New years often finds us with resolutions or “This year, I will do this differently.” The top desires are:
- Lose weight
- More freedom
- More money
I want to talk about the last two.
If you’re set on the first one you should check out Christina’s blog about taking care of your body rather than your image.
It’s time that we take back control of our calendars.
How much time do you have in a day? I have 24 hours. 8 of those, I would love to be sleeping which leaves me with 16 hours.
In theory, 8 of those I would be working. But I decided I wanted that to be less. I wanted 8 hours with family and 2 hours of self-care time. This leaves me with 6 hours for work — commute included.
If you work from home great.
Here are my top productivity tips for work-at-home mommas:
Create your own space:
Have a space that you can retreat to for productive work where the kids do not come in a play. No distractions. And put in things like a diffuser, white noise machine, or music to encourage relaxation and focus.
Create your calendar:
Don’t start with assumptions on what is realistic. Just write down what you would like out of your ideal day. Once you have this you can start to work backward and find solutions.
For example, if you’d like to have an hour lunch outside, then maybe you schedule your reading time and lunch to overlap so that you’re more productive. You could also cut 4-hour long meetings to 45 minutes to give you an extra hour.
Go Remote:
Schedule meetings by Zoom or by phone to cut down on commute time.
Track your online browsing:
Turn on software to track where you’re spending your internet time and even help you cut back on social media time with automatic shutdowns during peak productivity hours.
Know your budget:
If you don’t have a budget for all your spending, take the time and sit down and write one. I would love to see one with your ideal budget and then what you’re currently spending to know where the gaps are.
Join a mastermind:
Every year I invest with 2 coaches (sometimes 3) and one mastermind group. This increased accountability means that I reach my goals or, if I fail, then I have a group of individuals to help me bounce back and not quit. This has been incredible for my personal and my professional goals. I can’t overstate the value of having a group or another individual there dedicated to your success.
If these tips sound nice but you’re not yet a work-from-home momma and still travel to an office, here are my tips for your productivity and freedom this year.
For the Corporate Momma:
Negotiate your value:
It’s time for you to get a raise. Take your top three accomplishments last year and document them. Schedule a time to talk to your boss and bring the documentation. Then, discuss where you’d like to go this year personally and professionally and what support you’d like in getting there. This is a great time to discuss a raise with your supervisor.
Go remote one day a week:
While you’re having this conversation with your boss, you can advocate for a strategy to work from home one day a week. You could even start with a half day. Explain how you’ll be available by email and by phone.
Not being in the office will lend itself to no in-office distractions from co-workers or unnecessary conversation. The result? More productivity. Ask to try it for 3 weeks. State that you’ll track your productivity and discuss it at your next meeting with your boss. For more tips on this, check out the book The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris.
Bring some spa into your office:
Diffusing oils like orange or lemon can increase your productivity and focus. Also, placing goal or vision boards in your office can increase your productivity since you’re keeping your eye on the prize.
Join an accountability group:
Just like my suggestion for the work-from-home mom, having an executive or peer accountability group like a mastermind can mean that you are 97% more likely to achieve the goals that you set out for. This is something your company or boss should pay for as it will genuinely lead to higher engagement and outcomes for you and your team.
Now is the time momma. This is your year.
Go out there and crush it! Can’t wait to hear what success you have in 2018!
BONUS! For more productivity tips, see How to Cash in on a Snow Day.
