The question this week is: Where are you spending your time and how do you deal with interruptions? Do you journal to find out where the time is going?
posted March 22, 2003 12:10 AM
i have not done a journal to figure out where my time is going. what i have done is try to set a schedule and stick to it. i found myself going back and forth from cleaning and doing work all the time and feeling like nothing was getting done and i was starting to feel burned out. However much I love it - raising 5 kids is hard when my husband is gone so much and having a 3 month old who wakes up a couple of times at night doesn't help. Lack of sleep makes the whole day seem more unorganized. So I try to make myself stay off of the computer for at least an hour before I go to bed because that helps me sleep better. Those 2 things have helped a lot.
Most of my interruptions are the kids so I just have to deal with it. That is mainly why I am working at home. I try to make sure that the kids have whatever they need or are sleeping before I try to get anything done and I try to work in short time periods throughout the day so that they still get all the attention they need. That has been working well for me.
posted April 14, 2003 09:27 AM
I think all those little interruptions are why we are working at home right? or at least I hope so. lol If the boys interrupt me during coding I just ask them to wait until I finish that batch then when that batch is done I take a break so they have my attention. I dont necassarily journal, but I do set a goal for myself daily based on what projects we have. I write it down that I am going to do XX many batches and try my hardest to reach that goal. I also write down all my other stuff to do whether it be fold the laundry and do the dishes or something totally unproductive I write it down. Sleep? whats that? I dont sleep very well to beging with, never have even before I had kids LOL so I do tend to get housework and things like that done late at night while everyone else is asleep. To keep up on housework I do an hour a day at least to TRY to keep up. I cant really set a "schedule" because with document coding I dont know when we will have projects that need working on and when I will have time off so I play it by ear. If I have work in the morning I work and do "house stuff" later in the day and vice versa. Ive never been one to run on a schedule anyhow so it works for me. Love not having to be punched in by whatever time. I dont think I could ever go back to the office setting now.
posted December 04, 2004 03:22 AM
I used to spend my days making myself crazy over the house picking it up , thee are things I like done daily, beds, dishes, bathroom, but little things dusting, vac,, they can go a few moe days, if no one else in my house can help out the I'm not break my back over it, I'm not going to be the one arm bandit here. My son is kind of self sufficiant now on some things, he does bug me, especilly when making phone calls thats the worst! Trying to organize my time better think its only been since oct since ive been a pt work at home mom so my new goal is to improve
posted December 04, 2004 09:39 AM
I actually have set a goal for number of hours I want to work during the week. I then keep track on a spreadsheet of how much time I've spent doing whatever related to my business. I also set monthly/daily goals, and check them off as I complete them. I find for me this works. Then I don't get frustrated with all the interruptions (except when I get telemarketing calls, LOL). If I can see that I'm getting done what I've listed as my goals, I realize that overall during the month I'm getting things done, if I have a day where I get nothing done, it is less frustrating. And most of my interruptions are my son, and I look at as him forcing me to take breaks. I tend to sit down at the computer, and once I get an idea in my head, I'm so focused I don't realize the time passing by. I've worked sometimes 4-5 hours straight with no break, and I know I can't keep that up. So having to take a break to cuddle or play with my son is a much needed one, or doing dishes, laundry, etc.
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posted March 10, 2003 08:07 AM
right? or at least I hope so. lol
Sleep? whats that? I dont sleep very well to beging with, never have even before I had kids LOL so I do tend to get housework and things like that done late at night while everyone else is asleep.