Work At Home Musings

I apologize for my blatant borrowing from Hamlet, but everyday I wake up and realize that I have so much to do, and so little time! Trying to remember everything in my head just does not seem to work. I have struggled with trying to find a good to-do list on the internet, so I came up with my own system.

1. I purchased a pad of weekly calendar sheets from the local craft store. This pad also has magnets on the back. At the beginning of each week I write all the appointments and school assignments and activities for my daughters on the pad and hang it on the front door. This works for me because I see it every time I go out. Good thing we have a metal door!
2. I developed with own to-do list. This list is on an 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper and is divided into three columns so that it can easily be folded. Categories include: Things to Get (store and shopping lists); Places to Go (appointments and other activities); Phone Calls; To Do - Home; To Do - Work; and, Today I Am Going To… (a small task that I want to tackle for the day, i.e. clean under the bed or organize the DVDs). I try to reevaluate each night. I will use the same list until it gets full. The back is blank and I use it to jot down ideas or reminders if needed.

You can download a free copy of my To Do List here if you think it can help you organize your time better!

When you work at home you wear many different hats during the day – chef, chauffer, tutor, maid, webmaster, entrepreneur and mommy! Is it possible to do everything you need to in one day? I often find myself running out of time each day and wondering where all the hours went.

One of the first things you can do to manage your time more effectively is to try and create a schedule. This will work well some days, but not others. However, if you have it written down it is much easier to get back on track the following day. Start your schedule by first listing the fixed items. For example, if you have school age children, you have definite drop off and pick up times. Next block off times for general tasks (i.e. cleaning, web design, cooking, phone calls, etc.). I find this easier then trying to be really specific. I used to start with one task and let it take over the whole day, now I limit my time for each task. Yes, the house is not 100% clean every day, but at least a portion gets cleaned everyday. Sometimes I am like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – I WANT IT NOW! I want my website to be finished. I want the kitchen painted and the living room curtains hung. I want all the laundry washed, dried and put away (in my dreams). But now I have learned that working on each area a little each day makes the week go a lot smoother and more gets accomplished.