Multi-tasking is the name of the game for those of us who are raising families and operating our own home businesses. It is quite typical for us to have several things going on at once–an they are not necessarily compatible things. Even though multi-tasking might be typical, it is still important to carve out some uninterrupted time to focus and concentrate on tasks that need to be done.
Some home business owners get up a couple hours earlier or stay up an hour or two late at night in order to have some uninterrupted time to work on business tasks. This can be one way to get some things done, but it isn’t really conducive to getting phone calls made and meetings with other people accomplished. These things generally need to take place during business hours (just the times when it may be toughest to find some uninterrupted time.)
Others spring for day care a couple mornings or afternoons a week, or work out a trade agreement with a neighbor or family member to trade child care in order to create some time where children will not be needing attention and care and the focus can be on work for a few hours. Of course, as children get older and get off to school and other activities, more time can become clear for uninterrupted work time. As long as other non-work activities don’t find a way into our schedules, that is!
I have learned that my family is not going to “give” me interrupted work time, unless I ask and insist on it. It takes a combination of my creative time management and setting really firm boundaries around my work time. I certainly cannot expect every moment that I work from home to be uninterrupted, but I can carve out a few hours a week to take care of things that need my entire focus.
See Also: Running Errands on Work Time