Work at Home Productivity Tips –

I Need the Money

That is of course entirely your call but it is something to look at.

Ask yourself why you need the money.

If you need the money to pay the bills of course you are going to have to be more serious in how much time you spend working at home.

Sometimes that is not the case. We think we need the money for various reasons.

• To get extra 'toys', for ourselves or our kids.
• To feel respected in our choice to work at home.
• To feel productive and a contributing member of our family.

I've been there.

The funny thing is that after things start going south – the house falls apart, the kids feel like they are forgotten, your husband doesn't even bother asking you if you want to join the family for outings or a night of tv, you feel guilty and stressed and out of control… the toys don't seem so precious anymore.

Now is a good time to ask yourself… 

do you really need them? 

INCOME AND RESPECT 

Money is our measure of a successful business. It can be easy to feel we are failing if we aren't pulling in the bucks.

The main thing to remember here is that working at home is not the same as working out of the home. You are basically trying to juggle two jobs at one time and that means one thing – you have to take a realistic look at exactly how much time you can spend on your business and what your priorities are.

Don't worry about the Jones's or anyone else who you may be thinking is judging you. You know what is important and that is what counts. 

A PRODUCTIVE AND CONTRIBUTING PART OF THE FAMILY

This is the saddest of them all. Do you really think as a mom that your main contribution is your paycheck?

Think again.

Assuming that you are not the primary wage earner in the house, that always changes the equation, take a step back and remember what your main contribution is.

It's being a mom. Taking care of your family. That's what mom's sign up for the moment they gaze into those brand new blue eyes.

I see no shame in that. In fact it's an honour.

Who else can do it besides you?

And what else feels better when the job is well done? And what else feels worse when it isn't? 

You can get help to make it easier and to balance the scales.

That is a great and responsible thing to do.

NO ONE ELSE CAN BE MOM 

But bottom line, no one else can be mom and that is the best contribution you can make.

I'm not saying that you can't develop your own interests or spend time working. You can and should do that too if it's what you want.

I am saying that you call the shots.

Don't take on pressure and stress if what you really want to be doing is family because you feel you have to.

Don't work if it doesn't feel right because you are striving to maintain someone else's standards.

Period.

The funny thing is that they are often not what you are thinking they are anyway.

And you will never please all of the people all of the time.

Besides…

MOMS ROCK!

Here's the link if you missed the first installment in our three part series – "When to Spend Time With the Kids When You Work at Home".

You can grab the second here –  "Spending Time With the Kids When There Just Aren't Enough Hours To Get Thing Done"

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