Creating a Schedule
Creating a schedule is one of the most important things that you can do to help you maintain focus in your work day.
There are a few different approaches that you can take to do this. A few of them work together to form a sequence of highly targeted actions that will keep you on track and where you want to go.
The first thing you need to do is to is to sit down on you "thinking chair" with a cup of tea and schedule out your day in a way that works best for you.
You are not looking at details at the moment, but you are looking at time blocks.
The first thing you need to do is plan the blocks you will need.
Here are a few...
There are a few different approaches that you can take to do this. A few of them work together to form a sequence of highly targeted actions that will keep you on track and where you want to go.
The first thing you need to do is to is to sit down on you "thinking chair" with a cup of tea and schedule out your day in a way that works best for you.
You are not looking at details at the moment, but you are looking at time blocks.
The first thing you need to do is plan the blocks you will need.
Here are a few...
- exercise - even 15 minutes will make a big difference
- clean sweep through the house
- morning shower etc
- kids to school
- main project block one, two and three (you choose how many and how long they are. Make more shorter ones or less longer. Generally 1 - 2 hours seems to be the best time, if you are going for a long one, be sure to include a break time to get up and stretch and get a drink of water. A block can contain a few reoccuring tasks such as answer email and make phone calls or be a block where you concentrate on output such as a writing project or website work)
The absolute, main goal of a project or time block is focus. During the time block you are in, you do nothing else but. If you catch yourself, go right back to it. Use of a timer is helpful.
You will notice that a lot of the above blocks are for personal tasks. That is the beauty and the curse of working at home!
Although, if we look closely, a lot of these things are the same things that mom's outside of the home have to do too, or pay someone else to do.
If we are to succeed we need to take ourselves seriously and approach these things in the same light. Only for us, they must be done or they will weigh on us (and be in our face) all day, taking our productivity down.
Although, if we look closely, a lot of these things are the same things that mom's outside of the home have to do too, or pay someone else to do.
If we are to succeed we need to take ourselves seriously and approach these things in the same light. Only for us, they must be done or they will weigh on us (and be in our face) all day, taking our productivity down.
Using time blocks reduces brain clutter immensly.
We do need to remember to plan for them as if our time is limited, because it is. Just because we are lucky enough to be home all day, if we have a business, we do not have the luxury of unlimited time.
So, you've outlined what kind of time blocks you will need in your schedule and how many. Now it's time to put them in the time slot that they belong in.
Depending on whether or not you have small kids at home, you may or may not be able to be too strict with this. The main thing is to create them. You can make the actual time you do them flexible.
Rule #1 - You are not superwoman.
Rule #2 - Kids come first within reason.
What does this mean? It means that you can't be militant. Sometimes due to the nature of being a mom, especially if you have kids at home, you will not be able to stick to your schedule. Don't sweat it, just do the best you can.
You will know when you have done this.
You do need to make the effort to be self disciplined. And that is all you need to do.
If you have done your best, that is good enough.
If you have done your best and you think there is room for improvement, get back in your chair and brainstorm some solutions.
Work smarter.
When does it work best for you to exercise? To do your house cleaning before you get to work. Or does it work better for you to do it after?
The trick is to pick a time slot in your schedule that is doable. It must work for you.
If you decide to schedule in your exercise time at 6:00 am but you can't roll out of bed until 7:00, it probably isn't going to work.
Generally it's a good idea to do your "brain" work at a time of day when your brain is fresh. Everyone seems to have a peak work time. For me it is in the morning as early as I can get up until 11:00 or 12:00.
Afternoon around 1:00 I go into a slump, sometimes I need a nap!
When I do need it, I take it. It freshens me for the rest of the day.
Or sometimes I do something that doesn't take very much energy until I work out of it.
After you have your time/project blocks picked up, fill in the details every day at quitting time for the next day.
Remember, the purpose of your schedule is to help you be more focused on your work and therefore become more productive!
ACTion Tip
BONUS TIP: Don't start your day with email unless absolutely necessary.
We do need to remember to plan for them as if our time is limited, because it is. Just because we are lucky enough to be home all day, if we have a business, we do not have the luxury of unlimited time.
So, you've outlined what kind of time blocks you will need in your schedule and how many. Now it's time to put them in the time slot that they belong in.
Depending on whether or not you have small kids at home, you may or may not be able to be too strict with this. The main thing is to create them. You can make the actual time you do them flexible.
Rule #1 - You are not superwoman.
Rule #2 - Kids come first within reason.
What does this mean? It means that you can't be militant. Sometimes due to the nature of being a mom, especially if you have kids at home, you will not be able to stick to your schedule. Don't sweat it, just do the best you can.
You will know when you have done this.
You do need to make the effort to be self disciplined. And that is all you need to do.
If you have done your best, that is good enough.
If you have done your best and you think there is room for improvement, get back in your chair and brainstorm some solutions.
Work smarter.
When does it work best for you to exercise? To do your house cleaning before you get to work. Or does it work better for you to do it after?
The trick is to pick a time slot in your schedule that is doable. It must work for you.
If you decide to schedule in your exercise time at 6:00 am but you can't roll out of bed until 7:00, it probably isn't going to work.
Generally it's a good idea to do your "brain" work at a time of day when your brain is fresh. Everyone seems to have a peak work time. For me it is in the morning as early as I can get up until 11:00 or 12:00.
Afternoon around 1:00 I go into a slump, sometimes I need a nap!
When I do need it, I take it. It freshens me for the rest of the day.
Or sometimes I do something that doesn't take very much energy until I work out of it.
After you have your time/project blocks picked up, fill in the details every day at quitting time for the next day.
Remember, the purpose of your schedule is to help you be more focused on your work and therefore become more productive!
ACTion Tip
- List the general tasks that you need to do.
- Group them together so that you can assign yourself a time block for each group.
- Assign your time blocks.
- Each day before quitting time, fill in the details for the next day's tasks.
- Get anything that you need ready to go so that when you start, you can jump right in, you will be amazed at how much time that will save you.
BONUS TIP: Don't start your day with email unless absolutely necessary.
Recommended
WAHM in FOCUS - Our free weekly program to help you get and stay focused in your home business for better results and less stress.
More Resources
Workspace Challenge - Keeping your work area clean is one of the most productive things you can do, and one of the easiest. And one of the most challenging!
Time Management for Internet Marketers - I seem to have a few internet favourites and Jeanette Cates is one of them. Everything I have ever bought from her has been something I've loved and found to be extremely useful and practical in helping to organize, streamline and make my business work.
So I was thrilled to see that she had a Time Management ebook in her list of products. I especially like that it is geared specifically to Internet marketers and online businesses.
I bought it and and of course was totally blown away by it. Even though I thought that I had already read everything that there was to read about time management, I still found some very useful tips that I will be implementing myself.
And I was amazed at how many methods are in there that I have personally found to be "10 Commandments" of time management.
There is even a chapter specifically about Learning to Schedule Your Business Day, as well as many others (Identifying your Most Common Time Wasting Habits, another one on overcoming them - these are very specific such as email and procrastinations, two biggies for me - Organizing Your Systems, Automating Your Business, Learn to Delegate, Establish Routines and tools you can use, it goes on and on with very solid time management information in this book.
I highly recommend it, in fact I am postitively gushing :0) (can you tell I like it?)
As you know, time management is one of the primary challenges and keys to your success, especially important to the Work at Home Mom. This is one investment that will pay you back in spades if you implement the knowledge in this book.
It is called Time Management for Internet Marketers but it is good, useable, solid time management advice for everyone.