Ahh, it's that blissful time of day when your little one has gone down for a nap. So what should you do with the next hour and a half? (or more if you're lucky) Resist the temptation to nap yourself and try this list.
1. Make a cup of coffee or tea so you can actually enjoy it while it's still hot and you tackle the rest of your list.
2. Write a blog post so you are adding new content to your site for your followers and clients. Do this first before the next few items so you are doing something proactive to build your business.
3. Check voice mails and return calls. It's early enough into naptime that the risk of your child waking up is low and it's far enough into naptime, that they should be asleep by now.
4. Check emails and reply to them. Emails always come after voice mails, because they tend to be less urgent and you can always save a draft if you have to quickly tend to your child.
5. SCAN social media sites. This can be a big time suck which is why it's further down the list. Quickly scan your feeds for any interaction, retweets, comments, repins, etc. Reply as appropriate, but set yourself a time limit - say 15 minutes.
6. Shift the laundry. Yes, you're a naptime CEO, but you still need to manage your home too. This is also a good way to limit your time on social media.
7. Find one or two good articles or blog posts to share. These can be for your social media feeds, upcoming newsletter, clients, or prospects. It helps you stay on top of your industry and positions you as a resource for your clients.
8. Empty and refill the dishwasher. It's probably mid afternoon by now and it's a good time to clean up the kitchen from breakfast and lunch. It will help you stay on track so you don't spend the rest of naptime reading blogs and make sure the kitchen is ready for snack time and dinner.
9. Work on proposal. If you have client work that can be done in 30 minutes or less or that can be broken into sections, do it now. It helps you build momentum so you complete more of your tasks and positions you for your next big work session. I often outline my proposals or training material then fill in all the details at night.
10. Update QuickBooks. This is something that needs to be done on a daily or weekly basis. Trust me, you do not want this to pile up and have to do it all at the end of the month or - heaven forbid - the end of the quarter. I've been there and it's not fun.
Bonus: Realize that even with the best planning, it will be hard to get through your entire To Do list. If your children are still in the phase where they take two naps a day, break up your list. If not, just break it up between you naptime work session and your night or early morning work session. But don't beat yourself up if you don't get it all done, because tomorrow is another day. I always reminded myself that a bad day as a Naptime CEO was still better than a good day living in a cubical.
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