Being a mom is no easy task. With the daily grind of motherhood, it can be hard to find time to focus on oneself.
However, success doesn’t have to take hours and hours of hard work. In fact, with just a few quick-win tasks, you can have a sense of accomplishment in less than an hour.
Whether you’re looking to get a few things done around the house, have a much-needed break, or just want to feel productive, there are many ways to achieve success in 60 minutes or less.
Quick-win tasks can help moms be more productive without using up a whole lot of time and energy. I’ll share what they are, other benefits, examples, and a 3-step process to creating your best quick tasks for optimum productivity.
What are quick wins?
A quick win is any task that you can achieve quickly, giving you a feeling of success and accomplishment.
Because it’s small, it’s easy to do and offers quick results. What busy mom wouldn’t want to get things done fast?
Moms are often overwhelmed with a never-ending list of tasks that can make it hard to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Quick-win tasks can help with this by improving productivity and providing a sense of progress.
These tasks are small and can be completed within a short period. They are usually easy and can be completed in under an hour.
Later in the post, I will give you 30 examples of things you can do today that are fast.
If you have a goal, you can break it up into small manageable tasks.
For example, you might have the goal of keeping your home clutter-free. This is a big goal considering it’s a process that takes a lot of time and effort. A home can have many rooms and spaces that can build clutter, so it can feel like a lot to tackle at once.
To achieve this goal, you can do tiny tasks that build up to this big goal. You can start by preparing a room-by-room declutter list for areas that build clutter quickly. That’s a quick-win task right there.
Another small win task can be to schedule family cleaning time during the week. The next can be 30 minutes of cleaning or disposing of items in a cluttered space every week.
With quick wins, you are creating habits that help you achieve your bigger goal.
This is a huge motivator that can boost your productivity. It is the simplest way to regularly feel a sense of accomplishment which is fair to say most moms want.
Keep it small and focused.
With each completed task, you build momentum, getting you closer to accomplishing your big goals.
How moms can benefit from quick wins
Moms are notorious for having a million commitments, tasks, and goals on their to-do lists. It can seem like there’s just not enough time in the day to get it all done.
If you are nodding your head right now, you can benefit significantly from quick win tasks. Let me tell you why it’s such a big deal.
Beyond the fact that you can accomplish something in a short period of time, there are other non-tangible benefits like patience and awareness.
With each task you complete, you are coming to the realization that yes, an overwhelmed mom that feels that she’s failing, can make progress and be successful.
Another valuable benefit is that you will get better at managing your time. You will learn to make better decisions on what tasks to prioritize.
It is like with anything that you do if you stick with it, is that you just get better at it.
Confidence is another important benefit to small wins. Sure, achieving a huge goal is a big confidence booster but so is accomplishing multiple tasks over time. Give yourself credit where it’s deserved.
For most moms, life is a constant balancing act between work, family, and home. It can be easy to feel discouraged when we don’t get everything on our never-ending to-do list.
Quick wins are attainable and will motivate you to progress.
How to create your best quick win tasks
I will be giving you a short list of 30 tasks for ideas but it’s best if you create your own.
Download my Quick-Wins Task Creation Worksheets here to create your own small but impactful quick-win tasks.
*If you don’t want to take the time to go through the 3 steps, you can use the 30 quick win examples to get started. You can always do the 3-steps at a later time.
1.Write down your top goals
Think about a goal that’s been on your mind for a while but too scared to get started. Write as many goals as you want but I recommend starting with no more than three. Feeling overwhelmed? Start with one goal.
2.Assess your daily routine
Evaluate your day-to-day routine. The download includes Current and Ideal routine worksheets for the morning, afternoon, and evening.
Fill in the information provided. Ask yourself these questions: Are there any obstacles in the way? What can be improved?
Knowing what barriers are holding you back, you can create a better routine.
After this step, you can now establish your Ideal routine. This is what your best routine looks like to you.
Tip: When creating a routine that works for you – Be flexible. Include pockets of time in your schedule to accommodate for changes and self-care. Changes are inevitable, make sure there is flexibility.
3.Narrow down tasks using the Priority Matrix
Using the priority matrix worksheet provided will help you figure out which tasks matter the most (urgent and important).
After finishing these three steps, you will have a strong grasp of what tasks or projects matter most to you. From here, you can now begin breaking down your goals into small, quick-win action steps.
More key tips for success...
- Don’t spin your wheels. This exercise shouldn’t take more than an hour to do. If it takes longer, you are overthinking it or maybe even procrastinating. Stick to the steps and set a timer if you need to. Make it go faster and get your spouse to help with the exercise.
- Keep quick win tasks under an hour. Less is better as you’re just starting this new but amazing habit.
- Dream big but start with setting realistic goals to make sure they are attainable.
- Focus on achievable tasks that will motivate and inspire you while also providing a sense of accomplishment after completion.
- Refer to your worksheets and reevaluate tasks based on time, effort, and impact.
- Don’t forget to celebrate your wins. Celebrate even five minutes of cleaning. Treat yourself to a few minutes of alone time or a healthy snack or tea.
30 quick win task ideas
As a mom, it can be a challenge to really focus on what matters when you feel you have to do everything.
Trying to do it all isn’t being successful, it’s spinning your wheels and blocking progress.
That’s why it’s important to prioritize and break down big projects and goals into smaller chunks to maximize your chance of success.
You don’t have to devote hours and hours to make progress and to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Quick wins aren’t a one-size-fits-all approach to increasing productivity. You’ll have to figure out what works best for you and your circumstances by using the worksheets I’ve provided.
It may take some time to get used to, but it can be incredibly empowering when you look back on how much you’ve achieved.
Give it a try and see how much you can get done in less than an hour!
Hi, I’m Melanie. I’m the woman behind Mommy Life Strategies. Here you will discover ways to manage your time more efficiently, how to create positive daily habits that stick, mindset exercises that energize, and health & wellness tips that work even for the busiest moms.