10 Tips for the Work at Home Mom

Okay… so you’re a mom… and a business owner…and a whole lotta other things trying to do all the things.

How the f*ck is it possible? We can make plans all day but if we don’t follow through, our plans are just that… plans.

So what are some key components to actually following through when it comes to running your business while dealing with your other responsibilities? Here are a few that I’ve found to be SUPER helpful:

office space

Have a designated space that is yours. Remove clutter and unrelated papers or junk. Have a fun, cute and clean space.  If you can’t have a fully dedicated space, consider having a basket or bin that contains all of your office “stuff” like notebooks, computer charger, spare pens, client notes, etc.  Keep everything in one place so when you are ready to work, it is all there.  When you are done working, put all of your work stuff away before you move on to your next task.

office hours

Plan out times during the day and week ahead of time that you will actually sit down to work.  If you need to, block them in your calendar like you do calls with clients. This helps keep you accountable. Believe me!

theme days

Do you have a sporadic schedule??? Is it constantly changing??? Instead of office hours, have THEME DAYS. This has saved my butt as a mom with a crying newborn and toddlers running around.

power hours

Plan out 15-minute increments OR a full hour of focused time on a single task. Say you have an online shop, so you have a power hour dedicated to scheduling your marketing posts on social media.  Maybe you’re a blogger and your power hour is spent writing the next week of posts (just writing, not scheduling or doing SEO optimization or adding photos…just writing). Do whatever you need to so you can be more productive.

know your strengths

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. Are you a busy bee who can sit down and focus for hours OR do you get distracted easily? Did you know statistically, the average person can only sit down and focus for a total of about 90-minutes? That’s why I recommend we know our strengths and take breaks in between those 90-minute increments.

treat it like a job

Treat it like a JOB because that’s what it is! Make it a priority and stop making excuses.

know when you need rest

All that we do is tiring, which is why finding time to rest keeps us going.  A helpful reminder:  Folding laundry while you cook dinner is not rest.  Answering emails while you “watch a movie” with your kids is also not rest.

lower your expectations

As much as we may want to be superwoman, it isn’t realistic.  It can be soul-sucking and disappointing.  Think about the things in life that you are ok letting go of.  Does your house need to be swept and vacuumed daily or is it ok to do it twice a week?  Does the laundry NEED to be perfectly folded just the way you like it, or can your kids or partner fold and put away their own clothes?  Do you HAVE to show up on social media for your business every day or can you reclaim a few hours of time each week to spend on something else?  Will your family survive if they have take-out occasionally so you can spend an extra hour or two finishing up client work?

accept help

I’m guessing we all have people in our lives who see us busting a** and want to step up and help, but we won’t let them, or they don’t know how they can help.  If someone genuinely asks if they can do something that would be helpful to you, let them!

figure out swaps

Do you have other crazy-busy friends who could also benefit from a little help?   Maybe you can make a double batch of enchiladas this week and your friend can make a double batch of spaghetti next week.  Both take almost no time to double, and if your friend takes the extra batch of enchiladas home this week and you pick up spaghetti on your way home from running kids next week, you both win a night of cooking-free dinner!  This same idea can be used to get grocery pickup at the same time as a friend, with kids and carpools during activities, or for mid-day playdates.  The trick is to make sure that the swap is not actually going to COST you time in the end.

At the end of the day, I’m guessing that we are all going to choose the title Mom first, and CEO second.  But it is possible to do both successfully.  Use the ten components outlined above or come up with your own to make sure you are actually following through on your responsibilities for both your business and your personal life and not just talking big plans without getting things done.