By Terri J. Andrews
Have you ever had a day when, by the time you fully woke up it was time to go to bed again and all you can do is to sit and wonder - “Where the heck did my day go?” You’re not alone, it happens to me too. This is a common occurrence for those of us who work from home. The good news is, there is a cure for the chronically mysterious “missing day” syndrome - it’s called, TIME MANAGEMENT.
Yes, it’s true. You CAN manage your time so that it works for you, not against you. How? It’s easier than you think. You only need a plan.
A TIME plan.
A Time Plan - making the day work FOR you Working from home is completely different than working in an outside profession. Not only are you the boss, but you are also the secretary, janitor, accountant and advertising consultant. You run the entire ship - from top to bottom. It is easy to get lost in the trivial work that most company heads have an employee to take care of - such as stuffing envelopes or running errands.
Being home-employed is also difficult because you are within your home - where the phone rings, friends show up unannounced, the kids play there in the summer and things don’t always run the way you would like them to. Pipes break, the lawn needs mowed, a favorite TV show is on (one that you do NOT want to miss) and that pile of laundry is bugging the heck out of you. It’s not an ideal situation for most - but you can make it work for you if you follow these tips:
- You must have a full and complete business plan. I recommend a 5-year plan, one that breaks down goals for each year and how you plan to reach each of those goals. The library is full of books on this subject, check a few out and get that plan down onto paper. You need to visually see where you want to be each year and how you will get there.
- Take your yearly goals and break them down into 12 steps - those 12 steps are your monthly goals. Now break down each monthly goal into 8 “to-do’s” and this becomes part of your weekly to-do list. 2 items need to be completed each week and by the end of the year you will be 96 steps closer to your goal.
- Now you need to have additional weekly goals - such as marketing, errands, press releases, phone calls and your work that needs to be completed. This weekly list will be a GREAT asset to your time management plan because with it you will have a greater sense of direction and motivation. Completing small goals is the best way to inspire yourself to finish larger projects. You will be checking to-do’s off of your list each week, visually seeing the progress being made and motivating you to do more.
- Evaluate your time. This can be accomplished by logging each day - for an entire week. From the moment you wake up, until the minute your head hits the pillow, you will note what you did within each waking hour. Include - getting ready for your day, cooking, cleaning, talking on the phone, working, playing on the Internet and watching TV. At the end of the week, review your journal and highlight the areas of time that you felt weren’t productive. You may often spend too much time watching daytime TV, snacked too often, played solitaire on the computer or put too much into “busy work” (the mundane work that can be put off till later but you do it anyway as a way to make yourself think you’re not procrastinating, when you really are). On an index card write down your biggest time wasters and when you catch yourself doing them, stop and take a deep breath and get working on something from your to-do list.
- Set up a REAL office. Have real office hours, rules for the phone, an actual office setting (or at least a spot where you can work comfortably and store your things), and even a company mission statement and policies on dress codes and time-off. By treating yourself like an actual business, you will actually become one.
- Try to have one or two “errand days” where you hit all of the places you need to be that week, rather than doing them everyday. Every Friday I run to the post office, the bank, the printers, the library and the office supply store. I have a schedule and I stick to it. I do not leave the house during business hours on any other day unless it is for an outside meeting. By having one day set for errands, I save myself hours of running around town.
- Establish a daily routine with set lunch time and a real QUITTING TIME (if you never stop working, you will soon face another problem that afflicts the self-employed.. it’s called B&B which stands for Boredom and Burnout. This can be prevented if you stop working everyday at a set time and give yourself a break).
- Keep an “I did It” list. This corresponds with the to-do list because when you cross off the completed projects from one list, you will add them to the other list. Each week you will not only see what you need to do, but you can pat yourself on your back for what you did do.
- Handle correspondence first. Email, letters and people wanting information should be answered within 48 hours. If you do not act expeditiously, the letters will haunt and taunt you - believe me - until they are answered. It’s best just to get it over with.
- Use calendars. Post meetings, to-do’s, project deadlines and other reminders onto the calendar along with personal commitments such as doctor appointments and meetings with the kid's teachers. Calendars are excellent ways to keep your day organized. Use them!
- Schedule time for yourself. A stressed out body will give you an unorganized mind. When you do not feel well, you cannot function properly. Daily exercise and/or stretching will energize you and help to boost your energy and productivity. Also try deep breathing, candles, mood music, adequate sleep, vitamins, drinking lots of water and sitting in the great outdoors during lunchtime.
- Get your work and supplies organized! Use baskets, folders and shelves. Have everything clearly labeled and color-coded so that everything you need is in order and within reach.
Organization, goal-setting, business planning and identifying time-wasters are the key ingredients in this recipe for success. Eventually, you will have your day under control - and your success will soon follow.
Terri J. Andrews, married and mother of three, successfully operates the Turquoise Butterfly Press from her home in Ohio. A former business and advertising consultant, Terri now spends her days managing her own writing and publishing career. Her publications include The Good Red Road (Native American), Mama’s Little Helper (for parents of ADD/ADHD children) and the DPX, Inc. (for divorced and step parents). She can be reached at tuqbutfy@bright.net.
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