Building a profitable blog takes time. Developing the content, keyword research, monetization, searching for to right images, promoting and branding on social bookmarking and media sites, building relationships with other bloggers all take time. If you have another job, home school or work while raising kid it just makes things more interesting.A work schedule can help you stay productive and meet your short-term and long-term goals. Your schedule doesn’t have to be a corporate-style nine to five. Remember, the beauty of working from home is that your work day can be as flexible as you need it to be.
When I first started working from home, I was home schooling my five year old and my twins were toddlers. Childcare was not an option. I had to figure out how to put time into my business without neglecting the children.
The schedule that worked for me was getting up around 5:00 am each morning (even though I’m not a morning person) to work for a few hours before the kids woke up wanting breakfast. I spent the rest of the day educating, playing and caring for the kids. I might slip in a blog post during lunch or while everyone watched a video. I’d spend time on Twitter via my cell while the kids played outside. Once the kids were in bed, I’d work for a couple of more hours in the evening.
There are a few things to consider when planning your work schedule.
Establish Daily Rituals
Knowing that there are set things you do each day to prepare for work can help establish your working schedule. For instance, maybe you work out early in the morning, shower and enjoy a steaming cup of coffee while reading your email before getting started each day.
Use Your Calendar
Whether you use your calendar on Outlook, Google or jot notes down on a big desk calendar, having one to note important det, deadlines and events can make life easier. You can even use it to plan out your blog posts in advance so that you’re never left wondering what to say.
Forget Perfect
Someone I follow on Twitter once said that when you work from home your main priority is getting your work done and taking care of your family, which means balls get dropped all the time. That means sometimes the laundry piles up and the dishes go unwashed.
Expect the Unexpected
Kids get sick. Storms may roll in and knock out your power and Internet service. Still the show must go on. As the mom of a daughter with a chronic illness, I’m no stranger to one day working a normal work day and the next spending the day wrapping up loose ends in the ER. We do what we must to get the job done; but I must say the flexibility of being able to set your own schedule can make things much easier.
I totally agree with scheduling, I have one that works for me very well! It is flexible enough I can bend or add to it whenever it is necessary. I so agree with the calendar, I use Cozi which sends me reminders via email & text…very convenient. I also use a to do list to help with getting things scheduled for the day.
I am learning the power of scheduling. I get a lot more done when I try to schedule my time rather than wing it. My family is more supportive too when they know I will give them my attention as soon as I get a my work done
I can so relate to your post. It's finally sunk into my mom's head that there's no way the house can be spotless, the kids can be educated (I homeschool), dinner can always be on time, the laundry can be done and I get a full day's work done all at the same time.
It used to drive me crazy when she'd say “when the kids go to bed then you can clean up the house”. No mom, that's when I get time to meet my deadlines. Cleaning up the house only works one room at a time each day (maybe!) Now she openly what does get accomplished in my school/work/at home lifestyle.
Chrissy, I've heard of Cozi. I like the idea of having messages sent to me – especially by text when I'm out and about. I think I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!
lifewithless (I'm totally into simple living so I LOVE your handle), iot makes a huge difference to have your family's support!
It really can be frustrating trying to explain why things around the house go undone when you work from home. Just because you're home doesn't mean you're not working. I honestly work harder now than I did in my corporate job, but it's hard for those who don't do what we do to understand. I'm glad to hear your mom understands your lifestyle now, Cheryl.:)
This is all very good advice! I need to implement these ideas ASAP!
I'm more of the wing-it mindset. The major downside? You're thinking you should be playing when you're working and working when you're playing. Getting a few things done early and moving them OFF your plate until after the kids go to bed is most definitely a better option!
I tend to do a little of both…scheduling and winging it to be honest. I have a schedule, and I use Google calendar which sends me email reminders 15 minutes in advance and 1 minute. I, however, do not stick to it 100% of the time. I figure since I'm a work at home mom, that I don't have to be tied to a schedule, and that life does happen, and that part of the reason I chose to work from home is so I could be flexible when my family needs me or when a ministry opportunity arises at church. So, yes, I have a schedule, but it is very flexible. I think whatever works for you is best, as long as you're doing something.
For me, coming up with a schedule definitely helps. When I try to just go with the flow, I tend to get distracted and things don't get done. Great tips!