5 Time Management Tips For Work At Home Moms

Trying to run a business while raising kids is always going to be a challenge. Luckily, there are some things you can do to minimize the chaos:

1. Live your life backwards. Plan and prepare for your day before it happens. Before you go to bed, get the kids backpacks packed for school. Look at any appointments you have. Decide what you’re going to have for dinner tomorrow night. Get your to do list ready for work. Make sure your desk is clear. These steps the night before can help tremendously in avoiding getting overwhelmed and stressed out.

2. Stay on top of things. Did you ever see the gremlins movie? Add water to the creatures and they multiply like crazy. The same is true with anything left untended for too long. A small pile of things to file suddenly becomes a huge heap that threatens to overtake your desk. A few toys left out suddenly becomes a whole army in your living room. Determine a time in the day when your energy is lagging a little and take care of some of these minor issues now.

3. Clear out the mental clutter. Create a master list of all the thing you’ve been putting off in your life. This could be going to the dentist, cleaning out your car, getting the photo album put together – anything that’s been on your mental to do list for a while These small things can drain your energy and leave little room for real progress. Get all of them down on paper and then slowly start adding some to your to do lists each week.

4. Stay focused. Pick out three high payoff activities each day that you must do for your business. Do those first before you do anything else. Keep reminders around of WHY you need to do them – what will you gain by staying on track? This could be in the form of pictures by your desk of what you want to buy, photos of your kids, your list of goals – whatever keeps you motivated.

5. Have fun! Your business should be something that excites you, that makes you look forward to your day ahead. If you’re having to drag yourself into your office or you keep putting off the things you need to do, you may want to make sure you’ve chosen the right business for you.