Time Management: Taking Control of Your Daily Schedule

When you work at home, whether raising your children or running a business, time management is always an issue. For the lucky few who have household help to run interference and stop interruptions in your daily routine from occurring, these tips don't apply. For the rest of us, try these simple tips to help take control of your time and increase your productivity.

The first step in gaining control of your daily schedule is to create a schedule. Take an hour and sit down and decide what must be done every day. Some tasks will have definite time frames, like picking up your children from school, put these in first. Next, allot specific times for other daily tasks. This only works if you don't forget all the little things that you do, they all add up. Phone calls, answering emails, paying bills, laundry, and grocery shopping are all examples of daily or weekly tasks that should be included.

Next, spend a day looking at your normal routine. What slows you down or throws off your schedule? Be ruthless. While taking to your best friend on the phone is a pleasant task, does it make you rush to complete other tasks? If you spend 10 minutes every morning looking for your keys, put them in a specific spot every time you are done with them. No exceptions. Figure out how long tasks really take, you may be surprised.

The next step is the hardest. You have to learn to take control of your time. Just because the phone is ringing, it does not mean that you have to answer it. If you are busy answering emails, let it ring. Stop multi-tasking, and the daily stresses will diminish. Working from home is hard. Neighbors assume you are not busy, and will ask you to accept packages, and other time consuming tasks. You have to let everyone know that you are working, and cannot be interrupted. This means less committees, charity work, and other related tasks. Pick one that is the most important to you, and pass on the rest. A simple, I can't, I already have the time promised, will suffice. Your time is important and valuable. If you respect your time, others will as well.

Last, but not least, schedule some "me" time. This is not something to be given up, unless in a dire emergency. If you are stressed every day trying to do a million things, nothing gets done well. Do not compare yourself to your mother or grandmother. They didn't have emails, cell phones, and other distractions to worry about. You don't have to do everything, relax. Say no, and spend 30 minutes reading a magazine, play a game on the computer, take a walk, whatever. Your sanity may depend on it.