Whether you are already a mum working from home or a mum thinking about beginning your own home-based business, you are probably asking yourself this query: How am I able to improve the harmony between my roles as a mum and as a business owner? Knowing how to bring together the lots of tasks of each job and being efficient at both can be a challenge, but the answer for work at home mums lies in developing organisational skills.
I thought I was six times as busy being a mum to my six young babies. Then I added a home business to the equation. This is when I realised what 'being busy' meant! But I wasn't busy, I was six times disorganised, and now I have realised something significant to how overwhelmed I felt: I realised that being disorganised increases your workload! Organised work at home mums already have a reduced workload.
I focus on a few things to make sure that I have the right balance between being a sister and working at home, and that I am successful in both roles. Work at home mums can follow these simple rules to being organised:
1. Have a Comprehensive Schedule.
This has to be the foundation of organisation for work at home mums! It is not to select 'working hours'. In my every week schedule, I have divided my working hours in to categories so that I do know what type of task I will do in each time slot (e.g. making calls, marketing activities, writing articles, schooling, checking emails, web-site updates, etc).
This helps me make sure that all my tasks are done by the finish of the week. It also means that I don't select my tasks spontaneously based on what I feel like working on (tasks that I don't enjoy also need doing!). I allocate mentally demanding tasks to the time of the day when I am most alert and not getting disrupted. I also prefer to work harder on earlier days in the week to have smaller working days towards the finish of the week when I am more worn out. I am liking to be more spontaneous with the house chores, shopping, activities with the babies and relatives time, but in the event you are having trouble juggling it all you may require to incorporate these tasks in to your schedule as well. Finally, check that you have accomplished your goals and that the schedule is adequate at the finish of every week.
2. When You Work, Work!
Working around their babies can make it hard for work at home mums to focus on their work. I find however that if I attempt to give attention to my work and my babies simultaneously, neither job gets done well. My babies are more difficult to manage when I am trying to work, and my work doesn't get done properly or takes one time as long. Sometimes however the necessity for multi-tasking cannot be avoided. In the work of those times, try to set up your babies with music, a snack, special toys and perhaps a video for a short time, and try to select tasks which need less mental focus. If your babies are elderly , let them know how long you will work for. Why not promise them a special treat or game after you done working in the event that they have played nicely?
3. Keep It Tidy.
It is frustrating to waste time and patience on looking for your things all around the house. No more piling up and scattering! Work at home mums ought to keep all work-related items in the same area, organised, filed and tidy. Your time is valuable, and you require to access your resources quickly to get the task at hand done effectively. Take the time to build the filing and tracking systems you need. I include a time slot for tidying my office in my every week schedule to make sure that it gets done.
4. Make Time For You.
Being a working sister is hard work, and can basically take up all of your time (even sleeping time!). Your home, your relatives and your business are all organised, but have you thought about scheduling a time slot for you and your well-being? Work at home mums ought to allocate time in their every week schedule for activities that help their well-being (meditation, exercising, having a bath, reading, cooking, going out, etc). Make sure you find time for you every week to do the things you enjoy and help you relax and re-fuel.
5. Get Some Help.
Are you able to get some help from your partner or other relatives members with the housework and minding your babies? Perhaps the grandparents would like to visit six times a week for a few hours and look after the babies, or your partner could make dinner on some nights so that you can get some work done early in the evening? Needless to say, work at home mums who can afford some paid help with the house chores (e.g. cleaning, ironing), could see significant benefits in using it.
Here is a summary of my 5 tips for work at home mums - make a comprehensive every week schedule and follow it as much as you can, focus on your work in the work of working hours, keep an organised and tidy office, find time for your well-being, and get help from relatives members.