Archive for the ‘Time Management & Organization’ Category

Today my Work from home plans followed an unusual procedure. Normally I work from home most of the day. Generally engaged in Online jobsof one sort or another. Often I am authoring marketing copy for customers. Today, however, I had a couple of client meetings scheduled which got me out of the house for a lot of the day. It’s a pleasant change whenever this occurs but it works much better if it’s properly planned.

Be Flexible When You Work from Home

In this instance there were two writing chores I had scheduled to sort out in order to meet a pressing deadline. It’s tempting to schedule these duties for later on, once the meetings are complete and upon return to base. But I’ve done work from home long enough to have discovered that this is a mistake. Meetings get extended, or start late, or both. Usually this is somewhat tiring, especially if they are important, say for example you are trying to impress a potential new client. You can end up getting home late and worn out and not able to write productively. So today I set my morning call for 6 a.m. and completed a three hour writing shift before getting going.

Work from Home and Miss the Rush Hour

An extra benefit of this was that it meant scheduling my meetings for rather later in the day, once the traffic had reduced to some extent. It’s a significant advantage when you work from home that you miss the daily rush hour. Don’t ruin that by arranging meetings early morning and placing yourself back into the commuter traffic with no good reason.

Work from Home and Take Advantage of Free Time

I completed my first meeting by lunchtime and I had planned a bit of a gap before the next one. When the weather is good it’s nice to put in a little exercise, in this case a stroll by the river in Durham, where my next meeting was to take place.

Got back home before 5 p.m. again ducking the worst of the traffic, and the remainder of the day is my own. When you work from home, proper scheduling leads to more productivity.

Work at Home and National Holidays

I work at home and today is a bank holiday. It is raining. Even if it had not been such a poor day, I would be loath to make any travel plans. Whilst it is very pleasurable to make the most of days off, the fact that I work from home makes this almost meaningless. Because I work from home I can plan my holidays much more easily than most people. The result is that I do not need to take a public holiday off, if I don’t want to. Because a lot of my work is online related, doing Online jobs of one sort or another, I can function very productively whilst the rest of the nation is having a break.

Work at Home and Get More Done on Holidays

There are a couple benefits to all of this. One is that I can get on with some duties knowing that I will not be disturbed. The phone is unlikely to ring as work colleagues and customers expect that I am having the day off. So heavy concentration Work from home things like writing can be done without distraction and I can get as much finished on one public holiday as two normal work at home days. I could even use this fact to excuse having not one but two days off in compensation at a later date!

Work at Home and Take Time Off When You Want

Secondly, I am able to miss the hassle of public holiday roads. It seems that wherever you travel on a public holiday today you share the road with the rest of the nation. This is particularly annoying if the weather is at its best, it is so annoying to be stuck in traffic when the sun is out. Which brings me on to the final point. Nobody can predict what the weather will be like on a public holiday. But, because I work at home, I can in effect select my own personal public holidays at the last minute and ensure that I have time off when the weather is good.

One of the hardest issues to contend with as a Wahm is the perception of others that you aren’t working. Many people think that working at home isn’t working at all and that you have all the free time in the world. Those who have spent any time working at home know that there is a lot of time and energy that goes into effectively working at home. Friends who call in the middle of the day, spouses who expect you to be doing more while home or family members who make offhand comments, can undermine those efforts.

Wahm Work Schedule

Not all stay at home moms work in a business at home, but many do. If you are a wahm and have friends who don’t stay at home, it can be hard for them to understand that your days aren’t free. Calls during your working time, invitations to lunch and uninvited guests can throw a wrench in your work schedule. In order to get your friends to respect your time, it’s important to make your working schedule clear to them.

If you don’t have a clear work schedule, then it is time to make one for yourself. By setting office hours for yourself, you make it clear to everyone around you that you are serious about your work. It will also help set boundaries for your time. Tell your friends that you will be unavailable from a certain time to a certain time, but you’d love to talk before or after those times. You may even go so far as to turn off your phone. If you do answer the phone and someone wants to chat, politely let them know that you are working but can speak after a certain time. Also, schedule things like lunches or visits for one day per week. This way you’ll reduce the drop-ins and spontaneous invitations.

Advise Your Spouse What it Takes to be a Wahm

Spouses can sometimes have difficulty understanding why, if you are home all day, the housework isn’t done. This problem can best by solved by familiarizing him with the nature of your business. Show him exactly what you need to do each day, and how long it takes to do each task. Help him understand your work schedule, and how much time you need to work per day. Showing exactly how much money you are making will help him realize the benefits of your work as well.

 

Then ask him to help you come up with solutions for working at home and maintaining the household. Make a list of things that need to be done each week, and assign duties to you, him and the children (if they are old enough). Then taking care of the house becomes a family priority and something that you all share responsibility in. Notify him of any special projects by keeping a work calendar on the wall. That way he can see what is going on with your work schedule, and why you have ordered pizza for dinner three times in the last week!

A Wahm Must Have Thick Skin

Many Wahms can be hurt over offhand comments about working at home. Family or even friends can say things like “Well you have the time, because you are at home.” In situations like these, you have two choices. You can either get upset and offer a flustered defense or you can take their comments with a grain of salt and offer a calm response. Depending on the situation you can say something like “Well, let me check my work schedule. I know I am not available on these days” or “That would be great on Friday afternoon, which is when I leave time in my work schedule for those types of things.”

Remember, working at home is new territory for many people although the numbers of Wahms are growing. It may take some time for the average person to understand the commitment and scheduling that it takes to effectively work from home. You may never convince some people that you are actually working while at home but establishing respect for your own time is one way to make them see that your work is a priority. Be proud of your work and be a proud Wahm!

Getting organized is the key to making your life as a Wahm efficient and relatively, stress free. If you can get and stay organized, your business and your home life will flourish. Without taking some simple systematic steps you’ll be swamped with work and overwhelmed with laundry in no time.

Scheduling Will Help You be an Organized Wahm

 

Planning your work and family activities will make the whole house run smoother. If you don’t have a daily planner, then you need to get one. It does not matter if it is a paper planner or a computer application. When you use a planner to write down everything that needs to be done and then plan each activity for a specific time then you’ll have the opportunity to manage your time more wisely in and out of your home office.

One of the most important parts of getting organized as a Wahm is to establish business hours. Setting up specific working times during each day has many benefits. First, you’ll be more consistent with your work. Once you’ve gotten used to starting and stopping at a specific time each day you’ll work more efficiently. You’ll manage your work time better and reduce distractions like checking your e-mail or watching television. You’ll also be less likely to pick up things to do here and there, like laundry or taking time to run errands. If you have set working hours, you’ll schedule those tasks around your work time so you’ll be more focused during your work time. It will help your family and friends understand that you are working while you are at home and you won’t be available during those hours.

An Organized Wahm Learns to Delegate

Next, you need to start delegating tasks to other family members. It may seem easier to do everything yourself. However, once you have work duties on top of household duties, you’ll realize how few hours in the day there actually are. There is nothing wrong with asking your children to fold the laundry or having your husband cook dinner a few nights a week. By sharing the household duties as a family, you’ll have more time to get your work done and feel more rested. The important thing to remember when you delegate is that things won’t be done the way that you would do them. However, they are getting done.

An Organized Wahm has an Organized Home

Straightening out your home at large will help make your business more organized. While it may take time to establish some organizational habits in your house, your efforts will be well worth it. Don’t try to resolve everything  in a weekend or even several days. Work up to a level of order. Start small with your desk space. Consolidate the things in and on top of your desk. Make sure that everything that you need has a place, and toss or donate things that you don’t need. Then move on to another portion of the house. When something is out of place, it’s easy to put it back in its spot once you have taken the time to arrange your storage spaces around the house. If need be, take a trip to an office supply store or home improvement store and buy items like bins, cabinets and shelves that will help you stay more tidy.

Getting organized as a Wahm does take some time and effort. Realize that with time your organizational system will get better. Work with your family to make your home run efficiently, and then you’ll be able to concentrate on your work when you need to. Being an organized Wahm will surely aid you in your work at home endeavors.