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By Jill Hart
Operating a successful home-based business is a time-consuming
endeavor. This is doubly true as work-at-home moms in that we
are responsible not only for the success of our business, but
for our family as well. We must be self-reliant,
self-motivated, and discipline ourselves in order to attain
success in both areas.
When running a business from home, it’s easy to let the phone
calls, emails and paperwork keep you tied down, making you
feel
that you don’t have time to take a break or to spend quality
time with your family. Maybe you’ve noticed that you spend a
little more time than you’d like in front of your computer or
on the phone. Maybe you see your kids acting out, trying to
gain your attention. Perhaps you are seeing that this isn’t
the
work-at-home dream you envisioned. You started out with such
noble intentions, but maybe the excitement of success in your
business has caused you to lose sight of the REAL reason do
what you do each day. It happens to so many of us, but don’t
worry, help is on the way.
Below are five ideas to prioritize your life and business:
1. Be honest - You probably didn’t start your work-at-home
career to climb the “corporate ladder” of your at-home
business. Chances are that you started your business with the
best of intentions – to be able to be at home with your
children, to contribute financially to your family, or simply
to have a little spending money of your own. Spend some time
in
prayer and ask the Lord to show you the things that you need
to
change.
Take a moment and honestly ask yourself how you’ve been
handling the time commitment of owning a business:
• Are you spending too much time on the phone, the computer,
etc?
• Are your kids spending more time than usual in front of the
TV?
• Do you snap at your children because of the stresses of your
business?
• Do you worry about your business – to the point that it
distracts you when you are with your family?
2. Make a list – Sit down and write out a list of things that
you see that you’d like to change. This can be a list of
things
you can do differently to limit the time you spend on your
business; or a list of ways you can “de-stress” so that you
can
deal kindly with your family.
3. Log your time – Buy a notebook or create a spreadsheet that
you can use to log the time you spend on your business each
day. Make a column for each day across the top and a row of
half an hour increments down the side. Every time you sit down
at your desk, write “IN” in the box that corresponds to the
time and day. Every time you leave your desk (or complete a
task), fill the appropriate box with the word “OUT.”
At the end of the week, total up the hours each day that you
have spent on business tasks. Are you surprised or is it about
where you thought you’d be? This can be a real eye-opener and
show you in black and white if your priorities have gotten off
track. Take special note for how much time you spend on
e-mails
and things that aren’t billable.
Diana Ennen of Virtual Word Publishing,
www.virtualwordpublishing.com also recommends that you
plan ahead and schedule your time. Prioritize things and have
the work that will require the most effort and concentration
scheduled for your peak time. Try and not get sidetracked and
stay on task focusing on what you need to do. You’d be amazed
how much more work you can get done by simply changing how you
work e-mails. If you only answer them at set hours, you save
yourself from being online all day and not accomplishing much.
4. Take a break – If you get to the end of the week and your
time log has you in shock, it’s time to take a break. If you
normally work during the weekend, make it a point to take this
weekend off. Shut down your email, turn off the ringer on your
phone and shut the door to your office. You’ll be surprised at
how refreshing this will be.
Use this time off to re-evaluate how you need to be spending
your time. Try to plan out when you can work on your business
without losing out on time with your children. If your
children
are in school, make it a point to stop working when they get
home. If your children are still small, maybe you can limit
work hours to naptime or, if possible, have a grandparent
watch
them once or twice a week to allow you a bit more work time.
5. Plan an activity – Now that you’re ready to make a change
in
your routine, why not plan an activity once a week? This can
be
an outing with your child or just something simple like
setting
aside time to make cookies together.
If possible, find another work-at-home mom and hold one
another
accountable to keep to your new schedules. Make a weekly play
date where your children can spend time together – you can
talk
business if necessary or decide to make it a “no business talk
allowed” discussion time.
The years that you have at home with your children are a gift
as is your business. The time necessary for each will be
different for every family and situation. Take the time to
find
what works for you and set your schedule accordingly. Make it
a
point to evaluate your priorities every few months to make
sure
that your time in spent properly. The rewards will be well
worth
it, when your family not only is proud of your accomplishments
in your business, but also more importantly your
accomplishments as their mom. Jill Hart is the founder of
Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. This site is dedicated
to providing work at home moms with opportunities to promote
their businesses while at the same time providing them
spiritual encouragement and articles. Visit CWAHM.com for
additional information. Jill and her husband, Allen of
CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska
with
their two children.
About The Author: Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work
at
Home Moms, www.CWAHM.com. This site is dedicated to
providing work at home moms with opportunities to promote
their
businesses while at the same time providing them spiritual
encouragement. Jill and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com
(Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in NE with their 2
children.
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