When people learn about the different things I do, the next thing I usually hear is, “How do you do it all?”
How do I take care of 2 children under 5, run my own business, write for several blogs, and find time to craft? The quick answer is, I don’t. Usually something suffers when I’m working on one of those things. Most of the time something gets ignored. Mainly housework and sleep.
After my family, my business is next on priority list. Passion Parties pays the bills and allows me to be a work at home mom. So before I have time for crafting or blogging, I first must work my business.
I’m going to share some tips on how I manage running a business and do all of those other things I love. I think these tips will work well for any aspect of your life.
1. Set office hours. It sounds obvious but I had heard this tip over and over in the 8 1/2 years I’ve been in Passion Parties. Let your family know when you will be working. That way they know not to interrupt you. You don’t have to tell your clients what your hours are. Just know that these are the hours you’ll answer work emails, return phone calls, etc. I usually work weekday mornings while Sophia is in preschool, make client & team training phone calls in the evenings after she’s in bed. Then I do my parties Fridays and Saturdays.
2. Stick to your office hours. I know, easier said than done. When you work from home or a business owner, it’s hard to stop working. Five minutes here, five minutes there. It adds up. Believe me, your family notices that you’re not present. I taught my 4 year old that when I’m at the computer, I’m working. The other day she mentioned that I’m at my computer all the time. Granted I’m not working everytime I’m at my desk (hello Twitter addiction), but it made me realize I need to be physically and mentally around for my family. They’re the main reason I work from home!
3. Get your family on a schedule. My daughter is in bed by 7PM every night, 7:30 at the latest. We eat dinner at 5:30, into the bath by 6PM and pjs and story by 6:30. It sounds strict, but the times aren’t exact. Believe me, setting a schedule was harder on ME than the kids. Sophia knows what to expect every night. On a good night, the baby will go down for a few hours by 8PM. From 8PM to 9PM, I make business calls when it’s quiet. My husband knows this. If he’s home early from work, he’ll grab the baby if he won’t go to sleep or wakes up.
Granted I don’t always stick to my office hours or the kids’ schedules. But when I do, everything runs more smoothly and I don’t feel stressed.
Now I just need to figure out a schedule for my blogging and crafts!
Photo via garryknight