Working from home has many challenges. One of the biggest for me is organization. I am soooo disorganized. Hubby thinks it's funny watching me flip out because I can't find something that I had in my had a minute ago. Many times he's almost lost his life by laughing out loud.
One thing I've learned from running a home business (3 actually) is that organization is a must. Not only with your things, but with your time as well. It's hard to stay on track if can't find things, or are getting contstantly interrupted because of all the other things you have going on. For me, having a kid in school, a 5 year old and an infant at home, 3 home businesses (2 for me, 1 for hubby), and still working part time outside the house, Constant Disruption is a BIIIGGG problem!!
Here are some tips to help keep us all organized so we can have a better, more profitable year:)
Time
- Schedule a time every day to work. This should be a no brainer, but things happen daily to get me off track. I need to learn to put everything else aside and do only what I need to work on at that time.
- A good answering machine will let you keep doing what you are doing without having to chat on the phone with people instead of getting your work done.
- Create to do lists and USE them!! This year, I bought a planner, and listed daily sites I need to visit, dates that ads expire and need to be replaced, and left room for calls that need to be made, reminders to write in my blog, etc. I can check off items as I go.
- keep a clean desk. While this one will go in the other category for the most part, you save yourself a lot of time by not having to dig under a pile of paperwork for things you need.
- If you have kids at home like me, schedule time for just them. Not only do they need quality time with you, and it's a good thing, but they are more likely to let you work in peace if they know they have you all to themselves for a good while also.
Your stuff:)
- Keep your work area clean. Having everything in it's proper place makes it easier to find things when you need them, and you won't get so overwhelmed when it comes time to do things
- Storage!! I love those plastic 3 drawer chests from WalMart. They are big enough to use as file cabinets, fit nicely under my desk, have wheels so they can be moved where you want, etc.
- 3 ring binders are great for organizing your notes. I have several that do different things. One is for bills and other expenses, one is for recipes, I have one for my businesses that lets me make notes, keep track of websites that I use for various things, contact lists, and so on.
- A good dry erase calender/board hangs over my desk. I make notes on it daily, not only with my schedule, but bills that need to be paid, soccer games, hubby's payday, conference calls that need attending, Dr's visits, etc.
Staying organized really will help you keep focused on what needs to be done, which translates into a happier, less stressed you. Have a great year!!