Today’s post is all about using my brain dump system to help you get caught up when you find yourself in the weeds. Life happens, time management is hard when traveling, kids get sick, and we get tired. That doesn’t mean we have to derail for months. Come learn how to catch back up when you’re overwhelmed as a work from home mom using a brain dump!

Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast

Today I’m going to teach you how to take the brain dump that I teach in this post to help you get caught up when life happens. Even for a person like me that has systems going 24/7 it’s unrealistic to think you can systemize your entire life to the point that nothing ever falls out of line.

So for these moments when kids are sick or you plan a vacation, I’m going to teach you how to use a brain dump to specifically help you get through the overwhelm and out of the weeds.

MAKE TWO LISTS

So we just went on a spontaneous camping trip. It was so good and much needed as I just finished up a huge work project. But when we got back there was so much that needed to be done in my business for that week and to be prepped for the next.

I had a lot of catching up to do so I sat down and wrote out everything that needed to be done. When I’m caught in severe backlog I make two brain dump lists, one for my home and one for my business.

My brain dumping system requires you to prioritize with one’s twos and threes so that you know which ones to focus on first. That is definitely something you’re going to want to do. Really make sure to go over the post I have on how to do a brain dump if this is new to you. I walk you through this and teach you how to prioritize your tasks.

Utilizing the Communication Board a.k.a the Command Center

Once I have my home list I write it out on our communication board. This is basically a dry erase board kept in a common area in our home. I hope you have a communication board in your home. If you don’t and want to learn more about this awesome communication system you need to check out this post.

Writing my list on the communication board is extremely strategic. This is so other people can help me. They can see what needs to be done and what mom is working so frivolously on. So, if they ever say they’re bored or if they ever sit down and think they’re going to kick their feet up and watch TV, they know there is work to be done. I am not afraid to ask for help friends.

It’s also for me if I ever think I have a moment to sit down, I can remind myself of what needs to be done. This is a week to do massive catch up so next week does not have to be so stressful. I see this list every single time I’m in the kitchen. We all know when we have small children we are in and out of the kitchen A LOT.

HOW I GET IT DONE AT HOME

But how do we make sure that the stuff actually gets done? So typically whenever you are going to be in this situation you’re most likely going to be tired. You came off of maybe a holiday weekend or you went on vacation or whatever took you out of your routine left you exhausted.

So what I’m saying is you give yourself a day or two if you need to recover. I gave myself one day after camping to get the car cleaned out, stuff put away, and to hang out on the couch. Then I got to work and relied heavily on my time blocks. If you don’t have your time blocks set up it’s really important you do. I have a free workbook to help you do this.

So typically my AM block is when I’m interacting and being very intentional with my kids. But when I’m trying to really utilize my time to hammer out some serious serious work I use that entire AM block for cleaning.

I tell my kids and communicate with them that they can come help me clean or go play, making the boundaries super clear. I don’t feel bad about this because I know if I get this cleaning done I will be a better mom to them next week. It’s also helpful to communicate where I am at with my husband Blaine.

“Life happens, time management is hard when traveling, kids get sick, and we get tired. That doesn’t mean we have to derail for months….catch back up when you’re overwhelmed as a work from home mom using a brain dump!”

HOW I GET IT DONE IN BUSINESS

When it came to my work block for my business all I did was operate off that brain dump. I did my ones, twos, and threes, took that week and nixed my nighttime routine and dedicated that to my business. I did this knowing it was a catch-up week and the following week I would be back at my workflow.

There is no way I can work ahead of the game when I am so far behind. That’s why I’m telling you if you’ve gotten to a place where you’re out of rhythm, brain dump the living life out of your brain and get it all out.

Really carve out some time for your business and get in there and get it done. Be creative, include your kids, and communicate with your husband.

Give yourself grace. It’s not always going to be a perfect day or week, or maybe two weeks. What becomes an issue is if you’re constantly running your home and business in backlog, in overwhelm and frustration, right?

ADD SYSTEMS

If you want to take this to the next level, need help in your motherhood to truly conquer this monstrosity of a dream you feel like you can’t really get your fingers on, you have to come find out more details on the Systemize Your Life Academy.

Systems will change everything for you. I am a woman in the thick of it just like you. I’m in motherhood with young children, I want to do my best in my marriage, my house…while running a successful business. I can say I am doing it because of systems.

You can also use our free Facebook community to get support. It is such an amazing place to ask questions. Our team is in there all the time. Thanks for hanging out with me and I hope to see you over there!

Frequently Asked Questions

Still feeling overwhelmed or not in the know?

Definitely check out my past blogpost with all the intel on how to use a brain dump and what’s needed to make one! When you don’t have a lot of time and a million things to do, it can be so helpful to write out a brain dump to discover your priorities. If you need extra help on that too, I have a free fundamental needs workbook that can help you figure out what those are! And as always, come join our (free too!) Systemize Your Life Facebook group with any questions!