It is a big decision to work from home. Many moms make this decision so they can stay home with their children and still bring an income into their homes. Without time management it will be hard to get anything done.
The first thing you will want to do is develop a schedule. Be sure the schedule leaves room for flexibility. I plan mine in half hour increments. I also have a separate ‘tracking’ sheet of all the daily work tasks I want to accomplish throughout the day. I keep this so that I can refer to it if I need to make adjustments to my goals or schedule.
Be sure to plan in breaks. If you were working at an office you would be taking a lunch break daily. Make sure you do this at home, too. I even plan in breaks to play with my kids. They are less “needy” when I am trying to work if they get undivided attention at different points of the day.
This is an odd one, but it works; set alarms. I know it seems crazy, but you can really get caught up in cleaning or playing or working. These alarms will help you know when it is time to change activities. The alarm that I must set daily is the one to start dinner. I get so caught up in what I am doing the time just flies by. If I am going to have dinner on the table when my husband gets home, I need to set this alarm.
Tools to do the job may not seem important to time-management, but they are essential. If you are going to be working at home, you need to be comfortable. These tools will be different for each mom. For me it was investing in a netbook and a smart phone. I can work where my kids are playing and I can easily take it with me. I have all my tools at my finger tips even if we are at the park.
Implementing these strategies you will be more productive throughout the day. It will help you keep command of your life.