You?re probably familiar with Stephen R. Covey?s popular self-help book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, and spin-offs such as Covey?s The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Families, and The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Teens. So as you can see everyone has a seven step plan to do???. ?But what about the seven habits of highly successful single parents? Developing the following practices will dramatically improve both your home and personal life:?? 
1. Create a Community of Support
Having a support system you can count on is absolutely vital, not just to ?surviving? single parenthood, but to maintaining your sense of self at the same time. I recommend that single moms and dads develop support in three key areas:
Local family and friends
Local single parents
Online single parents
Consider how you can develop a combination of local individuals you can count on to help you with practical issues, like driving the kids to and from activities, with online support you can reach out to as needed, 24/7.??
2. Schedule Time for Yourself
As a single parent, it is absolutely vital that you schedule down time in your life to rest, recuperate, and refuel. Begin by marking off just two ?dates? with yourself over the next four weeks. If necessary, schedule a babysitter, or swap child care duties with a friend. Then, when the time arrives, go out and do something you enjoy: go work out, go window-shopping, or see a movie.
In addition, try to give yourself one night a week to set aside work, chores, and obligations and do something for yourself after the kids have gone to bed: take a bath, read a book, or catch up with a friend over the phone. Building these small pockets of ?me time? into your life will help you maintain the stamina you need for raising your kids.??
3. Learn to Say No
There are a lot of things you need to say ?No? to in your life: Your kids? tendency to manipulate you into giving in, the guilt that?s been weighing you down since you embarked on this single parenting journey, the expectations of others who have no idea what it?s like to walk in your shoes. It?s not always easy to say no and set firm boundaries in your life, but it?s important to remember that being willing to say ?No,? when necessary, creates space in your life for the things you really want to say ?Yes? to.??
4. Play With Your Kids
One of the questions I often ask my coaching clients is ?What gives you energy?? Nine times out of ten, that answer includes some variation of ?My kids do.? Being in the presence of your children, playing with them, and giving them your attention doesn?t just meet their needs, it also satisfies your deep need for meaningful interaction and purpose. So the next time you come home exhausted and utterly spent, try setting everything aside for a few minutes and just enjoying your kids. You?ll quickly find that playing with and engaging your kids has the power to almost instantly sift your true priorities from those things that are non-essential.
Source: http://davepurvis.com/blog/2013/07/09/single-parents-7-step-plan/
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