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The Rise of Home-Based Business Could Be The Demise Of Home-Life Organization

10/27/2010 By Nancy Borg With 7 comments

Did you know that a new home- business is born every 11 seconds?  Recent polls reveal that there are more people working from home than ever before.  It is the indeed the face of the new economy.  The landscape has been altered by tighter budgets, down-sizing both professionally and personally, and more role reversals within families in decades.

Even more astonishing, it was reported that 24% of people who work outside their home do 8o% of their work at home.  The ramifications of this new dynamic can be daunting and turn the average household into a more unruly one, at best.

Life, for all of us, has changed dramatically.  The “stay at home” mom may be a working momas well, and the dad/husband perhaps now needs to create a new workplace for himself within the home.  Dual income families are rising, and adapting to these multiple roles can be problematic if not organized and managed well.  It is increasingly harder to draw the line and separate work-life from home- life.  Home-based businesses can impede on family balance.

Creating the optimum workplace within the home (if not already designated) poses significant trouble.  The influx of mail can potentially double, and sorting it can be overwhelming, time consuming, or maybe even unmanageable.  If not attended to in a timely fashion, the paper piles can take over, invade many more horizontal surfaces and clutter the home.  The home “worker” could become the new home “wrecker.”

The need to organize is critical.  Juggling and managing the responsibilities of working at home, and parenting simultaneously, can present a multitude of challenges.  Time-management is paramount and essential for the family’s healthy functionality.  Having one or more family members working from home demands a heightened sense of organization.  The prior spousal roles may be irrelevant and may need to be re-defined.  Setting parameters, finite scheduling, cooperation, and sharing responsibilities are key components for succeeding in this effort.  Mealtimes can be a nightmare. It is complicated for sure, stressful, and maybe even messy.

The luxury of being home and surrounded by your family can be arguably both a good and bad temptation.  Can you escape into a work zone when you can hear the kids screaming, playing or laughing in the background?  How does this affect one’s ultimate productivity? Is it possible to create an isolated professional environment within the home?  Can you enforce and maintain a virtual “DO NOT DISTURB” sign all day amidst the household chaos?   My guess is, no.

Moreover, it is more likely to get distracted with other non-work related tasks.  Since you are home 24/7, you might be inclined to multi-task and engage in other things that need your attention around the house, and impose a respite from a tough work day.  To be invisible in your own home while working, is difficult, if not impossible.  And how about knowing you are only steps away from the kitchen, you find yourself wandering there and glaring into the fridge multiple times of the day? Snacking throughout the day is an appealing distraction, although there are detrimental consequences if abused, but that’s for another blog.

Whatever the case, it’s an opportunity to balance your work, family and lifestyle with a keener sense of  time-management. Prioritizing is the first step, and then you can implement a well-oiled system that works for you and your family.

For some of us, working out of the home is a welcomed escape, but  for others, it’s not always a choice.  In light of the economic climate, you are lucky to be just working anywhere at all, albeit your home.   Those who have always done this, no biggie.  But for the demographic which has since returned back home to their new workplace….this is clearly a new America.

On the brighter side, the increasing trend of home-base businesses’ may impede on the overall home-life organization, but if the worst interference means a gentle hug, a kiss, or a passing smile in the middle of a hectic day,  it’s not too shabby.  Find the happy in that.

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Why Early Holiday Madness In Your Face Can Be A Good Thing

10/19/2010 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

Honestly, I find it extremely irritating to walk into the local supermarket in mid- October and see Xmas decorations.  Seriously, we just bid adieu to New York’s glorious September Indian summer.  There is now just a mere sprinkling of autumn leaves first showing off their amber foliage, and Halloween hasn’t even happened yet!  What happened to the old post Thanksgiving marketing push? It seems that each and every year they start the holiday blitz another week earlier.  Retailers are in such a hurry to lure us into rushing the year with early promotional teasers.  Hey, I’m all for holiday cheer but for a lot of us, I think the holidays create a sizable amount of stress.  So why do we need to think about it, if we are not ready?

The only benefit for the consumer that I can see is that by forcing us to think about it early, it gives us an opportunity to perhaps organize better.  The cogs on the wheel can begin to turn, encouraging us to consider things like; the gift list from the previous year, parties to plan, guest lists to manage, new recipes to collect, vacations to book (or cancel) holiday spending to budget, and maybe a chance to re-think and make corrective changes on those things we didn’t like last year.

For those of us who choose to delay all this holiday frenzy, it presents a greater challenge to ignore or deny, since the marketing media is everywhere.  Some retail stores are now adorned with decorations, the thicker newspaper circulars are daily reminders to shop,  the endless parade of catalogs are slowly cluttering our mailboxes, and some TV commercials are beginning to dominate prime time.  You can run but you can’t hide.  It’s in your face.  Embrace the joy or be a scrooge, your choice.  And for those who do get sucked in, at least use it for its greatest potential.  Get organized because being more organized, both prior and during the holiday madness, might in fact reduce some stress.  Jump in (even it feels ridiculously early), fire up the engines, and maybe, just maybe, the advertising mongols might have done you a favor.

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Are You Wasting Time Or Saving Time? It’s Time To Take Control

10/13/2010 By Nancy Borg With 2 comments

It’s a funny thing about time, no matter what you do, you can’t seem to hold on to it.  If you have too much time, it somehow slips away from you, and if you are short of time, you end up chasing after it. It has occurred to me on several occasions that we should try to change the relationship we have with time.  Each and every one of us can make an attempt to improve on the time management  in our daily routines.  We can do better.  There are things we can do to save time.

We are all so harried in our personal lives and in our jobs, it appears that we are often rushing around from place to place, meeting to meeting, errand to errand; on foot, by car, taxi, or public transportation. STOP (at least for one minute) and think about it.

It all stems from the very beginning of the day, and even before that.  How about implementing extra time in the morning and set your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier than you need to?  One simple step that can set the tone for your entire day. Give yourself time to mentally prepare and organize your day.

Maybe you can take an extra long shower, have time for a healthy breakfast, or just take a deep breath before your chaotic day. It is always better to proceed on the better side caution, so even planning your departure time (for everything), with a built-in 5-10 minutes extra window, will eliminate the stress of rushing around.  Personally speaking, I need to allow the extra time for my appointments and I feel more organized and in control when I arrive early.  Should I arrive late, I feel frazzled and stressed, but that’s just me.  Some people like to live on the edge and cut time more closely. You have to know yourself and your own personal time-management preferences, and evaluate what works for you.

If you are stuck and find you are always short of time, maybe you can make some minor adjustments.  Whether you are in business or are a stay-at-home parent, you can plan your clothes (check that your preferred business suit is cleaned and pressed before you put it on that morning) or your kids clothes the night before (eliminate the wardrobe battles in the morning) by checking the weather forecast each night.  Prepare.  Make better use of  your time so you reduce the hassle in the morning.  Get organized.

Taking control of your time whenever you can is a great habit to cover you for those unforeseen circumstances.   Being prepared will always saves you time.  Someone once told me, “plan and anticipate for all possible scenarios; hope for the best, expect the worst.”  Essentially, it’s about leaving yourself some wiggle room. You know yourself, you know where you can manage your time better.  The key is to identify your time wasters  (daily search for keys, wallet, phone, glasses, etc.) and set them in a consistent landing place for a quick “grab and go.”

Prioritize your goals and create a realistic plan for the day.  Streamline your list of errands, jot them down so they are out of your head and on a piece of paper, clearing your mind for other important things you need to accomplish.  Reduce the brain clutter and it will probably reduce the overwhelm.   Often, just writing actions down will alleviate the stress.  It sets the goal for doing it, not just thinking about it.  At the end of the day, saving time with these small simple steps will make you more efficient and productive, and also create more calm for yourself.   Grab it when you can.  Time is fleeting and the clock is always ticking.

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Teach Your Children Well….Organization Matters

10/06/2010 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

Back to school could mean back to old habits.  If you want to give your child the best possible opportunity for academic success, teach them fundamental organizational skills.

In most cases, you can be sure that the student earning the highest grades is an organized one.  It starts as early as Kindergarten.  As a parent, you can only provide them with the necessary tools, but you must also encourage them to be accountable for their own organization.  Guide but don’t hover.  Create a positive and dedicated workspace for which they can do their homework (not in front of the TV or on their bed).  There’s nothing wrong with having a workspace in the kitchen, so perhaps you can keep an eye on them while you are preparing dinner.  Being supportive from a distance can still be very effective.

It is important to designate special homework time and set guidelines.  Implement good study habits early in their schooling.  Particularly, at the Elementary School level, be there to check their assignments and aid them in completing the tasks.  Assign them their own consistent drop off zone to unload their knapsack, (it could be a cubby, shelf, or hook) so you can supervise its contents; fill in particular forms, return signed permission slips for school trips, etc.

Make it fun to organize their school stuff with them, and reward them for knowing where all their stuff is.  You will be surprised how much more pride they will take in their work, when it is indeed theirs.  When they are in control and once they succeed and see results, the lesson has been learned.  Be their motivator,  not their drill sergeant.

By the Middle School level, they will need to be prepared each day and be on top of all their schoolwork and long term projects, without your direct involvement.   They cannot achieve these goals  if they are disorganized.  Submitting homework on time, learning how to study well, and participating in quality work can only be possible with some sense of paper organization.

Keeping a tidy notebook and organized file folders is paramount.   It is most helpful to create a timeline and a visual calendar board so they can see, at a glance, what is on their to do list.  By the time they get to the challenges of High School, they are fully developed as the student they are, and will most likely become,  throughout college and beyond.  So plant those good habit seeds early, they will blossom well.

The goal is to nurture your child,  the “student”, yet  foster independence and self-esteem.  Teach them well….and they will thrive.

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