My top challenge is making sure that my writing time doesn't fall off the priority list. When things get busy at home or my husband is traveling, writing is the first thing to go. If it weren't for my blog, I often wouldn't write even once a week, but I'm committed to my base of readers and somehow, that external pressure makes blog posting more of a priority. As for working on my books, the only way I can make the time is to say out loud to my family and friends, "This Thursday and Friday I'm going to work on the book." Somehow, saying it out loud makes it more real and nobody tries to ask me to help or schedule a coffee date with them when I've said that. I only wish I could be more consistent with it.

Rebecca, first off, let me say, I'm very excited about your upcoming webinar about time management...and spent part of this very afternoon trying to figure out whether I can have my act together in time to attend.

I am at the beginning of my writing journey, trying to create it into a paying career, so hopefully my thoughts will be helpful even without years of experience trying to actively juggle writing with caring for kiddos, house and home. In any case, here are my thoughts to your questions (hopefully not to lengthy).

1) When it comes to time management, being a stay at home mom has allowed me to create as well as shatter my own schedules like never before. When there are days that you don't absolutely have to do anything but make sure the children don't tear the house down, feed them and make sure there's something for Hubby to eat when he gets home, it's easy to run life by the seat of your pants and throw schedules, deadlines and time management out the window. So it's all to easy to fall into a habit of *procrastination*, putting off til tomorrow what doesn't have to be done today.

With procrastination and three kids and a husband, the house all too easily falls into complete disarray and *disorganization*. I will admit I'm not the world's biggest neat freak, so I can ignore some things to a degree, but there comes a point when it drives me absolutely batty when things are a mess. At that point I can hardly think straight for fuming over the disaster zones. Trying to tackle the house in such a state of affairs adds to my already near complete *exhaustion* attributable to having a newborn.

2) My current methods for managing time are a work in progress, but when aren't they? I've found tackling most anything around the house is easier done if I can take the thinking out of it. I'm becoming a "schedule maker". I've always made lists...to do lists, 'Honey do' lists, grocery lists, etc. but they often became a procrastination method. Instead of actually cleaning the house, I'd make a list of the things that needed to be cleaned. I'd sit down and make a grocery list and then do all the shopping without ever taking it out of my purse. My 'Honey do' lists often never got given to my husband, figuring he needed the downtime on his days off, and I'd much rather enjoy the family time than worry about the projects that need to be done.

The "Schedules" I've more recently taken to making are a step further with the lists. I now have a comprehensive 'Cleaning Schedule' which has all the daily cleaning tasks put into an Excel spreadsheet, where the tasks are broken down by time of day (ie Morning: Make beds, unload dishwasher, start laundry. Evening: Sweep kitchen floor, dirty clothes to laundry, etc.). I also have a 'Weekly Cleaning Schedule' which assigns items not done on a daily basis, such as changing the sheets and scrubbing the bathrooms. The schedules have a box for each day so I can mark off when I actually accomplish the items...it feels wonderful seeing the page filled with check marks at the end of the week.

When I first began the Schedules I figured there was no way I'd ever be able to accomplish the items, but I have found I can look at them and just do the next thing on the list, and not have to think about what needs to be done. It has also bee amazing to see the family helping. My boys (ages 3 and 5) have taken to asking which chores they can do. I took a few of the items and assigned them to the kids and allotted a monetary allowance if they do them for the entire week...each of their items has it's own amount, and since they're young the amounts range from 5 cents to 25 cents depending on the item (by the end of the week they could each earn 70 cents if they do all the chores each day). The lists have also helped getting Hubby involved (though I must admit this help usually comes in when he knows we have company coming and I'm getting crabby about it)...when he asks what needs to be done, all I have to do is point him in the direction of the list.

And now that I've given you an epic answer to your questions...my other time management keys that get me through the day are: Posting a list of priorities and goals (write, write, write; spend time with the kids; clean the house; etc) where you can see it on a daily basis(next to the bathroom mirror, by the computer...). And last of all, be sure to schedule in some downtime to read a book, watch your favorite show, whatever.

3) Not sure if your webinar will have space to deal with this...but it would be nice to see some info on dealing with the guilt of having to choose between priorities. And deciding which goals/priorities/dreams are going to take the forefront of our lives, so that in making some of these choices the guilt may possibly be alleviated.