Jennifer sat quietly on the other end of the phone. She came to me for help managing her time and structuring her day so she could work on her business while she homeschooled her children. I asked her what she did during her office time that week and she couldn’t answer. Honestly, she couldn’t tell me what she had accomplished, even though she knew she had been busy all week. She was sure that she had worked hard every day, but she didn’t dent the priorities that she really needed to address.
When I pressed her (as I can with the authority of a drill sergeant and the compassion of a hospice nurse), she began listing her excuses: an unexpected trip to the vet, a last-minute play date, a sale at Kohl’s, etc. These were the things that prevented him from working in her business. I get it. Trust me; my work time takes a backseat when something important comes up with the family. But that is an exception and not the norm.
I told her what I tell all my clients: when you’re a mom, your work is never done; when you are an entrepreneur, your work is never done. There will always be more work to do, at home and in the office. And only you can know when to put a job aside and work on the other.
If Jennifer’s situation sounds familiar to you, I want to encourage you because I know for a fact that it is possible to create the time you need to grow a business. I do it myself and I’ve seen it done over and over again, but let’s stop squeezing time for business. You have to stop stealing 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there. You have to make your business a priority (not THE priority… but ONE priority) by taking charge of your time.
Five ways to take control of your time
1. Set limits and stick to them. One of the blessings of corporate life is flexible hours, but it can also be a curse for those of us who don’t know how to set boundaries. To be productive in a limited amount of time, you need to establish dedicated work hours and then honor them as you would an OB/GYN visit at 38 weeks pregnant. You have to be ruthless to protect your time at the office. And you have to completely put aside work-related tasks when it’s family time. This is especially hard to do when you have business and personal messages on your iPhone every five minutes. It requires practice and discipline. But once you’ve created those boundaries, you’ll be more efficient in the office and more present at home.
2. Communicate clearly. It is not enough to simply set limits, you must manage the expectations of others by telling them what you are doing and why. I recently had an awkward conversation with a friend who was upset that I no longer had time to chat with her. It broke her heart to have offended her, but I realized it was my fault. She had never told him that she wasn’t available for chat or lunch during the school day Monday through Thursday. And those were the times when she was trying to contact me. I didn’t realize that she wasn’t aware of the limits I put in place to protect my time. Once I explained it to her, she understood. If she works from home, she should also clearly communicate these limits to her children, husband, friends, and neighbors. No matter where your office is, you should also communicate these limits to clients, vendors, and colleagues, which means stop giving your cell phone to all your clients and tell them to call or text you whenever they want. .
3. Be real. Be realistic about what you can accomplish during limited blocks of time. If you are trying to create a website on your own and only have two hours a day to devote to the task, it will take several weeks. If you expect it to be completed in a week, you are setting yourself up for failure. What I know from experience is that most business “projects” take longer than you think they should. And while I recognize the need for speed in business, I also know that you can’t spend 60 hours a week on something in the office. And I also know that there is always a new “project”. Therefore, it is important to set realistic expectations for yourself and move at your own pace.
4. Be flexible. I know this may seem to contradict my advice to set up structured work hours, but some of us have trouble being too rigid. We can become habit makers, which is just as dangerous as being prisoners of chaos. As mothers, we can all agree that each new season brings with it a change in schedule. Even if your children are adults, you’ll probably notice a change in their routine as the earth revolves around the sun. It is important to honor these changes and be open to change. One of my mentors says that every few months she has to “define a new normal” for her family and her schedule. When we don’t allow ourselves the grace to make changes, we miss out on opportunities for growth and joy.
5. Don’t go it alone. Find a partner who will mirror you… call your excuses out… make you be honest with yourself… gently but firmly hold you accountable for achieving the goals you’ve each set for yourself. week. This is one of the benefits of joining a group like the Sisterhood of Christian Mompreneurs. When you connect with other like-minded moms running a business while raising a family, you can help each other stay on track. It’s the key to success at Weight Watchers and it’s the one productivity tool I trust in my business more than anything else.
What did I forget? Do you have any other tips for taking control of your time? Share them with us here!