Chanting fixed number of rounds everyday

Hare Krsna, we always have one trivial question in our sadhana bhakti, how to balance chanting and services in a day? So that we don't carry forward the next day. As far as devotee women are concerned they have multifarious services, which I will broadly classifying into two categories:

1, Prescribed duties in Krsna consciousness (Varnasrama dharma) 

2, Devotional service ( either cooking, cleaning, editing, deity worship or services related to books, Sankirtana, preaching etc) 

“ ‘If one simply maintains an official position in the four varṇas and āśramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, he falls down from his puffed-up position into a hellish condition.’ Caitanya caritamrita Madhya Lila 22.112

Art of managing both requires practice. Often Srila Prabhupada's response was don't start something which you can't maintain. Before undertaking a responsibility, think twice. Will you be able to maintain the proper standard? 

Ultimately, all our activities are centered on these two principles: smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur

vismartavyo na jātucit (Caitanya caritamrita Madhya Lila 22.113)

To always remember Krsna and never forget Krsna at any time. 

Srila Prabhupada writes, 

There are many regulative principles in the śāstrasand directions given by the spiritual master. These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle — that is, one should always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. This is possible when one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours daily. One may have other duties to perform under the direction of the spiritual master, but he must first abide by the spiritual master’s order to chant a certain number of rounds. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have recommended that the neophyte chant at least sixteen rounds. This chanting of sixteen rounds is absolutely necessary if one wants to remember Kṛṣṇa and not forget Him. Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master’s order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential.

One may sell books or enlist life members or render some other service, but these duties are not ordinary duties. These duties serve as an impetus for remembering Kṛṣṇa. When one goes with a saṅkīrtana party or sells books, he naturally remembers that he is going to sell Kṛṣṇa’s books. In this way, he is remembering Kṛṣṇa. When one goes to enlist a life member, he talks about Kṛṣṇa and thereby remembers Him. Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit. The conclusion is that one must act in such a way that he will always remember Kṛṣṇa, and one must refrain from doing things that make him forget Kṛṣṇa. These two principles form the basic background of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

To conclude, one should give first priority to completing 16 rounds of Hare Krsna mahamantra everyday on beads/Japa mala. The quality of services we render to Krsna or Spiritual master depends primarily on chanting. 

the service of the Lord through purified senses is called bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.46) 

sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor 

Place our mind upon the lotus feet of Krsna by thinking about Krsna always. The best way to think of Krsna is to chant His holy names. 

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

We should not forgo chanting for service and eschew service for chanting. Both should follow each other like a parallel track or yoked bulls in a cart. 

Many times we feel that during chanting our mind is fretted because of being absorbed in service of Krsna, especially during festivals, we might not be able to fully concentrate on the holy names. Krsna accepts our inattentiveness in chanting whilst transcendental service.    Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati thakur warns us that to give up service and chant in seclusion is risky unless one is trained by expert spiritual master.  Mind will drag us down to loiter on sensual objects (gross/ subtle) 

O wicked mind! What kind of Vaisnava do you think you are? Your pretentious show of chanting Lord Hari’s holy name in a solitary place is only for the sake of attaining the false prestige of a worldly reputation — it is nothing but pure hypocrisy. (Who is a Vaisnava?) 

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, ya etādṛśa-praṇayavāṁs tenānena tu sarvadā paramāvaśenaiva kīrtyamānaḥ sutarām evam evāghaugha-nāśaḥ syāt. If a devotee is absorbed in the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa, directly or indirectly he is always glorifying the Lord by transcendental loving service. Therefore, *even if he chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa with improper attention due to being absorbed in the Lord’s service, the mercy of the Lord purifies his heart of all sinful reactions.*

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.55

This is significant, somehow or other one should complete prescribed number of rounds everyday, this is the prime way to attain smaranam (constant remembrance of Krsna) in this kali yuga.

Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.4). This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's instruction. Somehow or other, you become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful.

(761008 - Lecture SB 01.07.51-52 - Vrndavana)