Running a side business from home can be hard, but running a side business while raising children is much more difficult. It requires a much different skill set. As a mom blogger who makes an income from home, these tips have helped me through working from home, and they will help you too!
Set Realistic Goals
It’s important to set goals to help measure your success, as well as keeping you from overworking yourself. First, set your long term goals. Know exactly what you’re working for. Then, determine your short term goals.
Make goals for the day, for the week, and for the month. And most importantly, if you feel as if your goals are unrealistic for the amount of time you have to accomplish everything, you should adjust your goals accordingly.
Don’t try to do the impossible, and make yourself go crazy trying to accomplish goals that were not realistic in the first place.
Take Enough Breaks
It can be hard to give yourself breaks when you are “on a roll” of sorts, or you are trying to get more done than what’s realistic. But, if you don’t give yourself breaks you will drive yourself insane.
Also, if you’re not taking your time to get work done, you’re likely not doing your best work. You will stretch yourself out to thin and it will do more harm to your productivity than good.
Take Time for Family
This is the hardest part for moms who work from home. Kids need attention. They get bored, and they need snacks every 20-30 minutes, even more often if you’re trying to be productive. It can be tempting to stick them in front of the tv just to get something done. But sadly, the more electronics they use the worse they’ll behave, and they will do whatever they can to get more time with their electronics.
It’s important to take time to entertain them and give them your full attention. Most moms want to work from home so they can spend more time with their kids. But it’s counterproductive if you’re spending all your time trying to keep them from bugging you while you’re trying to get something done.
If you need to get something done, you can try to take your work elsewhere. Take your kids to a park, play place, the library, or anywhere that they can safely play while you get something done. Even if it’s just making a to-do list, or getting your thoughts organized.
Keep a Schedule
Schedules are key! Keeping a schedule is perfect for ensuring you get enough time with your family, as well as allowing enough time to accomplish all of your tasks. You can dedicate a certain day or a certain time of day to working. Maybe before your kids wake up, after they go to bed, or during nap time. You can try enforcing a “quiet time” for your kids where they can watch a movie or read books.
Also, put time with your kids on the schedule too! Play dates, outings, or playing in the yard. You can try including the kids in activities you normally wouldn’t, to try to get in more time with them, such as cooking dinner, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, etc.
You can do this!
If you are determined, you will succeed. You will be an amazing mompreneur! Just don’t drive yourself crazy in the process! Be sure to check out our main page, Motivation for Mom!