Getting It All Done

by Teresa Fackrell

As you look at each week, you may feel overwhelmed with so many things to get done. As a rodeo mom, you have daily mom duties but you also have to make sure that your chores are done daily and you get your kids to practice. This week for example, not only do I have to work a normal work schedule but we leave on Thursday for a High School Rodeo that is all day Friday and Saturday.

In addition to working, I need to get the all the laundry done, go to the grocery store, pack the trailer and get my daughter to practice on Monday and Wednesday and be ready to leave Thursday as soon as I get home from work. Here are some tips to help get you through it and get motivated to do more.

First, congratulate yourself. Women are amazing. We are great at multi-tasking. Although I may be stressed about it today, by Thursday when I leave I know I will have everything ready and we will have a great weekend at the rodeo.

Second, can I mention lists? The best way to get things done is to know exactly what you need to do. So today before I leave work, I will make a list of all the things that need to happen by Thursday. Also when, I clean and go through the trailer we are staying in, I will make a list of things that need to be bought before we go. You should also prioritize the list. There is always too much to do. So make sure you only do what is important. There is always a great sense of accomplishment when you get mark things off of the list.

Third, put your priorities on a schedule. Most people waste a lot of time because things are not scheduled. If you break your tasks up into manageable pieces of time, you will get a lot more done. Also, you need to learn to set time limits for things. For example, tonight we only have 2 hours for practice because we need to get home and start cleaning the trailer. So only practice for 2 hours. It is way easy to let things go beyond schedule but if you stick to it, I promise you will get more done.

Fourth, reward yourself. One of my favorite rewards is to do absolutely nothing Sunday morning when we get home from a rodeo. Really. I make some coffee in the morning, grab a blanket and watch HGTV for a couple of hours. Yes I don’t watch anything horse related. Or I pop in a movie usually a chick flick. Then when I have chilled for a little while I will get my children back to work, clean the trailer and deal with everything else left over after a rodeo weekend.