March 13, 2025 • 24 mins
In part 2 of this special 8-episode Balanced Madrehood Series, I'm getting real about why modern Latina moms feel like they're drowning in to-do's while never accomplishing enough.
I open up about my own breaking point last October when I had my first-ever panic attack while juggling two toddlers, my business, and a part-time job. That moment forced me to completely rethink how I use my time, and in this episode, I'm sharing the exact strategies that helped me reclaim my days and my sanity.
For detailed show notes, visit vivalamami.com/episode115
In This Episode, You'll Hear:
- Why our attempts to meet our mothers' and abuelas' standards of perfect homes and homemade meals don't work in our modern lives
- How saying "yes" to everything (from family functions to school volunteering) is stealing precious hours you'll never get back
- The truth about why you're exhausted even when you can't point to what you accomplished (hint: it's the invisible mental load)
- A simple 3-question framework that makes saying "no" so much easier
- The practical time-blocking strategy that's been a game-changer for me and the mamas I coach
Resources Mentioned:
- Episode 95: Navigating the Realities of Madrehood: A Raw and Honest Reflection
- Join the waitlist for my Balanced Madrehood coaching program: vivalamami.com/balanced-madrehood
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jessica (00:00):
Hola, hola amiga.
(00:01):
Today we're continuing our eightepisode special series on
creating a more balancedmotherhood experience for all of
y'all.
If you've ever found yourself atthe end of the day wondering,
where did all my time go?
Well, this episode is especiallyfor you because today we're
(00:22):
diving into one of the biggestchallenges many of us mamas
face, and that is timemanagement Or what often feels
like the complete lack of it.
As mamas juggling careers,family responsibilities,
relationships, and hopefully alittle time for ourselves, we're
(00:44):
all familiar with that feelingof being constantly busy, yet
somehow never quite getting tothe things that matter most to
us.
the day flies by in a blurleaving us exhausted by often
wondering what we actually didduring the day.
So, Amiga, we're going to talkabout reclaiming our time,
(01:07):
identifying what's reallystealing our hours and creating
practical strategies to takeback control of our days.
So grab your cafecito, find aquiet moment if you can, and
let's dive in.
(02:26):
So I've shared this before in aprevious episode, which I'll
link in the show notes.
But I literally broke down it.
In October, last fall, and thereason why is because my life
felt so chaotic.
I was so overwhelmed.
(02:47):
I think that things literallypiled up at that time.
And this was when I literallyhad a panic attack.
I cannot even describe you, butall what I remember was having
difficulty breathing and Iliterally broke down and this
(03:07):
was something that I've neverever experienced in my life.
As a mom of two toddlers, as astay at home mom who also has
her own business.
So I'm a mompreneur and who isalso working part time as a
(03:27):
college counselor.
And in addition, it's just thelife demands of trying to keep
things in order.
I just couldn't take it anymore.
I felt that there just wasn'tenough time for me to do
everything and this was kind oflike my breaking point where I
(03:49):
had to literally figure out howto be a little bit more
strategic with my day andLetting things go as well as how
can I ask for help?
So that day when I, when thathappened, obviously with the
(04:13):
help of my husband, Alex, webasically sat down and he was
like, what can I do?
How can I help?
I don't want to see you thatway.
And I realized I needed toreally understand where my time
was really going and takedecisive action to reclaim it.
(04:33):
The changes I've made since thenhaven't been easy, but they've
honestly transformed not just myschedule, but my entire
experience of motherhood as wellas my mental health.
Our time really matters and howmuch we put into it and so I'm
going to share with you twomindset shifts on how you can
(04:57):
reclaim your time, as well ascreating a framework for.
Figuring out how you arecommitting your time so that way
you can literally implement thistoday and that way you can start
having a more strategic approachwhen you are utilizing your
(05:17):
time.
And so what exactly is stealingyour time?
I call them time thieves or timevampires and those are sneaky
obligations habits andexpectations that literally rob
us of our precious hours withoutus even realizing it.
(05:37):
And so as modern women, asmodern mamás, we face universal
time challenges.
And these are the endlesshousehold tasks, the mental load
of remembering everything foreveryone, the constant
interruptions that we have fromour biggest, but even our
(05:58):
partners, our family members,the unexpected things that often
happen on a day to day basis.
But as Latina moms, we oftencarry additional layers of time
pressure that can gounrecognized.
And this could be uninvitedguests that can come into the
house, for example.
(06:19):
So let's talk about some of themost common time vampires that I
see affecting moms in ourcommunity.
So how many times have youpicked up your phone to check
one thing only to then take up30 minutes later wondering what
just happened and I get it.
(06:39):
There's a bunch of digitaldestructions We have social
media We have different familychats we essentially go into
this rabbit hole of onlineshopping when you didn't even
Plan on doing that and so weconsume so many hours of our day
in small Increments we barelynotice Did you know that the
(07:02):
average person checks theirphones 96 times a day?
That's once every 10 minutes,which is wild.
And I get it.
I'm guilty to say that I amthere too even more shocking
each time we're interrupted, ittakes an average of 23 minutes
to get back to the task at hand.
(07:24):
So no wonder we feel like wenever get anything done.
And we.
Feel like we never have enoughtime.
And so many of us grew upwatching our mamas somehow
managed to keep their homesreally limpias, right?
And prepare all of thesehomemade meals, like traditional
(07:44):
meals and attend to everyone'sneeds but now we're trying to
meet.
Those same standards while alsobuilding our own careers,
navigating a more complexparenting landscape and
attempting to have self care andreally Focus on our personal
lives.
(08:04):
But the reality, those standardswere challenging even then, and
they're nearly impossible now.
Yet we lose countless hourstrying to achieve a level of
perfectionism that reallydoesn't align with our modern
lives too.
And so This is what I call theimpossible standards where.
(08:25):
We cannot get to that specificstandard anymore we are in a
different world in a differentgeneration and even though it's
hard to compare when we'retrying to do it all, we need to
reflect on how does this alignwith your values?
How does this align with yourcurrent season of life and with
(08:45):
your modern life in general?
We often have gotten this sayingor this comment, If you want
something done right, do ityourself.
Does that sound familiar?
I know for me it does.
And so many of us struggle todelegate tasks to our partners,
even our kids it doesn't matterif they're as little as two
(09:07):
years old or other peoplebecause we've internalized the
belief that it's ourresponsibility to handle
everything or that no one elsewill do it correctly or
perfectly or the way that I doit or the way that I want it to
get done.
And so this perfectionism isn'tonly exhausting.
(09:28):
it's a major time thief that'skeeping us trapped in patterns
of overwork and burnout.
if you don't have the ability todelegate.
It's really gonna hurt you.
And this is something that Ireally want you to break
yourself from.
That you cannot do it all.
You can always delegate.
(09:49):
You can always ask for help.
How often do you say yes tothings you don't actually have
time for?
And this is something that I amstill working on.
I Tend to over commit to a lotof things.
I am a yes person and I thinkFor a lot of us.
This was something that has beenso ingrained in us because
(10:12):
almost have to just prove to theworld that we are hard working
individuals that We can alwaysshow up that we are always these
caring individuals that nomatter what we're always going
to be there.
But whether if it's volunteeringat school, attending every
(10:34):
single family function, ortaking on extra work projects,
many of us struggle to setboundaries around our time
because we feel guilty sayingno.
Or we feel like if saying no,sangronas, and it's like, no,
it's okay to say no.
(10:54):
So this yes reflex often stemsfrom a genuine desire to be
helpful and present for thepeople we care about.
But when we automatically sayyes without considering the
impact on our time and wellbeing, we end up overextended
and resentful.
And as I was preparing thisepisode, I literally had to
(11:17):
admit.
This isn't just for you, it'sfor me as well.
this one time thief that I hadlisted here, it's a reminder to
myself that I need to holdmyself accountable and reminding
myself how, Saying yes is goingto impact not only me, but also
(11:40):
my family.
Beyond these visible timethieves, there's another factor
that's harder to see, but justas draining, and that is the
mental load.
The mental load refers to theinvisible work of managing a
household and family life.
(12:01):
And that is the planning, theorganizing, the remembering, and
the coordinating that reallykeeps everything running,
especially in our brains.
It's not just doing the tasks,like the physical, tangible
things, it's being the one whoremembers It's keeping track of
(12:22):
doctor's appointments andpermission slips.
It's remembering your tia'sbirthday and organizing the
gift.
It's noticing when supplies arerunning low and adding them to
the shopping list.
It's anticipating everyone'sneeds before they even realize
they have them.
And so studies show that women,regardless of whether they work
(12:45):
outside the home or they'reworking inside the home, They
carry the majority of thismental load and it is so
exhausting Not just because ofthe time it takes but because of
the mental energy it consumesWhen your brain is constantly
running through to do listsevery single day you're never
(13:08):
truly quote unquote off duty.
This state of constant mentalalertness takes a toll, not just
on your time, but on youroverall wellbeing.
And.
The solution isn't simplymanaging our time better, it's
reconsidering who carries theinvisible load and how we can
(13:29):
distribute it more equitably.
And this is something that Ihave been working with, with my
therapists because I have beenstruggling a lot in terms of who
gets to do what.
And even though my husband isvery, very supportive, he does a
lot of the visible labor.
(13:51):
Um, even if we have supportivepartners, husband specifically,
we still carry on that invisibleload.
And so now how do we essentiallywork together to create a more
balanced division of labor thatis both physically and mentally.
(14:11):
if you want to learn a littlebit more about that.
Please let me know I can createa whole other episode about that
and how I am working with myhusband So that way we can have
this more equitable approachwhen it comes to the mental load
in addition to the mental loadand the are we are bombarded
(14:46):
with images of super mama, whoseemingly balanced successful
careers, perfect homes, thrivingkids, and fulfilling personal
lives without breaking a sweat.
And let's face it.
we see it on social media Andsometimes even in our own
families and communities.
But here's the truth, no one isdoing it all.
(15:09):
Not the influencer with theseemingly perfect Instagram
feed, not your coworker whoappears to have everything
together, not even your own mamaor abuela, though they might
have made it look effortlessly.
Everyone is making choices andsacrifices.
Everyone is letting some thingsgo to prioritize others.
(15:31):
The difference is that somepeople are more honest about it
than others.
Okay.
So real time management isn'tabout cramming more into your
day.
It's about making intentionalchoices about how you spend your
limited time based on what trulymatters to you.
It's about accepting that youcan't do everything.
(15:55):
And that's not a failure.
It's simply being human.
So once we realize ourselvesfrom the pressure to do it all,
we can focus on doing whatmatters most and doing it well
también.
And so before we dive intopractical strategies, I want to
share two powerful mindsetshifts that transformed how I
(16:17):
approach time management.
So, the first one is your timeis valuable.
Treat it that way.
Many of us have been socializedto treat our time as less
valuable than others.
And we put everyone else's needsand schedules first, with
whatever scraps of time remain.
And when you value your owntime, you model healthy
(16:40):
boundaries for your big is, andyou show them your personal
wellbeing matters too.
The second mind shift thattransformed how I approach time
management is releasing the gripof perfectionism.
This was a big one for me.
So many of us lose hours of ourday trying to execute tasks
(17:02):
flawlessly.
Whether it's preparing a mealthat you want to hold that
standard by or making sure ourhomes are super limpia before
having visitors.
But as I mentioned earlier inthe episode, perfectionism is a
(17:24):
thief.
It steals not just our time, butour joy and satisfaction.
When we're striving forperfection, we're rarely present
in the moment we're focused onthis.
standard rather than the actualexperience.
And so embracing the good enoughisn't lowering your standards.
(17:44):
It's being realistic about whattruly matters to you.
Does it really matter if thelaundry is folded perfectly or
just that clean clothes areavailable?
Does the birthday cake need tobe homemade and Pinterest
worthy?
Or is what matters is thecelebration itself.
When you release perfectionism,you gain time.
(18:08):
And you also gain presence inyour life.
So now let's talk Practicaltools.
When you're faced with demandson your time, whether it's a new
commitment, an ongoingresponsibility, or even just how
you spend your day to day hours,I recommend running it through
this simple three questionframework.
(18:30):
Question number one, is thisaligned with my current
priorities and values?
And we all have limited time,which means we need to be
intentional about how we use it.
Before saying yes to something,ask yourself if it aligns with
what matters most to you in thecurrent season of life you're
in, Question number two, whatwill I need?
(18:51):
to give up to make time forthis.
Here's a reality we oftenforget.
When you say yes to one thing,you're automatically saying no
to something else.
There are only 24 hours in aday.
We all know that.
So before committing tosomething new Explicitly
consider what you'll need togive up.
(19:12):
Will it take time away from yourfamily, your sleep, your self
care, being clear about thesetrade offs Helps you make
decisions with your eyes openrather than over committing and
then feeling resentful later.
The third question is, will thismatter in a month, a year, five
years?
This question helps youdistinguish between what's
(19:34):
urgent and what's important.
We often get caught up in tasksthat feel pressing in the
moment, but don't actuallymatter in the long run.
So for instance, Immediatelyresponding to every non urgent
email might feel urgent, butwill it matter a month from now
that you took a few hours oreven a day to respond?
(19:56):
Probably not.
And so using this timeperspective can help you
allocate your limited hours towhat truly matters in the big
picture of your life.
So I want to give you onepowerful strategy you can
implement immediately to startreclaiming your time, and that
is time blocking.
(20:16):
Time blocking is simply thepractice of scheduling specific
blocks of time for differentactivities or types of tasks,
rather than just working from ato do list.
It's been a game changer for mepersonally, and many of the
mamas I've worked with throughBalanced Motherhood.
What I love about time blockingis that it makes you proactive
(20:39):
rather than reactive with yourtime.
Instead of just reopening towhatever demands come your way,
you're intentionally decidinghow to use your limited hours.
It also makes the invisible workvisible.
When you block time for mealplanning, school communication,
(21:01):
or family coordination, you'reacknowledging the real time
these tasks require.
It also helps your partner tohave a better understanding of
what they should do during thisgiven time that is blocked for
them as well.
So you both can work together onthis too.
And most importantly, timeblocking helps ensure that your
(21:23):
most important priorities,including yourself, Don't get
pushed to the bottom of thelist.
And so as we wrap up today'sepisode, I want to remind you
that reclaiming your time is notselfish.
Again, it is necessary when youtake control of your time,
you're able to show up morefully for the people and
(21:46):
activities that matter most.
to you.
The strategies we've discussedtoday, such as recognizing time
thieves, shifting your mindsetabout the value of your time,
evaluating commitments with athree question framework, and
implementing time blocking arejust the beginning of what's
possible when you decide to takeback control of your days.
(22:08):
In my balanced motherhoodcoaching program, we dive much
deeper into personalized timemanagement strategies,
addressing the cultural andfamily dynamics that often
complicate time boundaries forus Latina mamas, and creating
systems that work for yourunique life circumstances.
(22:28):
We work on not just managingtime, but distributing the
mental load more equitably.
And creating space for your owngoals and wellbeing.
If what I've discussed todayresonates with you, I invite you
to join our waitlist atVivaLaMami.
com forward slash balancedmotherhood.
(22:49):
That is balanced with a D at theend dash motherhood to be the
first to know when doors open,the program includes monthly
group coaching, one on onesupport, and a community of like
minded Latina moms whounderstand your unique
challenges.
Next week, we'll be talkingabout why self care isn't
(23:09):
selfish, and how to prioritizeyour well being without the mom
guilt.
Recuerda, your time is valuable,spend it in ways that reflect
that truth.
Right, amiga, well, thank you somuch for listening.
Hasta nos vemos on the nextepisode./
Hola, hola amiga.
(00:01):
Today we're continuing our eightepisode special series on
creating a more balancedmotherhood experience for all of
y'all.
If you've ever found yourself atthe end of the day wondering,
where did all my time go?
Well, this episode is especiallyfor you because today we're
(00:22):
diving into one of the biggestchallenges many of us mamas
face, and that is timemanagement Or what often feels
like the complete lack of it.
As mamas juggling careers,family responsibilities,
relationships, and hopefully alittle time for ourselves, we're
(00:44):
all familiar with that feelingof being constantly busy, yet
somehow never quite getting tothe things that matter most to
us.
the day flies by in a blurleaving us exhausted by often
wondering what we actually didduring the day.
So, Amiga, we're going to talkabout reclaiming our time,
(01:07):
identifying what's reallystealing our hours and creating
practical strategies to takeback control of our days.
So grab your cafecito, find aquiet moment if you can, and
let's dive in.
(02:26):
So I've shared this before in aprevious episode, which I'll
link in the show notes.
But I literally broke down it.
In October, last fall, and thereason why is because my life
felt so chaotic.
I was so overwhelmed.
(02:47):
I think that things literallypiled up at that time.
And this was when I literallyhad a panic attack.
I cannot even describe you, butall what I remember was having
difficulty breathing and Iliterally broke down and this
(03:07):
was something that I've neverever experienced in my life.
As a mom of two toddlers, as astay at home mom who also has
her own business.
So I'm a mompreneur and who isalso working part time as a
(03:27):
college counselor.
And in addition, it's just thelife demands of trying to keep
things in order.
I just couldn't take it anymore.
I felt that there just wasn'tenough time for me to do
everything and this was kind oflike my breaking point where I
(03:49):
had to literally figure out howto be a little bit more
strategic with my day andLetting things go as well as how
can I ask for help?
So that day when I, when thathappened, obviously with the
(04:13):
help of my husband, Alex, webasically sat down and he was
like, what can I do?
How can I help?
I don't want to see you thatway.
And I realized I needed toreally understand where my time
was really going and takedecisive action to reclaim it.
(04:33):
The changes I've made since thenhaven't been easy, but they've
honestly transformed not just myschedule, but my entire
experience of motherhood as wellas my mental health.
Our time really matters and howmuch we put into it and so I'm
going to share with you twomindset shifts on how you can
(04:57):
reclaim your time, as well ascreating a framework for.
Figuring out how you arecommitting your time so that way
you can literally implement thistoday and that way you can start
having a more strategic approachwhen you are utilizing your
(05:17):
time.
And so what exactly is stealingyour time?
I call them time thieves or timevampires and those are sneaky
obligations habits andexpectations that literally rob
us of our precious hours withoutus even realizing it.
(05:37):
And so as modern women, asmodern mamás, we face universal
time challenges.
And these are the endlesshousehold tasks, the mental load
of remembering everything foreveryone, the constant
interruptions that we have fromour biggest, but even our
(05:58):
partners, our family members,the unexpected things that often
happen on a day to day basis.
But as Latina moms, we oftencarry additional layers of time
pressure that can gounrecognized.
And this could be uninvitedguests that can come into the
house, for example.
(06:19):
So let's talk about some of themost common time vampires that I
see affecting moms in ourcommunity.
So how many times have youpicked up your phone to check
one thing only to then take up30 minutes later wondering what
just happened and I get it.
(06:39):
There's a bunch of digitaldestructions We have social
media We have different familychats we essentially go into
this rabbit hole of onlineshopping when you didn't even
Plan on doing that and so weconsume so many hours of our day
in small Increments we barelynotice Did you know that the
(07:02):
average person checks theirphones 96 times a day?
That's once every 10 minutes,which is wild.
And I get it.
I'm guilty to say that I amthere too even more shocking
each time we're interrupted, ittakes an average of 23 minutes
to get back to the task at hand.
(07:24):
So no wonder we feel like wenever get anything done.
And we.
Feel like we never have enoughtime.
And so many of us grew upwatching our mamas somehow
managed to keep their homesreally limpias, right?
And prepare all of thesehomemade meals, like traditional
(07:44):
meals and attend to everyone'sneeds but now we're trying to
meet.
Those same standards while alsobuilding our own careers,
navigating a more complexparenting landscape and
attempting to have self care andreally Focus on our personal
lives.
(08:04):
But the reality, those standardswere challenging even then, and
they're nearly impossible now.
Yet we lose countless hourstrying to achieve a level of
perfectionism that reallydoesn't align with our modern
lives too.
And so This is what I call theimpossible standards where.
(08:25):
We cannot get to that specificstandard anymore we are in a
different world in a differentgeneration and even though it's
hard to compare when we'retrying to do it all, we need to
reflect on how does this alignwith your values?
How does this align with yourcurrent season of life and with
(08:45):
your modern life in general?
We often have gotten this sayingor this comment, If you want
something done right, do ityourself.
Does that sound familiar?
I know for me it does.
And so many of us struggle todelegate tasks to our partners,
even our kids it doesn't matterif they're as little as two
(09:07):
years old or other peoplebecause we've internalized the
belief that it's ourresponsibility to handle
everything or that no one elsewill do it correctly or
perfectly or the way that I doit or the way that I want it to
get done.
And so this perfectionism isn'tonly exhausting.
(09:28):
it's a major time thief that'skeeping us trapped in patterns
of overwork and burnout.
if you don't have the ability todelegate.
It's really gonna hurt you.
And this is something that Ireally want you to break
yourself from.
That you cannot do it all.
You can always delegate.
(09:49):
You can always ask for help.
How often do you say yes tothings you don't actually have
time for?
And this is something that I amstill working on.
I Tend to over commit to a lotof things.
I am a yes person and I thinkFor a lot of us.
This was something that has beenso ingrained in us because
(10:12):
almost have to just prove to theworld that we are hard working
individuals that We can alwaysshow up that we are always these
caring individuals that nomatter what we're always going
to be there.
But whether if it's volunteeringat school, attending every
(10:34):
single family function, ortaking on extra work projects,
many of us struggle to setboundaries around our time
because we feel guilty sayingno.
Or we feel like if saying no,sangronas, and it's like, no,
it's okay to say no.
(10:54):
So this yes reflex often stemsfrom a genuine desire to be
helpful and present for thepeople we care about.
But when we automatically sayyes without considering the
impact on our time and wellbeing, we end up overextended
and resentful.
And as I was preparing thisepisode, I literally had to
(11:17):
admit.
This isn't just for you, it'sfor me as well.
this one time thief that I hadlisted here, it's a reminder to
myself that I need to holdmyself accountable and reminding
myself how, Saying yes is goingto impact not only me, but also
(11:40):
my family.
Beyond these visible timethieves, there's another factor
that's harder to see, but justas draining, and that is the
mental load.
The mental load refers to theinvisible work of managing a
household and family life.
(12:01):
And that is the planning, theorganizing, the remembering, and
the coordinating that reallykeeps everything running,
especially in our brains.
It's not just doing the tasks,like the physical, tangible
things, it's being the one whoremembers It's keeping track of
(12:22):
doctor's appointments andpermission slips.
It's remembering your tia'sbirthday and organizing the
gift.
It's noticing when supplies arerunning low and adding them to
the shopping list.
It's anticipating everyone'sneeds before they even realize
they have them.
And so studies show that women,regardless of whether they work
(12:45):
outside the home or they'reworking inside the home, They
carry the majority of thismental load and it is so
exhausting Not just because ofthe time it takes but because of
the mental energy it consumesWhen your brain is constantly
running through to do listsevery single day you're never
(13:08):
truly quote unquote off duty.
This state of constant mentalalertness takes a toll, not just
on your time, but on youroverall wellbeing.
And.
The solution isn't simplymanaging our time better, it's
reconsidering who carries theinvisible load and how we can
(13:29):
distribute it more equitably.
And this is something that Ihave been working with, with my
therapists because I have beenstruggling a lot in terms of who
gets to do what.
And even though my husband isvery, very supportive, he does a
lot of the visible labor.
(13:51):
Um, even if we have supportivepartners, husband specifically,
we still carry on that invisibleload.
And so now how do we essentiallywork together to create a more
balanced division of labor thatis both physically and mentally.
(14:11):
if you want to learn a littlebit more about that.
Please let me know I can createa whole other episode about that
and how I am working with myhusband So that way we can have
this more equitable approachwhen it comes to the mental load
in addition to the mental loadand the are we are bombarded
(14:46):
with images of super mama, whoseemingly balanced successful
careers, perfect homes, thrivingkids, and fulfilling personal
lives without breaking a sweat.
And let's face it.
we see it on social media Andsometimes even in our own
families and communities.
But here's the truth, no one isdoing it all.
(15:09):
Not the influencer with theseemingly perfect Instagram
feed, not your coworker whoappears to have everything
together, not even your own mamaor abuela, though they might
have made it look effortlessly.
Everyone is making choices andsacrifices.
Everyone is letting some thingsgo to prioritize others.
(15:31):
The difference is that somepeople are more honest about it
than others.
Okay.
So real time management isn'tabout cramming more into your
day.
It's about making intentionalchoices about how you spend your
limited time based on what trulymatters to you.
It's about accepting that youcan't do everything.
(15:55):
And that's not a failure.
It's simply being human.
So once we realize ourselvesfrom the pressure to do it all,
we can focus on doing whatmatters most and doing it well
también.
And so before we dive intopractical strategies, I want to
share two powerful mindsetshifts that transformed how I
(16:17):
approach time management.
So, the first one is your timeis valuable.
Treat it that way.
Many of us have been socializedto treat our time as less
valuable than others.
And we put everyone else's needsand schedules first, with
whatever scraps of time remain.
And when you value your owntime, you model healthy
(16:40):
boundaries for your big is, andyou show them your personal
wellbeing matters too.
The second mind shift thattransformed how I approach time
management is releasing the gripof perfectionism.
This was a big one for me.
So many of us lose hours of ourday trying to execute tasks
(17:02):
flawlessly.
Whether it's preparing a mealthat you want to hold that
standard by or making sure ourhomes are super limpia before
having visitors.
But as I mentioned earlier inthe episode, perfectionism is a
(17:24):
thief.
It steals not just our time, butour joy and satisfaction.
When we're striving forperfection, we're rarely present
in the moment we're focused onthis.
standard rather than the actualexperience.
And so embracing the good enoughisn't lowering your standards.
(17:44):
It's being realistic about whattruly matters to you.
Does it really matter if thelaundry is folded perfectly or
just that clean clothes areavailable?
Does the birthday cake need tobe homemade and Pinterest
worthy?
Or is what matters is thecelebration itself.
When you release perfectionism,you gain time.
(18:08):
And you also gain presence inyour life.
So now let's talk Practicaltools.
When you're faced with demandson your time, whether it's a new
commitment, an ongoingresponsibility, or even just how
you spend your day to day hours,I recommend running it through
this simple three questionframework.
(18:30):
Question number one, is thisaligned with my current
priorities and values?
And we all have limited time,which means we need to be
intentional about how we use it.
Before saying yes to something,ask yourself if it aligns with
what matters most to you in thecurrent season of life you're
in, Question number two, whatwill I need?
(18:51):
to give up to make time forthis.
Here's a reality we oftenforget.
When you say yes to one thing,you're automatically saying no
to something else.
There are only 24 hours in aday.
We all know that.
So before committing tosomething new Explicitly
consider what you'll need togive up.
(19:12):
Will it take time away from yourfamily, your sleep, your self
care, being clear about thesetrade offs Helps you make
decisions with your eyes openrather than over committing and
then feeling resentful later.
The third question is, will thismatter in a month, a year, five
years?
This question helps youdistinguish between what's
(19:34):
urgent and what's important.
We often get caught up in tasksthat feel pressing in the
moment, but don't actuallymatter in the long run.
So for instance, Immediatelyresponding to every non urgent
email might feel urgent, butwill it matter a month from now
that you took a few hours oreven a day to respond?
(19:56):
Probably not.
And so using this timeperspective can help you
allocate your limited hours towhat truly matters in the big
picture of your life.
So I want to give you onepowerful strategy you can
implement immediately to startreclaiming your time, and that
is time blocking.
(20:16):
Time blocking is simply thepractice of scheduling specific
blocks of time for differentactivities or types of tasks,
rather than just working from ato do list.
It's been a game changer for mepersonally, and many of the
mamas I've worked with throughBalanced Motherhood.
What I love about time blockingis that it makes you proactive
(20:39):
rather than reactive with yourtime.
Instead of just reopening towhatever demands come your way,
you're intentionally decidinghow to use your limited hours.
It also makes the invisible workvisible.
When you block time for mealplanning, school communication,
(21:01):
or family coordination, you'reacknowledging the real time
these tasks require.
It also helps your partner tohave a better understanding of
what they should do during thisgiven time that is blocked for
them as well.
So you both can work together onthis too.
And most importantly, timeblocking helps ensure that your
(21:23):
most important priorities,including yourself, Don't get
pushed to the bottom of thelist.
And so as we wrap up today'sepisode, I want to remind you
that reclaiming your time is notselfish.
Again, it is necessary when youtake control of your time,
you're able to show up morefully for the people and
(21:46):
activities that matter most.
to you.
The strategies we've discussedtoday, such as recognizing time
thieves, shifting your mindsetabout the value of your time,
evaluating commitments with athree question framework, and
implementing time blocking arejust the beginning of what's
possible when you decide to takeback control of your days.
(22:08):
In my balanced motherhoodcoaching program, we dive much
deeper into personalized timemanagement strategies,
addressing the cultural andfamily dynamics that often
complicate time boundaries forus Latina mamas, and creating
systems that work for yourunique life circumstances.
(22:28):
We work on not just managingtime, but distributing the
mental load more equitably.
And creating space for your owngoals and wellbeing.
If what I've discussed todayresonates with you, I invite you
to join our waitlist atVivaLaMami.
com forward slash balancedmotherhood.
(22:49):
That is balanced with a D at theend dash motherhood to be the
first to know when doors open,the program includes monthly
group coaching, one on onesupport, and a community of like
minded Latina moms whounderstand your unique
challenges.
Next week, we'll be talkingabout why self care isn't
(23:09):
selfish, and how to prioritizeyour well being without the mom
guilt.
Recuerda, your time is valuable,spend it in ways that reflect
that truth.
Right, amiga, well, thank you somuch for listening.
Hasta nos vemos on the nextepisode./
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