Time management is a serious issue for work from home Moms.
You want your home business to be a success, but you don't want the rest of your responsibilities to fall by the wayside, especially with respect to your children, who are the reason you chose to work from home in the first place. So for you the work at home mom out there, it is imperative that you manage your time well, by allocating needed amounts to all aspects of your responsibility. In order to this right, the following tips will aid you immensely.
Work Related
Have a clear purpose when you go online
Whenever you go to your computer, have a definite purpose in mind. It helps to keep a notebook by your computer always with your goals and to-do lists in it, all in one place. This helps prevent you from aimlessly checking email or surfing the net and getting lost. Know what you need to accomplish, write it down, do it, and move on to the next activity.
Think Assembly Line
In other words, group similar activities together. Don't check your email all day, check it two or 3 times a day (at most) and answer all the emails at the same time. When you want to make changes to your website, list them all and wait until you need to make several changes at once. When one child asks for a story gather them all around. Same thing for snacks. Run all your errands at once.
Utilize Technology
Get wireless internet and a laptop if at all possible. This can make a drastic improvement in your ability to work online around your children. You can sit on the front porch and work on your website while your kids play in the yard. Or you can drop them off at a friend's house and head to your favorite coffee shop or restaurant and get online!
Home Related
Simplify meal preparation and shopping
That doesn't mean you spend a lot of extra money on convenience foods that aren't good for you. But do make simple meals that even your children can help you prepare. Use your crock pot. Collect recipes that require few ingredients and no elaborate preparation.
General
Identify time wasters in your day
It's a different thing for everyone. Maybe it's the TV, maybe its friends calling to chat in the middle of the day. Maybe its activities that seem necessary but that really aren't productive, like posting a lot in message forums. Whatever it is, identify it and eliminate it if possible, or at least manage it. Use your voicemail, and call people back when it's a better time for you.
Have a Routine
Having a routine for your household chores and business activities can really help Moms with time management. When you have a good routine, you can do things without thinking, and they always take up less time that way. Keep your routines written down until they're memorized. Make sure everyone else in your household knows the basics of your routine so that things flow more smoothly.
Set limits
No one person can do everything. Your time and energy is valuable and you need to be firm in setting limits on how you spend it. Don't commit to things that you can't reasonably accomplish. Get enough rest. Learn to say “No”. Avoid negative people who like to whine
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