New Year's resolutions of a work-at-home mom

It’s been a year since I stopped working corporate and embraced work-at-home motherhood (WAHM). Has it been everything I ever dreamed of? Almost. Has it been more difficult than I thought it would be? Definitely. My career path for 2012 still has WAHM written all over it, but to make it is more productive and efficient, there are some guidelines I need to set. Here’s a list of New Year’s resolutions I hope I get to follow through. Perhaps these tips can help you fellow WAHMs too!

Create a better workspace. Right now I write my articles on a sturdy folding table. There’s a camera behind my laptop, a bottle of children’s medicine beside it, and the gang from Toy Story peppering my workspace. There’s also a clutter of DVDs I meant to watch this year while the baby napped, a Spiderman figurine and a scrapbook I meant to complete. Holy clutter, Batman. This WAHM needs a better place to work! Some of my fellow WAHMs have their own rooms at home. Good for you, ladies! I don’t have that luxury, so I will need to make what I have better. Right now it’s comfortable and has some inspiring touches, but it needs to see better days!

Find a healthier schedule. Time management is hell for a WAHM. I can only work while I’m at my workspace – that’s a rule I set for myself. With a toddler running around the house, being tied to my workspace is a very unlikely scenario. My work schedule currently consists of researching while the toddler naps, and writing or doing consulting work when he goes to bed at night. So far it’s been working, but I’ve been terribly lacking on sleep. With lack of sleep comes weight gain and crankiness. With those two, there’s a possibility of a lack of productivity and energy to chase the toddler. There must be a healthier way to do this! So far the solution I have come up with is to stagger my deadlines. DUH, right? Girl, it’s harder than it sounds.

Disable distractions. My biggest distraction is Facebook, followed by sites like 9GAG and Daily Candy. Don’t even get me started on Psychology Today or the folks I follow on Tumblr. BLACK HOLES, I WARN YA! I promise I will try not just minimizing tabs but completely not having any of those sites open while I work. It’s very hard though when you’re researching a topic and your research trail takes you to awesome sites. Before you know it you’ve signed up for a Polyvore account and creating a wardrobe you wish you had. Must. Disable. Distractions.

Dress for success. I’ve learned that working in pyjamas can be an advantage or a disadvantage. On the plus side, it’s more comfortable. No need to put on fancy clothes for a meeting! The down side is that dressing sloppily makes me feel sloppy too. Even if I’m working from home, I have to dress presentable enough. A little lipstick, perhaps. No more bedroom hair all day. That will be a challenge, especially when you get all frazzled after dealing with tantrums from someone going through the terrible twos.

These sound pretty simple, but they sure are hard to implement! Hopefully next year it will be smoother sailing for this WAHM. I hope these tips help you too! Happy New Year!

Photo: “21st Century Child” by « ? H ? », c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.