Top Ten Tips for Being a WAHM
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Deciding to be come a work at home mum/mom (WAHM) can be extremely rewarding, but often also requires a balancing act. Many mums have told me one of the main reasons they wanted to work from home is to spend more time with their children and families, but they end up working crazy hours, or family life can overtake work time. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way to help you juggle both.
1. Get organised. Figure out your short, mid and long term goals, both for your business and personal life, and then start working on a plan to achieve them. It doesn’t have to be a full business plan, but you need to have an idea of where you’re going in order to get there without losing your way.
2. Lists, lists, lists! Once you’ve planned where you want to be, break your plan down into smaller areas and start making lists. A great tip I heard recently is to have your to-do list short and only list what you can realistically achieve today. Having heaps of incompleted tasks on your to-do list can be depressing. Keep a ‘One Day Soon’ list for those instead. One you have your plans and goals, make to-do lists.
3. Multitask and switch it around. We’ve all reached burn out time at one point, or have a tedious or boring task we just don’t want to do. If something is really going nowhere, move onto something else and come back later, often with a clearer head. As a WAHM, there’s always something else that needs doing. However, if you really need to get the task done, then I’ve found a way to get through it. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
4. Set work hours, and follow them. Just because you work from home, doesn’t mean you have to be available 24/7. Set work times around what suits your family, and stick to them. Don’t sit up working all night long every night. There will always be ’something else’ that needs doing. The day I finish my entire list of tasks and ideas is the day I retire.
5. Make a separate space for work and family. While it may be easier to work in the same area as your children play while they’re young, it alwys helps to have a dedicated office area. This will help you focus, have a place to store your important things away from sticky little fingers, and also give you a place to work without disruption when you are able to.
6. Get your kids and the family to help. If your kids are young, they aren’t going to be able to pack orders or answer the phone, but even small children can help by putting their toys away or helping to sort the washing. Older children can stick stamps, stuff envelopes, help with filing, dry dishes, fead the family pet. Make sure everyone pulls their weight in the household, you’ll be doing your children a big favour in the long run.
7. Take time for you. When balancing work and family, you often forget an important part of the equation: you. You have probably heard the bank account analogy. Think of yourself as a bank account; if all you make are withdrawels, sooner or later you will collapse. When scheduling your work and family time, always schedule some time to relax, socialise, and do what you like to do.
8. Make friends. Even if you don’t have a lot of time available, friends are an important part of maintaining your physical and mental health. Remember to take time to keep your friendships alive. Having some friends who also work from home can be great to bounce ideas around with, and to share and solve problems together.
9. Stay positive. One of the biggest keys to success is keeping a positive attitude. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish as long as you believe you can do it. Plus, you’ll be setting a great life example for your kids at the same time.
