deep in work when your daughter interrupts you. You snap in frustration, then spend the next hour battling guilt. Both emotions – the anger and the guilt – end up derailing your productive time completely.
Taking notice of these thoughts and feelings is your first step toward regaining control and getting time back in your day. When you feel good, you naturally manage time better. You problem-solve more creatively. You bounce back from interruptions more easily. Even the perfect schedule becomes useless if you’re wrestling with negative emotions underneath.
Here’s what helps:
- Pause and acknowledge your feelings without judgment
- Remember both you and your child are doing your best
- Focus on solutions rather than dwelling in guilt
- Practice self-compassion during challenging moments
Tip #3: Align Your Strategies with Your Reality
While managing your inner world is crucial, you need practical action steps that work with your life, not against it, if you want to get time back. Think of it like building a house – your mindset is the foundation, but you still need the right tools to construct the walls.
Start by honestly assessing your available time. When you have limited hours, every minute counts. Ask yourself:
- What are the essential tasks that will truly move your business forward?
- Which projects can wait until you have more bandwidth?
- What needs to be a firm “no” for this season?
Here’s the surprising truth: Going deeper on fewer, strategic priorities often moves your business further than trying to do it all. It’s not about working more hours – it’s about making your limited hours count.
Remember: The best time management strategy is one you’ll actually use. Choose systems that flex with your family life, not rigid approaches that set you up for frustration.
Final Thoughts for Mom Entrepreneurs
You don’t have to transform your entire schedule overnight. As a productivity and time coach, I’ve seen how small changes can help mom entrepreneurs get time back in their business. Start with one simple step: pause and acknowledge your current reality. Notice how you’re feeling about your time, your business, and this beautiful chaos of mom entrepreneurship.
Remember, you’re not failing because your toddler crashed your Zoom call or your carefully planned work session turned into a sick-kid cuddle day. You’re living in the real world of mom entrepreneurship – where success looks different than the standard productivity advice would have you believe.
Take a deep breath. Give yourself grace. Then choose one small strategy that feels doable right now to get time back. Maybe it’s identifying your most essential business task for this week. Or perhaps it’s simply accepting that this season requires a different approach.
You’ve got this, mama. One step, one day, one nap time at a time.
Next Steps in Your Time Management Journey
Ready to discover strategies that actually work for your unique situation?
Take the Biz Mom Time-Hacking Superpower Quiz!
This isn’t just another generic productivity assessment – it’s specifically designed for growing business moms like you who want to stay focused, get more done, and keep building momentum without burning out. Find out your unique time-hacking superpower and get personalized strategies that work with your real life, not against it.
