Working Mom's Guide to Pursuing Your Own Education [Part 2]

So in our first post dedicated to pursuing your own education we talked about using the pomodoro method to help you get focused and take care of some big tasks. Today I want to talk about my favorite strategy for working on an assignment.

Being a working mom and going to school is tough. I often work on my assignments after 8:30PM or before 7AM. It's not easy to be gung ho about getting work done around those times. So when I have an assignment yo complete, I find that my best tactic is to start by laying out all the headings/sections I have to write or questions I need to answer. Then I go to whichever section I want and start writing/brainstorming/jotting down key phrases or concepts I want to include. This works for me because it's essentially creating an outline but without doing so in a totally separate document. One I run out of information, I simply pick a new section. This process continues with me jumping back and forth filling in information as it hits me. 

Once I get to a stopping point, then I go back and start editing or focusing on completing one section. Again, sometimes this is entirely out of order (but I find it tough to write an introduction till I've fully developed and explored some ideas). 

Because I'm getting my masters in educational technology and totally online, most of my professors have us use Google Docs and Drive. If you haven't checked these out yet you are missing one of the greatest free tools the Internet (Google) has to offer. Not only do Google docs save automatically, they offer super-simple share features, a research tool that can help you create your reference list, and it can be accessed from any computer as long as there's Internet. Talk about a winning combination.

So that's this week's trick for working on and completing an assignment for your education while juggling the duties of work and the duties and joys of motherhood.

What are your best tricks? How do you get work done? Are you a coffee shop worker or do you need a quiet secluded place to work?

Working Mom's Guide to Pursuing Your Own Education [Part 1]

If you follow us on Instagram, you may see that some of our posts show us working on our own schooling. What you may not know is that Nat is a Doctor. Word.  She finished her PhD last year and is now teaching a class (in addition to working full time). I'm currently working on my second master's (because why stop with one?) in educational technology online...also while working full time. Since I'm on maternity leave, finding time to squeeze in assignments, readings, and required posts feels a little bit easier. But when I'm working full-time, I've found the BEST way for me to get things completed is a little something Natalie introduced me to: The Pomodoro Method.

What is it?
First, let me tell you that I don't claim to be an expert on this method. If you want to learn more from the pro's - here's a few more resources (Video, Article). However, I am an expert on ADD and having 15 unfinished projects going on at once and an inability to finish one completely. This is why I believe the Pomodoro method is such a game-changer for me. Essentially, you set a timer for 25 minutes and write down a goal that you hope to achieve. Once you complete that task, you get a break. So for example, maybe I need to get started reading an article. Until the timer is done, you focus on that one task. If you read the book or the article, there is more to it, like dividing up tasks, determining how many pomodoros you need to complete the task, etc etc.

Why it works.
For me, there's something about setting a timer that is actually kind of freeing and works for my brain. I know that during that time, I have to focus on that task and nothing else. I also know that once I'm done, I get a break. If I'm working something on the computer, I use that 5 minutes to get up and move around - maybe clean up the kitchen, switch the laundry, refill my wine water.  Truth be told, I don't always do the full 25 minutes. I usually pick somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes (especially if my daughters are home with me). I find, though, that once I get the ball rolling, I tend to work for even longer.

This is seriously one of the quickest and easiest strategies that I have implemented that has helped me to increase my productivity and manage my time better.

Stay tuned because we have more posts coming with our tips and tricks for pursuing your own education while working (and attempting to stay sane) - see the part 2 here. We'd love to hear your tips, too or even feature you as a guest blogger! Email us at workingmomplaybook[at]gmail.com!