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.
Just dump everything out onto paper, all the tasks that you need to achieve on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis and marshal all this information together. Have you ever considered professional coaching to help you control your time?
Habit number two – Be habitual.
You really must get into the habit if your highly effective timetable is going to work. When you start out you will probably have to initiate some triggers and have to set a goalpost to aim for as you progress, but through repetition you will achieve these mundane but necessary tasks and get them out of the way.
You’ll also find that as you stick to your timetable you become more used to these tasks; you will achieve them in less time and free up a bit more personal space at the end of each 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.
You may not have the luxury of a personal secretary to answer your random phone calls and the most effective businessmen or women do not become distracted, so you must maintain your focus and don’t be tempted.
Habit number four – Plan for your rainy day.
You know that rainy days will come and that family issues will sometimes trump what is going on at work. Above all else, ensure that your personal days at work are reserved only for emergencies. See if your schedule at work will allow you to play catch-up here or there, maybe working Saturday mornings or one evening per week, so that the inevitable issue at school for the kids can be addressed without it becoming a major concern.
Rainy days may certainly make it more difficult for you to master the clock, but the highly effective single mum has planned as much in advance as possible.
Habit number five – 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 number six – Be fit.
The most important thing in life for you and your family is health. Never be tempted to sleep in for an extra 15 minutes at the expense of your daily walk on the treadmill. This should be an A-list priority and if you do not make it so, over a period of time your efficiency will suffer and your ability to be highly effective, will be compromised.
Habit number seven – Scratch a back.
You might well be able to manage as a single mum for the majority of the time, but if you are forward thinking you know that there will be times when you need 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, Director of Coaching Mums, helps pressure-cooked, stressed working mums who long for more hours in the day. Through her coaching programmes and online life coaching courses, Amanda shows mums how to create fulfilling and successful lives. For your simple 5 step guide to balance as a working mum, download our free eBook today!
Tags: business, coaching, family, parenting, work-life balance
