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The Best Time Management Technique for the Work at Home Mom
As a work at home mom, you probably have more than one time management technique because it takes many different
techniques to be successful at time management and the successful running of a home and a home business
simultaneously. However, as a work at home mom, you probably know that planning is the most important time
management technique you could possibly employ.
Planning may involve the use of calendars, day planners, lists and any other time management technique that works
for you. That's the real key – to find the best time management technique that works for your situation. You may
prefer to use software and keep your calendar and all your lists on your computer. It doesn't really matter where
these things are kept, as long as they are managed. That means looking at your calendar daily and updating as
needed. Sadly, too many people who take the time to write information on their calendars subsequently forget to
look at them.
A time management log is a useful time management technique because it reminds you what really happened as opposed
to what you planned on happening. This kind of log will help you to adjust your calendar as needed by increasing
the amount of time you spend on one activity while limiting the amount of time you spend on another if
necessary.
Most of us have more to do than we have time to do and the work at home mom is no different. Another important time
management technique to use even after the calendar has been filled in is to plan for the very next day the night
before. By this time, you probably know more about your schedule than you did when you first made the notation in
your calendar and you can be more specific, limiting or increasing the time you had previously set aside for this
project or activity.
Even though it is important for the work at home mom to separate her work and home life for the sake of keeping
work hours separate, another time management technique is to remember to use those snippets wisely whether they
fall under home or professional work. For example, if you spend much of your time on the phone, it would be wise to
invest in a hands free headset so that you're not tied down. While it can be difficult to fold towels or throw
supper together with the phone scrunched between your shoulder and your ear, with both hands free, you'll have the
opportunity to get busy work out of the way whether you're on home time or work time.
Another important time management technique is to get and stay organized. This means your work space as well as
your living space. While it's fun to use colorful boxes and bins, it can be expensive especially if you try to
purchase everything you might need all at once. If your budget can withstand those creative storage purchases,
that's great. If not, you can always start out with shoeboxes and containers you already own and build from there.
The important thing is to have a place for everything and be able to find things quickly so you don't waste time
looking for them.
Clutter and time management are close cousins so taming clutter is a valuable time management technique anyone can
use and especially helpful for the work at home mom. Paper clutter is perhaps the biggest clutter problem many of
us face yet it, too is easily tamed. Once it becomes habit to handle each piece of paper just once and take care of
it, throw it away or file it, the whole paper mess will diminish almost overnight.
Time management is an ongoing process that if practiced diligently can literally change your life and make life
easier for you and your family.
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