Work from Home Moms Getting Organized

Work from Home Moms (WAHM) have the double challenge of getting organized for their online work as well as for their family commitments. This presents an incredible challenge given the many enticements online that can easily distract you as a work at home mom.

Time flies in this fast changing world. This has made us struggle harder to reach our goals in life. As a parent, you want the best for your family. This is one reason why you want to work at home. You want to help out with the finances in the house so your family can have a better life. Like most moms out there, you want to be there for your kids and at the same time earn some extra cash. This can be really hard and maybe unattainable for some when children are really young and unwell. However, with the Internet and social networks, it is possible to get organized for working at home online.

You would find it hard to juggle work and chores at home that include attending to the needs of the kids. You already experience the stress of deciding which activity should come first and how everything in the house can be fitted into your daily schedule.

This problem is quite common for WAHM. You probably find that you often lose track of what needs to be done and you end up with a messy day - unfinished chores and poor work results.

Well, this is something that work at home moms should not ignore. The stress of such days will greatly affect the home and work. But like every problem, there is always a solution. A key solution for you as a work at home mum is to get organized (as far as this is possible with children!).

Being organized as a WAHM includes planning ahead of time what things you want to accomplish in any one day and developing systems to organize access to information. Here's some suggestions:

1. Make a checklist of the things that need to be done for the day.

Write the top 10 things that need to be done and narrow it down to 5. Stick with what is written on the list unless of course there is an emergency. This list must include work and chores. The list should also contain the number of hours for each task. If you can make two lists, it would be great, one for work and one for house chores. Then you can come up with your priorities in one list. This will ensure that you won't miss a thing. Aside from the usual chores at home, include the other things that need to be done on that particular day. This will definitely make it a lot easier to work at home, since with a guide to follow, you get the picture of what you can do and cannot do. You can also plan other options to solve problems that may come up unexpectedly. At the end of the week, you will be able to know the things you have and have not accomplished with the list on hand and will know what to expect in the future as a work at home mom. The key thing here is to be realistic and don't expect too much of yourself.

2. Organize your computer to access information easily.

It is important for you to create folders in your email account and Word documents so that you can easily access information that you need. As it is a constant temptation to horde information, make sure you include a regular schedule for clearing out unnecessary files. You will often find in this process something that you need or that you have been looking for.

3. Try to keep your work area uncluttered.

This is a major challenge for anyone who works online. However, it is a bigger test for work at home moms, because of the many demands on your time. Less clutter means that you do not waste time finding things and it also enables you to be more focused with your online work.

4. Use Picasa to organize your photos and images.

Google's Picasa is a free image editing and storage program which can organize all the photos and images on your computer. It automatically scans your computer and stores all images and photos in one place. The secret is to then organize the images into folders and albums. In summary, this free software enables you to edit, sort, share and create - to fully enhance, organize and use your photos and images.

5. Use social networks to learn from others.

Social networking serves many purposes such as connection, relationship building and social marketing. However, it can be a great source of learning and a means to discover the ways that successful work at home moms organize themselves. There are many excellent role models online and they can be found on the various social networks.

6. Use a binding system to store your PDF e-books.

Many people try to store their PDF e-books in plastic sleeves in ring binders. This can be helpful for subsequent access. An alternative system is to use binding tape to bind the pages so the e-books are readily accessible. Here's what you do. You place three staples evenly spaced along the left-hand side of the pages, use binding tape to bind over the staples (with the tape evenly spaced on each side), and then write the name of the e-book on the taped spine for easy access. For e-books that are fairly large (beyond 30 pages), you can make up separate bound volumes and then bind them together with the tape. I've illustrated the equipment for this simple process below.

7. Join a network for work at home women.

There are a range of networks designed to support women who work at home and raise families. These networks help WAHM get focused and organized and also provide support, direction and resources. The key focus is often on helping you find a niche and build a solid online income. Another approach is to create your own personal network by linking to people who are already succeeding as WAHM. You can do this by reading articles such as, I work from home and love it, and then connecting with the author, commentators and other authors who write on a similar topic. You can gain support, encouragement and ideas through your own personally chosen network. Elsewhere, I have also recommended that you action learn your online business.

Photo Credit: Work from Home