You can scoff at the idea all you want but on nights that seemed never ending, I have silently thanked the stars for my education and work experience. Experience is a great teacher and even more so when you realize that experience from different aspects of your life is interchangeable. Before I had my daughter, I was working in a corporate sales environment and clocking 14-16 hours of work everyday.
When I was pursuing my MBA, I was averaging about 4-5 hours of sleep everyday. Sleep debt aside, it is the lack of sleep on a daily basis that really gets to you until you decide to train your mind to survive with whatever little chance you have at it. Motherhood without the proverbial "village" to help out, was a totally different ballgame. However, I soon realized that my past experiences had prepared me to deal with whatever was thrown my way in the coming months. Read on to find out how.
1. Every day, Every minute counts
During our MBA days, every minute counted and as much as the course was about learning new things every day, it was also about time management. Every task had to be done like clockwork and if you missed a beat, that just meant added hours of work and less time to sleep. After I had my daughter and we were both adjusting to each other and the new schedules, time management was the only thing that helped us get through every day. It helps to be able to prioritize things quickly and take decisions on the go. You have to be flexible, be able to prioritize and adapt those decisions based on the circumstances.
Imagine 50 odd people, all deprived of sleep, all of them snoozing their alarms and all of them in dire need of a shower 15 minutes before class time. You do the math - 5 minutes showers become as much a luxury as a necessity. When you are a mom, it is pretty much the same thing except that you would probably be trying to bathe and dress a screaming, yelling little being that you brought into this world for about 30 minutes before that. Luxury, Necessity - You get the point.
This one comes with a lot of training and while MBA taught me how to get along with 5 hours of sleep, it also taught me how to make up for the lack of sleep by taking 10 minute naps throughout the day, in between classes, in between project work and in between working on assignments. I still use that technique on days, I am working late on the blog or completing certifications late at night. I will take a 10 minute nap next day which re-energizes me to carry on for the rest of the day.
While these are pretty much a thing of the past now, our daughter has been colic for a large part of her life. She is still trying to outgrow it but in her first year, every other night was a sleepless night. Those nights were times that would have come as a shock to me if I had not been used to having all nighters preparing for exams or completing assignments during my MBA.
5. Perseverance is thy second name
In Simple Words - Giving up is not a choice and it shouldn't be. Much like cold calling to sell your product, I feel like I have been cold calling my daughter all this while. I have to find new ways to get through to her every day and make a point. When they are learning new things and getting frustrated when they don't make progress, you could be easily frustrated as well. Perseverance is the only way you are going to make any progress.
6. Be prepared for the worst
As much as I hate to say it, there will be days you have to be prepared for the worst because it will happen. You cannot avoid it and whether you call it bad luck or bad timing, some times things don't go as we hoped they would. You have to always have a plan B and always be ready with a contingency plan. Imagine working on a presentation all day only for the hard drive to crash at the end of the day.
The more responsibilities you have, the more you are going to be able to do this. Believe me, never underestimate the power of Hoot Suite or a 4 Burner Cook Top. Use anything that will help you do more than one thing at once. Use any tools that will help you schedule things in advance and
ask for help to get things done on time. Remember what I told you about every minute counts!
8. Getting your priorities straight
9. Planning is Everything
Planners come in handy because a lack of sleep and a good memory don't really mix well together. Be it travel or your work, make sure that you have a schedule in place. Checklists will come in handy and so will Editorial/Scheduling Calendars. Anything that helps you pick up immediately from where you left off is going to be a great resource.
10. but also... Execution is Everything
Again, I can't stress it enough - You will need all your time management and multitasking skills to pull your act together and keep at it every single day. Basically, Repeat 1 to 9.
