Wish You were an Octopus?

I’ve been seeing a recurring theme addressed among the business mom groups that I belong to—the all encompassing battle with trying to stay organized and getting all the things you have to get done in order to balance family life and business life at home.

And as I sit to write this article, I’m reminded of an image of a mommy octopus whose tentacles are busy handling chores simultaneously—all in one swoosh she’s washing dishes, changing diapers, ironing clothes, cooking dinner, sweeping floors, putting laundry away, answering the phone, and maybe handing out a business card—Oh if it was all that simple…but since we don’t have an extra 3 pair of hands….

Here are 10 simple things to help keep us organized:

1-                 Write down your goals and your things to do list

2-                 Schedule time to do your business tasks/chores

3-                 Schedule different time slots to do your family tasks/chores (if you have children who are at the age to help with household tasks make sure you get them to help (your goal as a parent is to also make your kids self-sufficient and this is how it begins)

4-                 Make sure to put time in the schedule to promote your business

5-                 Keep a separate business list and family/household list

6-                 Have a business space that is separate and apart from the public family space

7-                 Stay tuned in to like-minded positive thinking business folks

8-                 Research and read on how to organize yourself—you have to be taught, it’s not automatic

9-                 Take the time to regroup: keep the things that work for you and stop doing what doesn’t work

10-               Pace yourself—take the time to relax when you need to so you can revitalize and do it all over again the next day, and the next week, and the next month, and so on and so on.

So just stay focused and don’t give up your dream.

Maureen

Owner and Creator of The Online Shopping Boutique