Being a mom often feels like running a business without a break room or HR department. Between school schedules, meal planning, laundry, sports, and maybe even your own career, your “to-do list” never ends. But here’s the thing: the best CEOs in the world juggle just as many moving pieces — and they don’t do it by winging it. They rely on systems.
What if you could borrow some of their strategies and apply them to your daily life? Good news: you can. Here are ten productivity hacks busy moms can steal straight from CEOs to bring more peace, order, and margin to everyday life.
1. Time Blocking
CEOs don’t multitask their days away. They assign blocks of time for specific categories of work. Moms can do the same. Create a “morning block” for school prep, an “afternoon block” for errands, and an “evening block” for family time. Color-code your planner to make it simple at a glance.
2. Batching Tasks
Instead of cooking three times a day, cook once and reheat. Instead of answering texts constantly, respond at two set times. Batching tasks saves enormous amounts of mental energy. In your planner, write “batch” blocks so you don’t scatter tasks everywhere.
3. Weekly Planning Meetings
CEOs meet with their teams. Moms can meet with their families. Use Sunday night as a quick “family huddle” to go over activities, meals, rides, and schedules. Dedicate a page in your planner for notes from the family meeting — it keeps everyone on the same page (literally).
4. Delegate Like a Boss
CEOs don’t do it all themselves, and neither should you. Kids can pack their own bags. Your spouse can handle bedtime routines some nights. Even groceries can be delegated to a delivery service. In your planner, assign tasks to people so you can actually see the load lifted off your plate.
5. Use Templates & Systems
Business leaders rely on SOPs (standard operating procedures). Moms can, too. Create reusable checklists for meal prep, morning routines, or vacation packing. Keep them tucked into your planner so you never reinvent the wheel.
6. Prioritize the “Big Rocks”
Stephen Covey taught CEOs to put their big rocks in the jar first. For moms, this means choosing three priorities per day that would make you feel successful, even if nothing else got done. Highlight these “Top 3” in your planner every morning.
7. Protect Your Energy With Boundaries
Executives don’t say yes to every meeting, and moms don’t have to say yes to every activity. Block out white space in your calendar for rest or family margin. Boundaries aren’t selfish — they’re strategic.
8. Schedule CEO Time (aka Mom Recharge)
No business can thrive without its leader in good health. Block 20–30 minutes in your planner for recharge time — reading, praying, exercising, or resting. Ink it in like a non-negotiable meeting.
9. Review + Reflect
CEOs end the week by reflecting on wins and losses. Moms can do the same. Take five minutes Friday evening to jot down: What worked this week? What didn’t? What can I change? Use your notes section to track growth.
10. Vision Casting for Your Family
Businesses think long-term. Families can, too. Use your planner to track bigger-picture goals like saving for a trip, building family traditions, or cultivating faith habits. This transforms planning from survival mode into legacy building.
Running a household is no small feat. In fact, it’s leadership at its finest. By borrowing just a few productivity hacks from CEOs, you can step into the role of confident “family executive officer” and lead your home with peace, purpose, and margin.
This week, try one hack and add it to your planner. Notice how much calmer and more in control you feel — and let that momentum build.
