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How can I work from home as a mom and get my job done!

How did I do it all before!

Work a traditional job and have time to take care of my family, our home, laundry, grocery, and all the things?

Are you having these or similar thoughts as a work from home mom?

How To Be Productive As A Work From Home Mom

These are some of the thoughts I had when I first started my entrepreneurial journey. I was so busy trying to do everything and not getting my work done.

It was a struggle to work from home when I started my business. I was flabbergasted. Why couldn’t I find my rhythm and be more productive working from home?

There had to be a way for me to work more productively.

I have had demanding jobs where I wore several hats and was able to get my projects completed within time. Where I met or exceeded the goals and expectations of my managers. However, working for myself has been different.

How did I manage as a working mom, working outside the home and care for my family?

I looked back at how I worked for companies and identified the skills and processes I used to be successful and incorporated them into my own business.

You Need To Know Why You’re Working From Home

Before we go further we need to remember or identify why we’re working from home. Working from home comes with its own challenges. It’s hard, especially when you’re developing a business from scratch while caring for your family.

We need to hold on to our “why” to help us get through the difficult times.

I’m working from home so I can have the flexibility to take care of my family. I did not want to continue dropping my children off early mornings when it was dark and picking them up late evenings when it was dark.

Why are you working from home?

Related Article: Must-Dos For Working Moms After Giving Birth

Working From Home For A Company Versus Working For Myself

For almost three years I worked remotely in the staffing industry. I loved the flexibility of having the ability to work from anywhere in the world as long as I had internet, my computer, and phone. I was able to travel and visit family without been confined to an office every day.

Keep in mind, this was before I became a mom. My life was very different then.

Working From Home For A Company

How I was Able To Work From Home and Be Productive?

I treated work time as “work time” just as if I was working outside the home in a traditional job.

Maintain Your Routine Of Leaving Home For Work
- I kept the same routine of getting up and getting ready to go to work outside my home.
Get Dress For Work Every Day
- I got dressed and ready to work every day.
Have Dedicated Work Hours
- Once my work hours started and I was on the “clock” I was at work.
Take Lunch Breaks
- I used my lunchtime to either run errands, prep dinner or do tasks around the home such as a load of laundry.
Have A Dedicated Work Area
- I had a dedicated office or office area where I worked. So I actually went into my home office.
Use Calendar To Manage Your Time & Time Block
- I used my calendar to schedule my meetings and blocked the times I would work on different projects.
Inform Family & Friends That You Are Working
- I had to let my family and friends know that I was still working even though I was working from home.

Differences Working From Home With A Company & Working For Myself

The major difference in working from home for a company and working for myself is accountability or lack thereof.

Over the last year, I had to work on keeping promises to myself. I will work my tush off to make sure I achieve the goals given by my employer on time and within the scope of the project. Often either meeting or exceeding the goals I was given.

I’m still learning how to use this same drive in achieving the goals I have for myself and my business. I’m a solopreneur building a business from scratch. I’m learning each day on this entrepreneurial journey.

When I worked for companies, I had expectations and goals to meet given by my managers and companies. As an entrepreneur, I developed the goals myself. This has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantage: I can adjust my goals and deadlines as needed!

Disadvantage: I can adjust my goals and deadlines as needed!

Multi-Tasking, Time Blocking, And Focus To Improve Productivity

MULTITASKING

Girl! I’m the queen of multitasking! My brain is constantly going with several ideas.

From a young age, I was able to make multi-course meals. I used multitasking throughout college and my career to be “more productive”.

In college, I worked two to three jobs while maintaining a full-time college schedule and maintain a social life.
As I climbed the corporate ladder I became better at multitasking as I gained more responsibility.

My master’s degree is in project management. We simulated projects to research whether multitasking makes us more efficient and productive. I learned that though multitasking helps us work on several projects at once, It’s not the most effective process.When you’re trying to deliver quality outcomes on time and within the scope and time of projects.

FOCUS

My word for 2019 is FOCUS.

I have been multitasking in order to juggle the demands from all the “hats” I wear for several years.

When I became a mom multitasking helped me handle all the additional work that comes from being a parent. There are definitely advantages to multitasking.

Breaking The Habit Of Multitasking With FOCUS

One of the biggest challenges I had, when I became a work from home mom, was finding time to exercise.

Maintaining consistency with my exercise routine eluded me for years. I was finally able to develop a routine and consistently exercise for more than one year from 2017 to 2018. After years of struggling to feel fit and healthy.

My big goal from 2017 to 2018 was to get fit. I wanted to be a fit mom. I had to work hard to make exercise and health apart of my lifestyle. Focusing primarily on that one goal taught me the power of focusing on one Big Goal at a time.

I’m now in my third year of maintaining a consistent exercise routine and making healthier eating choices. I recently completed my first 5K race in over 15 years. As I ran through the finish line I thought to myself I could have run longer.

Three years ago I struggled to catch my breath going up a flight of stairs. Last week I ran 3.1 miles without stopping.

TIME BLOCK + FOCUS = PRODUCTIVITY

As I mentioned earlier, I’m the queen of multitasking. I have developed a love for books and podcasts that’s beneficial to my personal and professional development. I take every opportunity I can to squeeze in time to listen to podcasts and books.

While I’m cooking, doing laundry and cleaning, I listen to books and podcasts. When I started doing this, I felt like I had made the best discovery ever! I felted accomplished when I would complete a book and while washing several loads of laundry! What!!!

However, there is a but. I realized I wasn’t as efficient at completing either task as I could.

MULTITASKING MADE ME LESS EFFICIENT

When I heard a good point in the book or podcast I would stop the recording and take notes. As a writer, I generate ideas for articles listening to books and podcasts. Each time a point triggered an idea I would stop, rewind the section and make a note. Repeating this process several times sometimes.

I struggled to maximize the six hours I had between taking my daughters to school and picking them up. I started testing different work from home processes that would help me be more efficient and productive with my time.

Within those six hours, I was trying to work out at the gym, work on my business, prep dinner, clean up the house and run errands such as grocery shopping depending on the day. The time would come for me to pick up my daughters and I would find that the projects for my business did not get much attention, hence not completed.

TIME YOUR SELF – USE A TIMER

What happens when you focus solely on one task?

I used a timer to test what happens to my productivity when I focus on one task within a given time frame. The experiment was conducted doing chores at homes such as cleaning up the kitchen and laundry. The chores were completed without multitasking. I found that I was able to accomplish more in less time. I worked faster when I solely focused on one task. Working as fast as I could finish without distractions. Whatever got completed within that time, was it and I would move on to the next task.

The process was then incorporated within projects for my business. I worked in 15 and 30-minute blocks and worked to complete projects within that given time. This helped me complete projects more efficiently.

Work From Home Processes For Work From Home Moms

When my daughters went back to school after the summer break I began to try different work routines to see which would help me be more productive.

Prior to the summer, I went to the gym almost every weekday. I went directly to the gym after taking my daughters to school for about an hour.

After the summer I decided to take one or two days during the week to solely work on my business.

SOLE FUCOS DAYS

Days, dedicated to only working on your business.

MULTITASK + TIME BLOCKING

Work on several projects a day within a predetermined time block. Examples: 9 am to 10 am gym; 10:30 am to 11:30 am prep dinner; 12 noon to 2:00 pm focus on work.

Tips For Work From Home Moms

Treat Work Time As Work Time.
Test and try what works best for you and your family.
Use the tools and processes that helped you be productive when you worked outside your home.
Utilize childcare assistance to help you handle working from home with kids.
Leave your house if you need to get away from distractions. Go to a coffee shop, the library or a shared workspace.
Outsource what you can to get help and use that time to get your work completed.
Get a cleaning service to help keep your home clean.
Meal prep or use a meal service if you’re able.
Use grocery pick up of delivery services to save time on grocery shopping.
Remember laundry will always be there.

The primary key to been productive as a work from home mom is to treat your work time as work time. Plan and schedule the time you are working. During the time frame you have scheduled for work, FOCUS on the projects you plan to complete.

Best regards as you embark on your work from home journey. Working from home has been very beneficial and a blessing for me and my family. I now have the ability to drop my daughters off to school and pick them up during the daylight. Before I worked from home my daughters spent close to 11 hours a day in school, before and aftercare. I’m thankful for the opportunity to work from home so I can take care of my family.

What other tips can you share to help us be more productive as a work from home mom? What challenges are you facing as a Work From Home Mom?

I would absolutely love to hear about your journey working from home. You can comment below or email me directly on yamiek@rockstarcareermoms.com

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