Motivational Monday: Time Management Tips for the Work at Home Mom

Here we are, one month down and 11 more to go!  It's the first Monday of February and I'm ushering it in with a great guest post from Theody - you've probably seen her around here.

We all know that maintaining motivation can be a tough thing to do, so Theody has created a great set of tips to help keep the spring in your step.  These are things that she has implemented to keep herself on track while balancing a family that is fully equipped with three kids, a blossoming work at home freelance writing career and her very own business as well!  If she can do all this with 3 kids, what can you get done?

Working at home requires a whole lot of discipline. It is very easy to become so busy with other chores that are not related to working at home. Chores like; folding the laundry, ironing, dusting furniture and so many others.  While for some, it may not be chores;  it could be that friends and family do not seriously consider what  you do at home as “work” and honestly can’t understand why you,” simply won’t answer the phone?” The list goes on and on.

Here are a few tips that I hope will help you manage your time better and keep you on track while working at home.

Create a schedule- I know this sounds obvious, but if you have worked out of home before working at home, I’m almost certain you had a schedule.   It may not have been written down, but you had a modus operandi.   You had a special day for doing the laundry, for ironing and for cleaning the bathroom.  You didn’t wake up on a Monday morning and rather than get ready for work, decide it was a great day to fold all the laundry.   However, when working at home, we fall into the habit of allowing minute details distract us from showing up at work.  Then we try to justify those insignificant details as important.   Imagine telling your boss that the reason you were late at work on a Monday morning was because you had to mop your floors?

Prioritize- A good question I ask myself is, “how is this activity helping me earn an income?”  If I cannot find a single way that the activity will increase my income, then I can’t spend productive time on it.   Who wants to employ staff that will spend valuable time on the phone chatting with a friend about trivialities?  But when we work from home, we do this very often and justify it as not wanting to appear rude or inconsiderate. Let your friends and family know that you work from a certain time in the day and to please not call, unless it is important. Better still, they can leave a message.

Show up- This is also commitment. Working from home, being your own boss, can be a tough job. You need to commit a significant amount of time to it. Think of it as going to work in an office. You arrive at a set time, clock in and get to work. The same attitude should also apply to working at home. There will be good days and bad days, days you feel like working and days you won’t feel like working.  So, having the right attitude helps.

Take a break- The same way there are days off in the office environment, is also the same for working at home.  You must know when to take a break and catch your breath.

Remember to ask yourself, “If I applied for this job as an employee, would I employ someone like me?”   

Theody is a mom of three. She is also a freelance writer and an Ind. Scentsy Consultant.  She enjoys discovering how moms can work from home while raising their children.  You can learn more about her here (http://theodysblog.blogspot.com)

Thank you.