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Several Valuable Habits Of Highly Effective Single Working Mums

12th May, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Whilst Stephen Covey may have outlined seven habits of effective people, especially from a business perspective, specific coaching for women can help us interpret these seven habits for single mums – mums who are able to overcome significant obstacles and become highly effective in their day-to-day living.

Some of these habits overlap or could be reinterpreted in a different fashion, but these principles should be adopted as soon as possible if you are new to being a single mum, or beginning to feel harried beyond belief.

Habit one – Master the clock.

We all have the same amount of time in a given day, but how we use it dictates how we will feel after the sun goes down. Will we have been productive and feel good about ourselves, or will we feel as if we have been bouncing back and forth with little to show for our efforts?

Those who are very effective and fall into the first category are time masters and have set out everything they need to achieve in a given day. By taking baby steps and not looking too far ahead of yourself if you have a busy schedule, you can avoid the feeling that everything is so daunting and not compromise your chances.

Layout everything that you need to do on a sheet of paper, categorised according to hourly, daily, weekly or monthly activities and start to bring it all together. Have you ever considered professional coaching to help you control your time?

Habit two – Be habitual.

You really must get into the habit if your highly effective timetable is going to work. You may have to set up some triggers to start off with and have some fundamental goal posts to aim for as you go through each day, but through a process of repetition you will find that you get those more mundane yet necessary tasks achieved this way.

If you stick to your timetable and become used to doing these tasks, you will be able to achieve them in far less time and have lots of personal space available to you at the end of the day.

Habit number three – Set up voicemail.

Distractions are the enemy, unfortunately, even though we would wish to catch up on the latest gossip with a neighbour.

The most effective businessmen or women do not allow themselves to be distracted by random phone calls and while you may not be able to employ the services of a personal secretary, you should ensure that you maintain your focus and don’t let your guard down to the temptations!

Habit number four – Plan for your rainy day.

Those rainy days will come of course and family issues may overtake what you had planned. Above all else, ensure that your personal days at work are reserved only for emergencies. If at all possible, see if your schedule will allow you to catch up from time to time by working an evening per week or even on Saturday mornings, so when the inevitable issue with the kids at school comes up it will not be a major concern for everyone.

While these rainy days may certainly throw your clock mastery out of sync, the highly effective single mum has planned in advance as best she can.

Habit five – It’s all about me.

No amount of efficiency and dedication to what you have to do for your family and your work will count if you do not allow time for personal re-invigoration.

From time to time you will need to delegate so that you can get away from it all and recharge, able to get back to work refreshed and ready for action.

Habit six – Be fit.

Health is everything, for you and your family. Never be tempted to sleep in for an extra 15 minutes at the expense of your daily walk on the treadmill. This absolutely must be at the top of the list of priorities and if you don’t do this, over a period of time efficiency will suffer and you will not be able to be as effective as you might otherwise have been.

Habit number seven – Scratch a back.

If you are smart, you will realise that while you may be able to manage as a single mum most of the time, there will be times when you must call in for help. If you have a network of friends, good acquaintances and other family members you can turn to, you should invest a little in this support group by planning time within your schedule to help them out first. Covey talked about a “win-win” situation when he was outlining his seven habits and this is what you are doing here. By donating your time or other resources to help one of your contacts, you will have kept your side of the win-win bargain.

There can certainly be a lot to it, but you shouldn’t despair. These days, online life coaching can help you drill even further into those seven habits and come up with your action plan for the future.

Amanda Alexander is Director of Coaching Mums and a highly acclaimed ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums who yearn for success, balance and fulfilment. Are you a juggling mom? Download our free eBook for working moms that will give you 5 simple and instant ways to balance your life right now!