Justine Simard asked:
Is it really much easier to work from home? Whereas work at home mums have more flexibility around their personal and professional commitments, they continue to have just as much need and demands to succeed in each role. So how can mothers ensure that carrying out their work in a home environment and being their own boss doesn’t negatively impact on the results they create? Taking your professional role seriously while at home will be critical to creating the best outcomes, and here are five vital factors in establishing a professional mindset and routine.
1. Determine Measurable Targets and Track Your Progress. Performance reviews and job descriptions are important tools to most businesses. They are simply just as important for work at home mums, whether they work for themselves or work for an employer who does not regularly examine their outcomes. First, establish the tasks you must achieve. Break it up in units, steps and milestones, and do not forget to include timeframes. Next, set your criteria for successful completion, once again including a timeline. This exercise performed frequently can actually help you establish the standards for your work and what you want to accomplish. It can help you monitor your tasks, your timelines and your results. Most significantly, it will help you analyse your performance and ascertain that what you are doing is working. If you’re not reaching your goals, you need to either change them, rectify the timelines or modify your actions to attain them.
2. Working Time Is For Working. Family time is for being a mum. There is nothing wrong with handling your washing between phone calls. But, work at home mums need a work schedule. Based on your goals and responsibilities, establish a weekly timetable which is detailed around the duration and the nature of your tasks. Flexibility is great; it enables you to diverge from your timetable if you need to. It doesn’t mean you don’t need a schedule! Some ‘serious work’ periods of time ought to be assigned throughout the week at times when you’re not likely to be disturbed by your children, friends and family, or your chores. These periods can be your power hours, when you can concentrate and be very productive. In the periods when you are likely to be disturbed, schedule little tasks that do not require your complete attention.
3. Create Habits. As a work at home mum, I used to find myself doing many work- and family-related tasks without completing each of them. I’d end up later in the day with lots of loose ends to manage. A record not filed, an email not sent, a plate not put away in the dishwasher, and a note not made on the spot would together produce a mess that needed to be dealt with when I was in fact ready to either go to bed or start my serious work period. A number of these tasks would also take more time to complete because I would need to re-open files, remember what I needed to put in writing or handle an entire day’s worth of tidying up in the house. Creating habits takes time. In fact, it takes approximately 30 days of consistent action to create a habit. So finish what you start. Finish off as you go, both in your office and your house. Become a highly efficient person who opens and closes tasks without delay, and you will see the change in each your time span and your head space.
4. Strive To Create Maximum Outcomes. You may be a mum working at home on your dining table between school pick-ups, or in between breastfeeds, but this is still work. It is what pays you. It is what enables you to be home for your family while creating the income that will provide you the lifestyle you want. Hard work, drive and dedication get results. Being your own boss can be your chance to expand your knowledge, widen your scope and set greater goals for yourself. It’s up to you to get the new knowledge and skills you need to be excellent at what you do, be efficient at getting great results, and thoroughly enjoy your work. Take your work seriously, and you will get serious results!
5. Be Resourceful. Determine the tools you need to effectively complete your tasks, and acquire them. You may not have an employer or manager to ask you to conferences or training sessions. There are some things for which work at home mums may need to outsource services or resources: 1. Training, 2. Business Tools, 3. Support/Advice/Mentoring, and 4. Networking/Teamwork. With the help of the web, you can now find anything you possibly need to run a business successfully from home, whether it is technical support, financial tools, promoting materials, private coaching, a masterminding group, specialised coaching, and even business partners.
Working from home can be extremely gratifying, particularly when there’s a great balance between personal and professional commitments, and when the specified outcomes are reached. Work at home mums who take their job or business seriously will produce more positive results for themselves while being in control of their work-life balance. These mums set and measure their goals, have a work schedule, create effective habits, finish their tasks, are resourceful, and are determined and devoted to achieving greater results.
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