Time Management is Tough
I don’t care who you are, time management is tough. There are so many things that demand our attention in this busy society.
Some people have a really good handle on it. You’ve probably met someone like that and you wish that you could do it too.
Work at Home Parents
I’m a work at home dad. I’ve made a decision that puts my family ahead of my career. It doesn’t mean that my career isn’t important. In fact, it is still very important. It is just a lower priority than my kids and my wife.
I used to work in an office. The 9 to 5 grind. As a consultant, it wasn’t always the same office every day, but I still had a stable stretch of time that was set aside for work.
That is no longer true.
Blocks of Time
A work at home parent doesn’t have the luxury of 8 continuous hours set aside for work every day. Instead, they can look forward to an hour here, 20 minutes there…
If you’re homeschooling or your kids are toddlers then your time is even more fragmented.
That means that you need to be able to make the most of the time that you do get.
Focus
The most important thing is focus.
When you have time set aside for work, get the work done!
But that is easier said than done. It takes some planning. And it takes some practice.
I suppose you’d like a list of tips now. That’s good, because that’s exactly what is coming next.
Seven Important Tips (to Get You Started)
- Schedule your day. Look at what things you are going to do with your kids, your spouse, your parents. See what blocks of time remain for work. Try to reorganize things if you can to get bigger blocks of time.
- Have a good list. If you have a list of tasks that you need to get done, you don’t have to spend time wondering what to do when your work time comes. Pick something and go to it.
- Avoid distractions. Turn off the phone. Shut down email, Twitter, Facebook (they’ll all be fine without you for an hour or two). Close your door. Get to work.
- Get your family on board. Let them know that you work from home to be there for them. But that you do need to work. Make sure they know you’re there for emergencies, but you need your privacy for a while.
- Don’t multitask. Just don’t! You cannot do your best work if you aren’t fully attentive to the task at hand. You can switch between projects from time to time, just don’t try to do them all at once.
- Leave space. In your schedule you need to have some room for contingencies. Traffic, delays at the doctor’s office, etc. If there is room between events in your schedule then these delays and emergencies won’t ruin everything. And if you don’t need that extra time, spend it with your kids!
- Just Say No. This is great advice when it comes to drugs. But it is also great advice when choosing projects. Having too many projects or tasks will overwhelm you. Find the ones that are most important to you and say “no” to the rest.
These seven simple tips will help you get on the right track. You will have to be proactive to make the best use of your time. It will take some practice. And you won’t always do a great job. But stick with it and you’ll find you become more productive.
Remember, time is not money… it is far more valuable.
Bill is a work at home dad who juggles his wife, two kids, online businesses and manages to stay sane… well he thinks so anyway!
He isn’t perfect at this time management stuff yet, but he’s learned a thing or three. You can even check out his book: Time Management for Work at Home Moms – and Dads Too! available here.
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