“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Our very organised mom this week is Leslie Maliepaard, one of the driving forces behind the Renewable Energy solutions business Charge Energy.
“My daughter is now 3 years old and at pre-primary school. It’s a challenge to jam pack the day with running a business, running a household, caring for a child and looking after yourself.”
Leslie’s approach to the demands of being a working mother, is to be organised and efficient. As she puts it, planning is the key to success. Leslie has allocated specific tasks to specific days, which we think is a great idea. On Mondays she heads to a coffee shop to strategise and plan for the week ahead. “Downloading my thoughts, plans and ideas for the week helps declutter my mind and prepares me for the week.”
Leslie has also streamlined her personal and business communication, and prefers to use various Social Media platforms for real-time communication. She uses online project management tools to keep in touch with her international team, although she will use e-mail as a last resort. Leslie’s advice to working moms is to be clear on how many hours a week you want to work, and then to implement a plan to make this happen. “I’m slowly working my way toward the 4 Hour Workweek thanks to Tim Ferriss.”
As do most of our #XanderMoms, Leslie limits and monitors her daughter’s screen time and she is allowed 30 minutes of TV or tech time per day. The rest of the day involves getting out for fresh air activities or spending some time at home with her family.
When she does have some time on the iPad, Leslie’s daughter loves the Dr Panda Apps.
And what does Leslie love most about raising kids in South Africa? “The natural beauty and the history of our country, the great and the stormy weather (we love both), the friendly people, the excellent education system. There is so much to love about living in South Africa.” We couldn’t agree more.
