Mums are renowned to be great multi-taskers. Work at home mums are incontestably one among the categories of women who need this talent at a necessity level. I’ve written quite a few times about schedules and separating ‘work time’ and ‘mum time’. Nevertheless, it’s sometimes impossible to divide those roles, and while running most of my days around multi-tasking,
I’ve recently realised that I scarcely give myself fully to one assignment at any particular moment. Though my body, behaviours and thoughts are busy doing something, my mind is typically thinking about a few other things simultaneously. After realising this, I have reached the conclusion that the solution revolves around one easy conscious effort I could make to apply a better focus and productivity to any task at hand: Awareness.
As stay-at-home mum with a home business, my most significant task is taking care of my children. However, with a rising home-based business requiring a lot of thinking and planning, I found that I’d often be sharing my focus between my kids and my home business, at the same time. Thus I introduced this new exercise when starting an activity with my kids. I told myself: ‘I will devote my total self to the present activity with my children’. I would not allow for business-related thoughts, checking emails, or even putting a load of washing on.
From the very first time I tried this easy commitment declaration, I realised how much more attentive and satisfied I felt while spending quality time with my children. It meant I fully lived the moment, noticed the small things that make a mother’s heart fill with bliss and pride, gave more love and positive interaction to my children, and totally indulged in the primary reason why, like many work at home mums, I chose a home-based business – looking after my kids. It additionally meant that I got more alert to all the mental interruptions coming through, so that I could resolutely shut them down and re-focus.
Once applying this principle to my position as a mum, I did it for my home-based business. However, for work at home mums, it’s impossible to say ‘I will dedicate my total self to this business-related activity’ while your kids are running around and under your care. It’s indeed a heap easier to close up your work for your children than turn off your kids for your work! Therefore do not fully commit to a work activity unless you are certain that your children won’t need your care; this will only result in frustration if you’re interrupted. I specified my commitment statement for my business even further, in committing to one task at any given time (e.g. ‘I will apply my entire attention to developing my marketing campaign’). This easy commitment will increase my focus and in turns my productivity, and provides me the head space I require for solving problems and creative thinking!
Adding an easy commitment statement before beginning an activity with my kids or for my home-based business has definitely made a huge difference in my productivity and focus. For work at home mums, it’s about focusing your awareness to the specific activity you have committed to. Less multi-tasking, physically and intellectually. Higher productivity for my business and home duties? Yes. More love and inspiration for my children and from them as well? Definitely! More rewards as a mum and business owner? Absolutely!
