10 Tips for Busy Moms and Women Managing Work and Home

I found this great little article that gives each of us Work at Home Mom's a bit of a guide to go off of and a set of rules to set in place for ourselves. Somehow having rules to keep you on course helps to prevent becoming sidetracked to often.

Check these...Top 10 Tips for Busy Moms and Women Working from Home

1. ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES BETWEEN WORK AND HOME

Schedule how many hours you will spend at work and stay focused on achieving your three or four most important work goals for the week or day. Work hard at work but know when to go home and when you get there, be at home. Spend quality time engaged in self-renewing activities with people you care about. Women who are well-balanced thrive more in both environments.


2.PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE

For busy moms and women, every minute in the morning is precious. Get out the door faster by preparing the night before. Pre-pack lunches, backpacks and purses; coordinate bathroom schedules; plan and lay out clothes; and review the following day's schedule before going to bed at a good time.

3. TAKE TIME FOR WEEKLY AND DAILY PLANNING

Set aside 20 minutes each week and 10 minutes each day to plan your time and schedule, including the most important goals, tasks and appointments. Reviewing your week and day can also give you added insight as to how you can better manage your time.

4. WRITE IT DOWN

Remembering everything without recording it is a challenge that eludes even the brightest minds. Use a planning tool, either a paper planner or planning software and a handheld device, to enter your goals, tasks, appointments and contacts.

5. GROUP LIKE TASKS

Grouping similar tasks or tasks that can be completed together will maximize your time. If you have to revisit the same store multiple times for things that could have been purchased the first trip, you are spending not saving time.

6.SAY "NO"

When presented with a new opportunity on which to spend your time, ask yourself, "What is the wisest and best use of my time right now and what do I have to remove from my schedule in order to make time for this?" If the given opportunity does not meet that criterion, appropriately and graciously say, "No."

7. ESTIMATE YOUR TIME

The easiest way to get overwhelmed is by being unrealistic about how long it takes to complete certain tasks. Realistically estimate how long each of your goals or tasks will take to complete and schedule the appropriate amount of time into your planning system.

8. BE FLEXIBLE

Circumstances change, and new opportunities can be both urgent and important. Be flexible and willing to change your schedule and reprioritize it to accomplish something that is most important.

9. ESTABLISH ROUTINES

Guarantee that you make time for what is important by creating routines. Set aside a regular time in the day to spend time with your spouse, kids, or on those activities that are important to you in your life. For example, spend time each night talking with your family about their day or time exercising.

10. MAKE "ME-TIME" A PRIORITY - RENEW YOURSELF

One of the number one complaints women have about their over-packed schedule is the lack of time for self. Self-renewal leads to having a more balanced life. Make time in your schedule for activities (physical health, escape and people) which are renewing and re-energizing.

The two I have the most difficult time with are saying NO and taking ME time!

What about you?