It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed or disorganized when you’re a work at home mom. There are so many tasks, and people, demanding your attention. Often things get pushed to the side or forgotten. Organization is the name of the game for WAHMs. Here are a few smart organization ideas to help you stay on track, productive, and profitable.
Technology Rocks!
With all the smart phone applications and online services, organizing is often as simple as finding a system that feels intuitive and easy to use. Microsoft Outlook is an example of a utility that has worked for busy WAHMs for years. Google calendars may be an easier option and both integrate with iPhone and Android applications.
Create a Hub
Do you have a central workspace? If not, create one. Even if you work from the kitchen table, a small mobile computer station cart or a portable file box will help keep you organized. Keep all of your business related documents in one central location.
Make It a Habit
Whether you clean your desk at the end of each day, once a week, or once a month, schedule time to get it done. Make sure you have a place for everything – and label it. For example, business receipts go into a file folder organized by month. If you don’t have a place for everything, create one. Simple binders and file folders do the trick.
One Big Trip
One of the things that often throws a day are errands and chores. Instead of spreading them out through the day or week, consider devoting a day to managing chores and errands. Segmenting your time helps you focus on getting them done.
Identify the Biggest Obstacle
What’s the single biggest thing that prevents you from staying organized? Is it a lack of space? Is it a missing system that might pull everything together? Identify what’s keeping you from being as organized as you’d like and create a plan to overcome it.
Maximize Space
One of the reasons many WAHMs feel disorganized is that they lack space. Many share their home offices with their spouse and children. And many simply don’t have a home office. There are wonderful, and simple, tools that can help you maximize your space. For example, a receipt scanner can digitally store all of your documents – including your receipts. This means you don’t have to keep file cabinets and boxes lying around. Shelves are also a simple way to get items off of the floor, desk, or table.
Schedule Everything
It may sound obsessive – however, consider scheduling everything from showering to planning your business. When you lay out your day, week, and month in this manner it’s easy to see how much you can accomplish and when you can get it done. Scheduling prevents you from overbooking yourself and it helps you stay on task. Don’t forget to schedule down time too!
Staying organized is often a work in progress. Create systems. Assess how they’re working for you, and modify them as needed. You may find that the simplest solutions are the easiest to use and the most effective.
