Top Time Management Tips For Work From Home Moms

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, the difference is how we use those hours.  I teach time management skills to marketing professionals and I want to share some great tips you can implement today that will make you more productive.

1. Use a To-Do List-write it down and make it happen.  A to-do list is essential to keep your tasks in front of you.  Whether it’s a pen and paper or an App, the important thing is that it works for you and you use it!

2. Batch your errands With a to-do list you will be able to see quickly what errands you have and how many you can batch together.  For instance let’s look at two examples:

You go to the post office and the bank and drive home.  After getting a cup of coffee you remember you have to drop off tax forms at the accountant, so back into town to do that.  Get home and make lunch then remember you have to drop off your suit for the networking event next week at the cleaners, so…

Not too efficient right?

When you have your tasks clearly in front of you, you would clearly see that you could have batched all four of the above errands and taken care of them in one trip which would have saved you time, gas and increased your productivity.

3. Learn to Overcome Procrastination-There are 4 simple reasons that we procrastinate:

• Difficult-we tell ourselves the task is too hard.
•  Time Consuming-It will take too much time to do.
•  Lack of Knowledge–we worry that we do not have the knowledge or skills to complete the task.
• Fear-fear of doing it wrong and having others ridicule our efforts.

We can overcome the above reasons by just telling ourselves the opposite.

• It is not that difficult.
• It won’t take that much time.
• I know what I am doing and anything I need to know I can learn while completing the task.
• Others are so busy with their own lives and problems they are not going to even be concerned about what I am doing.

4. Delegate whenever possible-When something is not essential and you can delegate to someone who can do it 80% as well as you, delegate it.  It will free you up to concentrate on the most important tasks that you need to reach your goals.

5. Get rid of distractions-turn off social media and alerts, turn off your phone, set aside the time you need for a task and work until finished. Reward yourself for staying on task and completing it.

6. Take care of yourself-eat right, get enough sleep and exercise.  Take breaks and time to recharge your batteries during large projects and come back revitalized.

7.Prioritize your tasks so that you are working on the things that really matter, the tasks that are bringing you to your long-term goals.  You will always have things that are undone but you can roll those over to the next day.  When you prioritize you will ensure that your most critical tasks are complete.

8. Write down your goals, having clearly written goals keeps you on track.  With you goals in front of you it will help you to focus on what matters.

This content was originally published here.