tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4451708098078089229.post1141680737118700623..comments2012-07-17T21:10:01.799-04:00Comments on In Search of Me in Mommy: Day 9 - Time...making the most of it!Kim Dettmerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453295550061861969noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4451708098078089229.post-30785938368018230162012-01-10T18:14:48.021-05:002012-01-10T18:14:48.021-05:00Samantha -
Thank you! I SO appreciate your kind...Samantha - <br /><br />Thank you! I SO appreciate your kind words! Also, hearing about your schedule is incredibly helpful. I think the timer thing is a great idea...and limiting my online time. <br /><br />:) KimKim Dettmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05453295550061861969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4451708098078089229.post-89572784196604682002012-01-09T13:31:39.506-05:002012-01-09T13:31:39.506-05:00Hi Kim! Just allow me to say how much I enjoy your...Hi Kim! Just allow me to say how much I enjoy your site. I've been here and commented a couple of times, but feel so blessed to have connected with such an energetic and personally active mom. I found your site through a good friend of mine: Laura Miriam of the blog Catharsis. She had linked to a friend of hers who then linked to your site. Providence!<br /><br />Anyway, I'm a busy freelance journalist, but first and foremost a wife and mom. Here's what goes on in my daily routine:<br /><br />Up and at 'em about 6am. Feed kids, pray with kids, quickly check email and engage on Twitter, using timer for about 15 minutes. <br /><br />7:30 - leave for school<br /><br />Home by 8:15<br /><br />When my kids are in school, I get started on my income-producing work right away (email and social networks closed -- cell phone off). <br /><br />I do use a task calendar on my computer that prompts me when things are due what the day brings me in the immediate future. <br /><br />I work on those assignments from about 8:30 to 10:30. At that time, I engage in social media, using a timer, for about 20 minutes. Then I'll check my emails and answer phone messages over lunch. <br /><br />After that, it's back to work from 12:30 to 2:00 completing and filing stories to the various magazines, newspapers, and private clients whose work is due that day. At 2:00, the timer goes on again and I engage in social media, promoting my work, talking with peers and others for 20 minutes. <br /><br />2:30 I leave to get kids and arrive home about 3:20. My husband (aka Dragonslayer) suggested that I then take 2 full hours away from the computer, cell phone and everything to just bask in my kids and relax. At first this was very difficult for me, but now I find myself shutting off the cell and putting the Mac to sleep before I even leave to get the precious ones. <br /><br />This allows me to decompress and clear my mind of all things journalism. The kids help me cook dinner, Dragonslayer comes home, then it's family time. We have devotions and daily blessings right after dinner. At that time, if I still have uncompleted, pressing work, I'll get back on the computer for an hour or so. Stopping about 30 minutes before the littlest ones go to bed, so we can chat them up and pray with them together. <br /><br />Rarely do I work after that. It took me a while, once I went full-time from home to discipline myself and manage my schedule so that I could really grow my business in the relatively few hours I have. <br /><br />You're not alone. All work-from-homers, or even straight out homemakers, struggle with time management, especially at first. I suggest using a timer for the things that tend to steal your time away (it's different for each person). Keeping your home workspace fastidiously organized also helps (a lot). <br /><br />If you have trouble finding a suitable task calendar, come over and see me at http://freelancewritingdreams.com. You can contact me via the contact form there and I'll give you my private email address at that time. I'll gladly give you a list of both free and paid task managing systems that you can try out. <br /><br />Have a blessed and joyful day!<br /><br />SamanthaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com