Start Multi-Tasking! Challenge Yourself and Win

One of my favorite quotes is from Lucille Ball. She said “If you want something done ask a busy person to do it. The more you do the more you can do”. Moms are natural doers. But do we recognize this as a skill? I often refer to myself as a slash. Mom/executive/ wife/housekeeper/accountant/personal shopper and the list goes on. A prerequisite to motherhood should be multi-tasking because it comes with the job. Many moms have mastered it while others have multiple meltdowns because of overwhelming demands. Mastering multi-tasking can take a little time but we all get there. A Clean Start can be just the thing you need to get back on task.

My finalist buddy Zakiyyah Clark Johnson has multi-tasked her way to multiple victories during the 2010 Clean Start Challenge and in her quest to lose weight and fit into her wedding dress before her June nuptials. Not only has she dropped a dress size and 12 pounds in 6 weeks, she has dropped a few bad habits as well.

I stressed to Zakiyyah that the path to achieving her goals is not just about working harder it's about working smarter. She has wisely taken many of her normal activities and stepped them up. Literally she is taking more steps everyday. She wears a pedometer daily to count her steps. This is a great way to ensure that you are not sedentary and to push yourself to increase the amount of walking you do daily. She has picked up the pace while doing household chores and she is making healthier food choices from cutting back on Pepsi to cooking nutritious meals.

You'll enjoy watching her progress here.

Her biggest task and yours is believing that you are capable of achieving your dreams and goals. I am so proud of Zakiyyah because she has a renewed belief in herself and has re-discovered her potential. You can multi-task while on line and give Zakiyyah your vote. You can also get in on the fun. Vote for Zakiyyah and enter to win $1000.  I can think of a lot of things to do with $1000!

Mastering multi-tasking can take multiple tries but you can do it. Here are a few tips to help MOMS:

Make a list. You may be thinking the last thing I need is one more thing to do. However, this is the most important. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Writing down what you need to do will help you focus and to stay on task.

Organize. You've now got a list but you need to ensure that you prioritize what needs to get done on the list. This will help you to organize your thoughts and to stop you from feeling overwhelmed.

Manage expectations. Set clear goals for yourself on what you want the desired outcome to be. Often times it's not getting it all done, it's get the right things done. It may be cleaning your home, finishing a work project or getting some quality time in with the kids. Identifying what you feel success looks like for the day will help you manage your expectations and prevent you from feeling let down if you don't check everything off your list.

Spontaneity. Moms know about the best laid plans. They sometimes go straight into the diaper pail. Be flexible enough to adapt your plans for the good or bad that may come your way throughout the day.

Do you have tips on multi-tasking? You can chat with Zakiyyah and other moms about this in the Clean Start Challenge community.