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No matter how new or experienced you are in your business, you’ve probably faced the daunting challenge of how to gain control over the clock.
Time management is without a doubt one of the biggest challenges busy WAHM’s face.
Without a clear strategy in place, it’s easy for WAHM’s to unconsciously waste away hours of times on tasks and activities that don’t add a nickel to the bottom line.
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Time Management Tips For Busy Work At Home Moms
Here’s the reality: most WAHM’s don’t know what to do with their time, so instead, they end up investing the majority of their time on tasks they’re already familiar with or fall inside their comfort zone. Or worse yet, they waste time on tasks that keep them busy, giving them the illusion they’re productive with their time even though it does nothing to add to the bottom line.
Sometimes the motivation is fear. WAHM’s fear upsetting the family, letting the family down or appearing overly focused on their success. So instead of spending the time they need to on their business, they prioritize meeting everyone else’s needs first. Sound familiar?
I had to face these challenges when growing all my businesses and understand the frustrations all too well.
Here’re three of my favorite strategies for where to focus your time so that you’re productive while still honoring all your family and mom related responsibilities.
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Time Management Tip: Respect Your Time Like You Respect Others
You wouldn’t dream of barging into someone’s office demanding their time or attention. Nor would you ask for help from someone who was clearly busy.
This is what you’re allowing when you let yourself be interrupted all day long by ringing phones, text messages, and emails.
Here’s how to combat this problem:
Turn off your phone for periods of time during the day.
Schedule two uninterrupted works sessions per day where you know you can work uninterrupted. Have your significant other be responsible for taking the calls during your work sessions or ask another family member to be the reliable contact during those times.
Shut down your email system or silence your computer so you don’t hear the ding of a newly arrived email. And for goodness sake, get off Facebook!
By treating your time with the same respect you give to others, you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish and how much peace and sanity you add to your day.
Related: 3 Surefire Strategies to Value Yourself And Stop Working for Free
Time Management Tip: Get Clear On YOUR Work
Imagine for a moment you’re the owner of a million dollar business. Do you think a good use of your time is to search for photos, set up your newsletter broadcast, or schedule posts to Facebook and Pinterest?
Probably not, in fact, I’m sure of it.
Get clear and focus on the tasks you excel at doing. If you’re a blogger, your content is critical to your success. No one else can write with your voice. It’s a task that can’t be delegated. Same goes with planning your next e-book, free giveaway or in the development of a product.
These aren’t the tasks that get squeezed in some time in the day; these are the tasks that get your time and attention and make up the primary focus of your work.
Once you shift your mindset and see how vital and important it is for you to focus your best time on the things that only you can do, you’ll see a dramatic increase in your business growth.
I know that if you’re just starting out, you probably can’t afford to hire an assistant. Until then, you’ll want to give your best hours of the day to the most important tasks.
Related: How To Adopt A Millionaire Mindset
Time Management Tip: Plan Your Day
Some say you should start your day by spending 30 minutes before you begin work to plan out what your day will look like.
Here’s what I do: at the end of each day, I clear my desk and put everything back where it needs to be. I hate a messy work environment, and I don’t like to sit at my desk at the start of the day and see clutter and junk lying around.
Then I grab my planner, and I start making a list of things that need my attention for the next day.
Once I have my list, I begin to prioritize the activities and put them in the order in which I will accomplish them. Some I know I’ll be doing myself and others are assigned to someone on my team.
The next morning, I open my planner and start working immediately. I literally hit the ground running.
I’m an early bird, so I do the most complicated or creative tasks when my mind is fresh, and I leave the less taxing items for later in the day when my energy is lower. Everyone is different, and you’ll have to decide you’re most productive hours of the day.
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How Do I Know When I Need To Delegate More?
When I’m overwhelmed with the amount of items that are on my to-do list or when I can’t seem to get to all the emails in my inbox, I know it’s time to start considering hiring more help.
This includes house help too! Nothing is more freeing than when you can give up cleaning your home!
The other thing to consider is when it just makes sense to let someone else do the task because you’re hourly rate is greater than what you’d likely pay them. For example, if it costs me $100 for someone to clean my home and it takes me 2 hours to complete this task, and I’m making more than $50 an hour, then maybe it’s time to outsource it.
Related: It’s Time To Delegate
Time Management Is An Art
Increasing your revenue is definitely possible once you reevaluate how you spend your time and make the necessary adjustments.
Invest your time only on tasks that will generate income and only you can do, and you’ll start to see your business grow.
I’m a professional cleaner with over 13 years of hands-on experience cleaning homes, a published writer, certified money specialist, and the founder of A Mess Free Life. After paying off over $50,000 in debt, I dedicated myself to helping others master their homes and their money — proving that a clean, organized, stress-free life is possible no matter where you’re starting from. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me cooking, playing bocce, sipping an extra dirty martini, or enjoying the ocean with my cats nearby. I’m also a proud mom and grandma who cares deeply for my mother at home.
