The Best Time Management Tips For Busy Moms Who Work At Home

Ladies can you relate to this scenario? Washing is mounting up, the next meal is waiting to be prepared, children are waiting to be picked up or dropped off, chores ought to be run and to top it all - you are a home based mommy! In the midst of all that busy-ness you really have to get some non-domestic goals done, such as write reports or research important information or make business telephone calls. Is it feasible to have the best of all possible worlds: domestic and professional? How do those other work from home mom's appear to get it all finished? The answer is easy: time management mastery. Read on for some points from home based moms exactly like you and me that others have found useful for keeping on track.

Everything relates to schedules, routines and habits. I know it seems so tricky to find a routine because there are lots of unanticipated events that you must be ready to handle. However, when you get into the habit of carrying out a routine, you'll find added time during the day for those uncontrolled events, and you'll end up more relaxed and ready to take on the tasks for the day. It feels good to get all your tasks done, and you will want to do more of it once you get a taste of the strength of a regular routine.

Cleaning and laundry tips for the work from home mom. For anybody who is like me, once you get started doing your cleaning projects it may quickly get overwhelming and in no time you've taken up half your entire day. I realize that I wind up neglecting my other jobs in order to get my cleaning done. This is not a smart use of time for the work at home mom.

I have found that rather than facing big cleaning projects, I break them up into more compact 15-minute or less sub-tasks that I perform during different phases of my work day. I find that doing it in this way allows me to feel as if I'm staying on top of my cleaning tasks, while also getting my other work finished. I call these my 'cleaning moments' throughout the day.

I routinely tidy up these zones with my cleaning moments throughout my day: bathroom counter fast wipe, floor quick sweep and spot mop (only within the high traffic areas), toy cleanup just before nap time (using the kids' help!). I still find that I must have dedicated cleaning days once in awhile, but my cleaning tasks will no longer hold my work day hostage.

For laundry tasks I keep to the same 'cleaning moments' basic principle. Break it down into smaller sub-tasks that can be planned or carried out whenever time allows. For me, I do not allow the laundry to pile up so that I have to allot a complete day to laundry. Instead, due to my family size, I prefer to do one or two loads of laundry each day. We have a laundry sorter, and all the family members have learned to properly arrange their laundry so mommy (or daddy) can easily and quickly throw a load into the machine.

While the clothes is washing or drying I can focus on work tasks or other 'cleaning moments' tasks. The important issue is what direction to go when the clothes is dry. I make sure to discipline myself to fold the laundry immediately after it is dry. This takes about 15 minutes. My kids are old enough to put their clothes away by themselves, so i simply put the folded laundry on their beds - they are supposed to put it away neatly in their closets and dressers.

Work time management tips for the work at home mom. Concentrate on your most effective hours during the day and be sure to schedule your work tasks during that time period. Make sure you make use of kids' nap times or music/sports practice times - they are great work times for mommy! For some of my friends, the mid-morning is best. For others, mid-day or late afternoon. I use all of those time slots along with the late evening and late night time slots. We work at home moms have to use all the resources available to us!

I stick to the 'break it down into smaller chunks' theory for both work and home tasks. For work, I concluded that my tasks are best defined by where I need to do them: at my computer, on the phone, at my desk/home office, or as an errand. I merge phone tasks with my errand tasks simply by using a hands-free bluetooth headset with my cellular telephone. Then I can get on the road to run my errands while also calling people on the phone. This is a tremendous time-saving tip.

Make sure to practice safe driving! Yes you are Superwoman, but you can't call on the cell phone and dig for files in your attache case while soothing the newborn in the back seat and attempting to put on makeup while drinking your morning coffee! You can do it all - just not all at the same time!

The most important concept to remember is: you simply can't allow your domestic tasks to hold your work tasks hostage. The reverse rule is also true. You must be able to successfully balance both sides of your life: work and home. After a little practice plus some persistance to establishing effective routines, you'll discover that you are getting more things accomplished every day and feeling much more successful with both your home and work life.

The last thing to keep in mind is: schedule some 'mommy time' too. If you are like me and most other work from home moms, then you need to realize how critical your well-being is to the rest of your family (whether they realize it or not). My home revolves around my ability to keep things moving: kids need to be looked after, husband must be sent on his way, home duties have to be done and work assignments must be accomplished. I am the main hub of these types of functions. If I don't pay attention to myself, then all of those other tasks can't get completed.

I schedule 'mommy time' into my routine every week - you should too! Allow me to share 'mommy time' tips for you: take a hot bath any time you can; have your nails done a minimum of once a month (I prefer twice a month - and with my bluetooth phone I can get work done too!); get a babysitter and then go out for a dinner date at least once a week with your husband or with your girlfriends; have a massage at least once per month (if not more if you can schedule it in!).