Balancing Your Home and Business Life without Having Super Powers

Article by: Aurelia Williams

For moms who work from home, balancing the home and business sides of their lives can feel downright impossible, especially when the reason they began working from home was so they could spend more time with family. However, many home businesses actually fail because moms don’t manage to balance business and home life. How can you juggle your family’s needs, your business needs and occasionally find some time for your needs without being a super hero?

The first thing any mom should do to achieve balance is to get the family involved. If your children and husband support you, you will find that they interrupt less often and are more likely to pitch in to get household chores done. You’re probably thinking that will happen the day the moon turns to blue cheese, right? However, if you mention that you need to get a major project done and will be able to buy a pizza and rent a video when you are paid, you may be surprised at how quickly everyone pitches in to help out.

If you have young children, they may not be able to understand the concept of waiting for a reward. To get your younger children involved, try explaining what you are doing in very simple terms and having them help you. Set up a small desk or table for your toddlers and add crayons and paper so they can help you with your work by drawing some pictures or writing a letter. Children that are a bit older can put stamps on envelopes and seal them, paperclip papers together or do other simple organizational tasks.

Of course, no matter how supportive your family and friends are, they are not going to be happy if you work 15 hours a day. Make sure that you ask for uninterrupted time to do your job or run your business, but also make sure that you schedule time for your family and friends. While you are making up that schedule, don’t forget your significant other. If you sit at your computer all evening after the children are tucked away for the night, you may end up with some serious relationship issues!

Once your family and friends are involved and you’ve scheduled time for them in your life, it is time to consider a few ways to make the most of your valuable work time. While you may be tempted to work non-stop during the time you have dedicated to your business, you should actually try to take some breaks. Taking a half-hour walk or having lunch away from your desk can really help you recharge your mind and keeps your body from growing stiff and tired. When you sit back down, you can do so with a clearer view of your goals and fresh energy and focus.

Also, don’t be afraid to make a “to do” list for your business. Write the four or five items you absolutely must do on your list and promise yourself that you will get them done before you visit your favorite forums or check your email. This can really help you get more work accomplished in less time.

So, although you may not have super powers, you can still have a home life, a business life and some time for yourself. The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath, ask your family for some help and try out a few of these great ideas for balancing your life.

Article by: Aurelia Williams is the author of Journey To Joy, an inspiring eBook that explores many obstacles that women face. It also provides essential action steps, worksheets, resources and an hour long Balancing Your Life Audio.

What does this have to do with time management? Really… nothing… except the analogy that even though times have changed the options, the choices are still yours to make. Everyone has their own unique style. What works for someone else may not work for you.

Modern technology has provided a multitude of time management tools for each of us to use. Paper products such as wall calendars, desk calendars, spiral bound planners and loose-leaf organizers are still very popular options. Over time, PC software tools, website utilities, and smartphones have joined in the possibilities. The options are virtually endless. Explore these tools and determine which one, or combination, fits your individual needs.

Scheduling of your time for optimum productivity also presents many options. Consider how and when you work at your best. Are you the type that gets more done when you start a task and stick to with it all day long without distraction? (Is the lack of distraction even possible?) Or do you prefer to complete a big project in smaller steps and do multiple, different tasks in one day? Some people are more productive in the morning, while others work late into the night. Which one are you? Figure out what works best for you and then plan accordingly.

In order to effectively manage your time, you need to choose what tools and management style work for you as an individual. Trying to do it someone else’s way is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole and will only lead to an overwhelming feeling of chaos. Doing it your way, believe it or not, could actually make scheduling a little more… fun!

How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself: Time and Space Management That Works with Your Personal Style Revised and updated, this is a fabulous resource for one of the hottest topics of the last decade–getting organized! Recognizing that just one organizational system is not for everyone, the authors have devised solutions that provide ten different systems to match ten basic personality types, such as Perfectionist Plus, Hopper, Fence Sitter, Pack Rat, and Total Slob.

If you’re feeling a little frazzled by all you have on your plate and it seems there is no time left for you to relax – or even breathe, download this quick guide. It has 15 ideas you can use right away to help reduce your stress and put a little fun back into things.

Click here to download yours.

This guide is generously provided by Journey to Joy, your guide to a more fulfilling life as a mom and Dine without Whine – every mom’s meal planning lifesaver.

*You will need Adobe Acrobat Viewer to read this file. You can download it for free here.

Who needs to be where when?

It can get a little overwhelming at times.

I rely on my Microsoft Office calendar and task manager to keep me straight and to remind me what I need to do, but this often isn’t enough for the whole family. They can’t see my computer files and in most cases, every member of the family needs to see what’s going on.

My method for solving this problem is a big ol’ wall calendar in a central location where everyone can see it. Everything that anyone has to do or pay attention to is written on this calendar.

A great way to keep it organized, visually appealing and quick to spot the details, is to color code the calendar. I use several different color pens to identify different things.

Birthdays and anniversaries are written in red. My husband’s appointments are written in navy blue, mine in purple, my daughter’s in pink (of course) and my son’s in teal. Events that the whole family participate in are in green. Vet appointments for the cats are in black. That way each member of the family can quickly see which items pertain to them without reading through a lot more information. It also saves space on the calendar because we don’t have to write the names down too.

What tips do you have for keeping your calendar functional? How do you keep track of it all?

“No” may be a tiny, two-letter word, but it can be your secret weapon. And you can say it. Here are some ways you can say “no” without feeling guilty about it:

Sorry, I’m taking a break.

The number one reason why you should say, “no” occasionally is simply that you deserve a break. You are chef, chauffeur, dish washer, and more. You job never ends on any given day of the week. You deserve a break. If you feel bad for saying “no,” say, “Sorry, I’m taking a break.”

My schedule is full.

We tend to jam-pack our schedule full of activities, leaving time for nothing. Cut back on your kids activities. Start a car pool and share driving responsibilities. Do whatever you can to free up some time in your schedule.

I don’t have time.

You’re headed out the door, rushing to the next appointment when the telephone rings. What do you do? Do you come to a screeching halt and answer the phone? Let’s say you do, and it’s a family member, calling to dump their latest woes on you. Do you stand, tapping your foot impatiently while you roll your eyes and listen to the sob story? This is a typical scene for many moms.

I have another commitment that day.

Say it and mean it. Regularly schedule in time with your family or time alone and if someone ask for your help during that time look in your planner and tell them you have another commitment.

Instead of rushing to be everything to everyone, stop. Ask yourself if you truly have time for whatever comes up. If not, say no by walking away, turning off the ringer on the phone, or not answering the knock at your door.

Always remember that you are a mom—not a super hero. When you have to say no, people will understand; if they don’t at first, they will get used to it eventually.

For more suggestions on living the life that you want to live visit Journey to Joy  (it is loaded with examples and action steps)

How did that happen?

I hit the store on the first day of the sale and more importantly, I went with a friend.  We tag-teamed the process.  It felt more like a scavenger hunt than a required chore.  It was almost fun. 

“I need two 24 packs of Crayola Crayons.  How many do you need?”

“Can you grab me a roll of paper towels and a box of zip-lock freezer bags while you’re over there?  Thanks.”

Then we stood at side-by-side checkouts chatting while we unloaded.  Four large bags of school supplies: $33.38.  Bonding with friends while doing getting it done.  Priceless!

My husband, being the wonderful and supportive guy that he is, reminded me that I actually get a ton done during the day.  He often tells me that he doesn’t know how I do it all.  I just look at him like he’s on drugs because I don’t see whatever it is that he sees.  Alright…  enough bragging about my husband… that wasn’t my point…

There are even days that I give myself a hard time about writing on the subject of “life balance for the work at home mom.”  Yea, I know how its supposed to work and I’ve actually been able to accomplish this miracle once or twice in the past, but in reality I’m just as disheveled as the next mom. 

So, I have these to-do lists and they aren’t helping me so much.  Why?  In order to research that question, I started writing down stuff next to my to-do list that I actually did during the day.  An amazing thing started to happen.  I began to realize how much I actually was getting done.  It wasn’t the stuff on my to-do lists that I still needed to do, but at least it gave me back my feeling of accomplishment. 

I wasn’t giving myself credit for all the time I spent on things that didn’t have a visible result.  Getting the dishes done or putting away laundry had a visible result.  I knew I had accomplished something.  Creating a web page or a banner, sending an invoice, receiving a payment… all tangible results.  What I kept forgetting to see was the hours I was spending following up on healthcare benefits, doing free website consultations, negotiating home financial issues, networking, etc.   How empowering! 

Now my to-do lists have two columns.  The left column is the actual daily to-do list.  The right column is the got-done list.  For example:

I still have to get my priorities in order and start doing what I scheduled to get done, but at least now I feel a lot better about my day!  Look at this… I’m even more balanced than I realize. 

Give this a try.  Let me know how it works for you. 

Any way…  If you’re having a bad day or are having thoughts you think others don’t, go check this out and see how many times you say “me too“.

Are you busy because of yourself or your children? There is a difference and there is a solution for both. The results of being too busy no matter what the reason are the same: burnout.

If you feel like you are close to going over the edge, re-evaluate the need for all of your extra activities. No one has to be superwoman anymore. If you are a member of one committee at church, you don’t need to chair another. The PTA will survive if you are not on the executive board. Every event that the neighborhood hosts doesn’t need your assistance. Too much to do usually means that something isn’t getting done.

Write all of the activities down on a sheet of paper. Next to each, list the reasons that you became involved in the first place. Be honest with yourself. If it was to impress another person, then say so. Eliminate the ones that were begun for all the wrong reasons.

Choose no more than three activities a week. If you have children, even three may be too much. Being absent from the house every evening doesn’t leave much time for family or closeness with your spouse.

Schedule your activities on the same night that the kids have their practices. They don’t need to be at the same time, but this minimizes the amount of time the family is out of the house. If everyone can take a few days a week for extracurricular activities, then that leaves the other evenings for family time.

If the cause of your imminent burnout is shuttling the kids from one venue to another, get help. Organize a carpool with the other player’s mothers. Each week, take turns carrying the entire group to practice. If you need to, give your kids a limit on the number of activities they can be involved in during the school year. Too many activities could mean meltdown for them as well. During the summer, they can add on a few extra activities since school will be out.

Getting involved in the community is great, but too much of a good thing is bad for anyone. Sometimes, you may have to say “No” when asked to volunteer in order to keep your sanity and your family. Don’t lose sight of one goal for another. Learn to balance your work, family, and extracurricular activities.

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