One of the things that I struggle with the most is trying to do all the things at once. “Do it all NOW” Syndrome? Everything’s a syndrome these days 😉

For me that can be anything from formatting the new books (yes there are several that are ready for formatting) to editing the older books in prep for print. It’s so much fun to look at the writing and jump into that. It does need to get done to keep things running smoothly. Then kids jump in and have something that needs to be done so I’m going to ‘do that now’ too. Then when I’m in the middle of whatever kid related activity, I get a private message on one of the many venues that people reach me at, and I have to pause to do that, return to kids things and then remember there’s more work! ACK!

Let’s be completely realistic here – When you have your hands full with work, kids, and household to run, it can be overwhelming on your own. Add basketball practice, games, and coding lessons into the mix and your day has gotten even bigger (or is that smaller?)

Realizing I’ve got limitations – where I distract myself from work with work – I have found a great resource for helping me get back on track. It’s one of those things where I don’t know how I’ve gotten by without one. It seemed simple enough, get help with book reviews before I knew it,  I had hired a really incredible Virtual Assistant. She’s fantastic, persistent, and a translator so …. Xarrok, Knights of the Immortals, and anything else I’m working on will likely be translated into Spanish. That’s exciting to me.

With her help taking care of the distracting things, I have been able to replan the writing time, help the kids, and organize my to-do list in an effective manner. So simple. So obvious. And so – What was I thinking before? It’s awesome.

Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a regular schedule. It’s a requirement for any business. But something that many may not know, I also homeschool a niece. A fun additional item that is mixed into my day. Both working for myself and teaching require a plan and set time for everything. It’s not easy to make everything move together in a seamless manner, thus why I sought and found help.

Hiring help isn’t something everyone can do. This means additional support structures should be put into place. That doesn’t mean external support in all cases. This could be things like a written To-Do list via Google Tasks, with updates for how long things should take and when you should move onto the next step. It could be a partner who emails you to check in with you. I found accountability partners are wonderful help. A simple email at the start of the week and a phone call toward the middle with a week-in-summary helps make certain things get done. A blog can also be used in the same manner.
Time is always either our greatest ally or our greatest foe. For most of us, it’s a foe. Never enough of it to get what needs to be done accomplished. It’s important to set a schedule, stick to it. If something is distracting, find a way to eliminate the distraction. It might be hiring a really talented assistant or it could simply be shutting down the internet for a distraction-free business/work time. My best solution was to find Daniela. Yours might be setting alarms on your phone, or shutting down internet time. Each person is different. Take the time – it’s well worth it to spare – to review what you are doing, where things aren’t falling into place, and develop a plan of action. If you’re not sure how to go about it, find a friend or mentor to assist. If you need a good VA who might have more time to spare – message me. I’m happy to pass on her contact 😉

My best solution was to find Daniela. Yours might be setting alarms on your phone. Each person is different. Take the time – it’s well worth it to spare – to review what you are doing, where things aren’t falling into place, and develop a plan of action. If you’re not sure how to go about it, find a friend or mentor to assist. If you need a good VA who might have more time to spare – message me. I’m happy to pass on her contact information – with her permission, of course 😉

So that’s my rambling for now.  I’ll write more soon. And I’ll write more about what I’m doing to find time and set a structure to my day soon. What are you doing to better your work day? Your personal life? Do you have tools or a support system that helps? What do you suggest for people who are looking forward to reviewing their available time?