Getting there virtually with Amy Holding
Scheduling time to be home
As a working mom and business owner, one of my biggest challenges is finding time to be home.
Now since I work in a home office, I do not mean this literally. I am at my house way more often than most.
What I am actually referring to is that sense of home that brings some down time and relaxation along with it. You know, the time when you can just kick back and build a puzzle with your kids, read for leisure or just indulge in a few moments of mindless TV.
This challenge is increasingly heightened now that the holiday season has fallen upon us. Between the shopping, baking, parties, school concerts and fundraisers there is enough going on to make your head spin. And finding time for it all and saying NO when necessary is not an easy task.
So, how does one go about managing it all?
You guessed it, a schedule. Scheduling your time is critical at the holidays, but also very important throughout the whole year. Having adequate time set aside and a prioritization of activities for both work and home is vitally important for a healthy balance.
How do you know what to prioritize?
It depends upon your goals. For me, my schedule is a direct result of the goals I have set for myself and for my business. And with 2009 right around the corner this is perfect time to talk about the process of goal planning.
Annual Goals
Prior to the start of the year (whether is it the calendar year or fiscal) you should set up at least one goal in each of the areas listed below.
1. Professional/Career/Business
2. Personal
3. House
4. Family
5. Social/Community
Annual goals are not things that can be completed in a day or two; they are intended to be the basis of your work plan for the entire year. An example of an annual goal would be to organize your home and get rid of items that haven’t been used by any family member in the last 12 months. This is not where you would list smaller items, like cleaning out a coat closet for example. Those types of activities should be left for your monthly and weekly schedules.
Monthly, Weekly and Daily Goals
Don’t get worried, I am not suggesting that you set more goals for yourself on top of your annuals ones. The monthly, weekly and daily goals that you will set for yourself are directly related to your annual goals. It will be a way to accomplish all the required steps to reach the larger goal that you set. Using a simplified example of organizing your home, your “mini goals” may look something like this:
Month 1 –Kitchen
Week 1 – Go through items always in plain site on the counters, tables, above the fridge etc
Week 2 – Clean and organize all lower cabinets below counter tops
Week 3 – Clean and organize all cabinets above counter tops
Week 4 – Clean and organize pantry
Month 2 – Master Bedroom
Scheduling
Once you have set some goals for yourself and you get working on them you will definitely feel a sense of accomplishment. And to keep the momentum of this going throughout the whole year, it is essential that your time scheduling is reflective of the goals and allows time to accomplish these priorities that you set for yourself.
You have to physically schedule the time to perform the tasks, otherwise they will go undone. For me and my challenge of finding time to just “be home” I schedule blocks of time where my computer is off-limits. That enables me to focus on my kids and build that puzzle with them or flip through the local paper.
Stay tuned, as in the next session I will go over the steps involved of setting up a professional goal.
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