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 number one – Master the clock.
There are only a certain number of hours in a given day, but how we use them dictates how we really feel when all is said and done. 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. Now may be the time to consider professional coaching to help you master this.
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 three – Set up your voice-mail.
It is easy enough to set everything down to enjoy the latest gossip with the neighbour, but distractions are definitely your enemy.
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. Look after your personal days at work and only use them for emergency purposes. 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.
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 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.
There is a time for delegation, to get away from it all to recharge your batteries, so you can come back refreshed and be able to take it all on again.
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. Hopefully you will have a good network of acquaintances, friends and other family members and should nurture this support group by putting time into your schedule to help them out in advance. Stephen Covey talked about how each party must “win” and this is what you’re investing in 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. In this day and age, online life coaching can help you look even further into the seven habits and to prepare your action plan for your successful life ahead.
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!