Crayons & Careers

What if you could do less… and actually get more of what matters most?

Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? As a working mom, you’re managing an invisible load and it’s a lot; business meetings, the soccer games, the meal plans, the never-ending to-do list, birthdays. It’s hard enough to keep your coffee warm enough to drink without having to reheat it three times.

The truth is you don’t have to do it all to have it all.

There is a simple mindset shift that can change the way you work, parent, and live. We call it the 80/20 rule.

✨ What is the 80/20 Rule?

The 80/20 Rule (also called the Pareto Principle) says that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. It shows up everywhere:

• 80% of business revenue often comes from 20% of clients
• 80% of clutter comes from 20% of items
• 80% of stress can be traced back to 20% of responsibilities

Applied to motherhood and work life?
It means most of your peace, connection, and progress comes from a small portion of your efforts.

🌿 Why Moms Need This Rule More Than Ever

Many moms are operating in survival mode and there is so much information in front of us that shows us that perfection is the goal. Perfection isn’t possible though and if you are perfect that what do you have to grow into. Where would the stories be in the challenges that motivate us in our daily life. Where would that funny story be from your childhood where things didn’t go perfectly and you laugh at it now! Focusing on your priorities, as we have talked about in previous blogs, gives you more time and so let’s talk about how the 80/20 rule fits this as well!

The 80/20 Rule gives you permission to:

• Focus on what actually moves the needle
• Let go of the rest without guilt
• Stop measuring success by productivity alone
• Reclaim energy for what fills you up

💡 What’s In Your 20%?

Everyone’s 20% looks different. In fact, what is in your 20% might be in my 80% and that’s ok. It is important to identify Your 20% so you can determine what you might be able to delegate or maybe even skip it altogether! Let’s ask a few questions.

• What tasks or routines bring the most connection with my family?
• What work activities generate the most impact or income?
• What household activities give me the most relief or calm?
• What are my least favorite activities?
• What tasks or routines feel like a waste of my time?

It’s a similar activity to listing your priorities, and all of these exercises aim to help you learn systems and then apply them as habits to prioritize what matters in life. You probably have a list of activities now but let’s talk about a few examples before we take our next step.

✍️ Real-Life Examples of 80/20 for Moms

Here are just a few ways you can apply the 80/20 mindset:

🏡 At Home

Focus on:

• Connecting over dinner, even if it’s takeout
• A 10-minute daily tidy over deep cleaning
• Prepping school stuff the night before

Let go of:

• Perfectly folded laundry (get it done, not Instagram-ready)
• Making new meals daily — rotate your 3–5 easy favorites

💻 At Work

Focus on:

• High-leverage tasks (like client calls, product creation)
• Scheduling deep work blocks instead of multitasking
• One platform or offer that’s working well

Let go of:

• Constantly tweaking your website or logo
• Trying to be everywhere on social media

💕 In Parenting

Focus on:

• Being present for bedtime or morning snuggles
• One-on-one time, even for 10 minutes
• Simple rituals (Friday pizza night, after-school chats)

Let go of:

• Elaborate Pinterest crafts if they stress you out
• Feeling like you need to do it “like other moms”

🏃‍♀️What can you take action on?

Your priorities dictate your 80% and your challenges or dislikes usually make up the 20%. Is this a hard and fast rule, no. However, you can start by taking your list from above and start to build a life that brings you more joy.

• If you dislike cleaning, hire a house cleaner to come once a month.
• Engage with other family members. If a cleaner is not within your budget, consider rotating chores if you have kids of chore age. Yes, we all have to do things we don’t like. If you get one day a week from doing dishes, then it’s a bit of a break.
• What else can you outsource?  
• What activities are you doing that can be cut out. Are you trying to make dinner every Friday to spend time as a family? Maybe consider ordering take out.
• Do you need to scroll for an hour or can you set a time and complete a task on your list and then spend the last ten minutes scrolling.

🧭 A Gentle Reset: 3 Steps to Try This Week

1. Write down your top 3 “wins” from last week — the moments or tasks that actually made a difference.
2. Circle what felt most valuable — connection, progress, clarity, ease.
3. Do more of that. Let the rest be imperfect. Unfinished. Delegated. Paused.

Because you’re not just managing a to-do list — you’re building a life. One that honors both your ambition and your heart.

💬 Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Earn Rest or Love Through Exhaustion

Do more of what feels valuable to you. It’s a habit, it’s a system, it’s a change but they key is if you continue to read my blog is that you are hearing that finding ways to make have kids and parenting and feeling successful is possible. Yes, you will likely need to change some things you currently do and that can be hard to hear as change is hard. It’s about setting an intention for your life and your priorities and doing more of that! The 80/20 Rule isn’t about shortcuts; it’s about choosing to spend your energy on the things that matter most and trusting that the rest will fall into place.

You’re already enough.
Let’s build your days around that truth.

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