5 Tips To Being A Mompreneur Master Planner (with FREE download)

As women we wear MANY hats, more so than our male counterparts, and its challenging! The tricky part  is how to trade off hats eloquently. If you're a work at home mommy like myself you understand the drill. If not I can sum it up with one of my favorite words of Facebook wisdom, "Why is it I can start out my day as Mary Poppins, only to end the day as Cruella DeVille?"

I have many women come to me and ask "How do you do it?" As a mother of 5, owner and operator of two successful businesses including a social media marketing network, I can relate to many momprenuers out there. So here is my gift to you...more advice. I hope you find some words of wisdom, clarity, organization and your very own light bulb moments in this blog. I want to help you manage your many hats with some simple tips and tactics helping you juggle work, play, kids, spouse and you time like a Fashionista or Rockstar, whatever is your pleasure.

I wish I could share with you in more detail everything I know on this topic. But this is a blog, not a book. I also know this process might not be for everyone. I also know if your life feels a wreck, this might help. 

You can find my list of THE best planners out there today here 

#1: Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan

One of the biggest stress factors for women is not getting everything done in one day. Even if you put together a To Do list, sometimes this is not enough. We are busy moms and some of us work to boot!

Your datebook and To Do List can be your best friends. Being an organized planner and then sticking with it may be difficult for some women to get used to. Yet when you discipline yourself to stick with a schedule your family will not have to fight for your attention. You truly can make time for everyone including yourself. 

So take notes because Im about to ROCK your datebook! 

At the end, you will get a free download of my Weekly Planner Sheet with example sheet on HOW to find your "cheese times"..whoop!

TIP: Grab your datebook, planner or my FREE download and for this week write fill in the times you are at your JOB (if you have one outside of your home biz). Then fill in the times you have kids activities, field trips, appointments etc. Then highlight ALL these in yellow. These are your "No wiggle room" times, where you must personally be present and no one can take your place. Then sit back and see where you have open time to work your business and personal time. I call this "cheese time". 

Remember when you told yourself you have NO TIME to do ANYTHING? Well, those empty spaces are now in plain sight. I suggest highlighting different areas of your life with different colors. It's easy on the eyes and you're able to organize the cluttered look of a planner. Unless you're a sticker & wasi fanatic. My download has a great Example to give you an idea of where to start, looks like this ⬎

 

Example: Use the color blue to highlight phone time, pink to highlight times for business meetings, writing blogs, blowing up your social media presence. Then every night before your head hits the pillow, or before the wine kicks in if you're like me, look over your schedule and make any adjustments. Then stick with your weeks schedule as best you can!! Discipline Sister!

#2: 6 Most Important Things List

You wonder why we do not get things accomplished at the end of the day? I have seen To Do Lists which are too long, too short, not detailed enough, way too detailed and everything in between. Let's keep it simple sugar. Your list should only consist of 6 tasks to do for that day. Why?? As humans we can only do so much, and as super humans, women already take on way too much. 

The beauty of a 6 tasks list is we have a set number, we can wrap our brain around accomplishing 6 tasks per day rather than jotting down whatever comes to mind. Save that for your throw up list (getting on paper all the things that are needing to get done that week, month, year). Remember you have your datebook and schedule put together, so now your 6 Most Important Things To Do List is filling in the gap. Another cool thing about the list; what you do not get done on your list that day, add it to your list for the next day. No worries, you will get to it tomorrow!

TIP: Make your list fun and appealing to the eye, with pictures or words which motivate you. Then make many copies and put them by your bed with a pen, so your ready to jot your list down before bed. Having trouble picking just 6 tasks? My next tip will help.

#3: Do, Delegate, Dump

This is my favorite topic! Do, Delegate, Dump. It puts you in the drivers seat at home and in business, so you can really make HUGE strides as a busy woman. You must learn to prioritize your time wisely. Remember this...when you take on one responsibility, you will end up sacrificing another. What am I trying to say? Quit taking on everything all by yourself. You are only crippling your self worth and taking responsibilities away from others. 

First decide what you can and are willing to do. For example making phone calls, picking up the kids from school. Then decide what you need to delegate to other family members, the things that you ultimately do not have to do; the laundry, the dishes, taking the dog to the vet. Lastly, and the most difficult of all, you must dump what does NOT serve you, your family and is not getting you closer to your ultimate goals.

TIP: When it comes to Delegating responsibilities please consider hiring a housecleaner, an office assistant or babysitter. To have a sitter come two or three days a week for a few hours, used wisely, will give you "people" time or "mommy time".

For my business ladies...to rock and roll as a SAHWM requires some prospecting right? Having a maid and office help every so often will help you delegate and dump those responsibilities that take you away from working your biz full force. Every stamp you lick is a waste of your time, every cobweb you clean from your ceiling is a waste of your time, making a decision to "work" on the computer instead of hitting the pavement during prime hours of the day is a waste of your time. 'Nuff said...

#4: Clean Up The Clutter

This applies to your workspace as well as your brain! The more clutter you have the more you ignore it. If you do not QUICKLY make an organized way of sorting out your items, paperwork, receipts etc. you mine as well put everything in a box and then TOSS THE BOX IN THE TRASH. 

I had a client who could not seem to keep her thoughts together and complete certain tasks I had given her. So I decided to visit her home office. She was a victim of what I like to call "throwing up your business around your house". She had paperwork on the dining table, product she was selling in a corner by the front door, business paraphernalia laying on the floor in her bedroom. Her office had taken over the house and her family was living among the clutter. We hired her oldest daughter to work with us for an afternoon and put her office back in her office. 

Having a small space is no excuse. You can find a spot, corner or closet to use as your office space.

TIP: Make your workspace fun and inviting. Decorate with goal posters, vision boards or even just a bunch of quotes that make you smile. Clean up the clutter then decorate like you were a little girl. For small spaces...build up, grab wood and build yourself a shelving unit. You can and you must!

#5: Involve Your Family

After all your hard work, planning and delegating, it is now time to share it with your family. When you show them exactly what your weeks and month look like they will have more respect for your time and business goals. I suggest having a quick family pow wow every week. This way you can take organization to the next level. 

Now that everyone is together let the bonding begin! Ask for suggestions, thoughts and even permission on how each family member can help out.

 

TIP: A family who works together are much stronger for it.

Cheers for making it all the way through! 

Grab your FREE download of my Weekly Planner Sheet. 

It helps you use the color coding system in one simple format. 

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Cheers, Anita