Some days ago I wrote a post about how tired and demotivated I have been feeling because it can be really challenging to work from home with children all day there with you.

Of course, it is wonderful to see your little ones grow and be there for them, play together, have each other’s company but work from home, start a project from zero or make different tasks implies almost the same attention as a child and how to manage both of them together? How to grow them together?

These days I have been driven by my emotional motivation instead of following motivation driven by reason (see my post about this subject).

I feel I have been failing to myself, to my commitments and want to change that. Ten years more can pass and things will not change if I do not and I want to make that change with you by my side ( please share your tips, your ways to succeed too. That can help me and other people that come to this blog). So here it is, my plan A.

PLAN A

> Dedicate a maximum of 3 hours to housework daily

Once a lawyer I knew told me “You know, work from home is really good, but if someday you decide to do it never let the housework take your day. There will be always things to do at home. I had to discipline myself, otherwise, instead of studying my cases and help my clients I would pass the day cleaning, ironing, cooking, sewing. You must see what your priorities are and imagine you are in an office instead of your home”.

She told me this eight years ago and only now I can really understand her words. A more elaborated dish that takes two hours to do (I love cooking); the floor that needs to be clean every day; the clothes to wash and iron, the bathroom I want to see bright and clean every day, etc. All this can take me a whole morning, from 7 a.m. to 11h30 p.m.

Then comes lunch time, tidy kitchen, go out with children to take some fresh air and make some interesting activities with them. Around 5 p.m. time to come back home, prepare dinner, tidy kitchen and children’s room with them; prepare children to sleep around 8 p.m. (and then they take another hour to get asleep – clean teeth, pee, drink milk, listen to the story, talk until finally, they get asleep); talk a while with my husband and around 10 p.m. come and write in the blog, read something, study – maximum two hours because I have no more energy.

This has to change.

From today I will not dedicate more than 2 or 3 hours to housework (in the entire day). I will register the time spent since I start the activities, with the help of a clock, to make this change a habit. It is said that repetition makes a habit, right? I will let you know about my progress.

> Take advantage of children playtime to study or work

Something I have tried just a few times but worked somehow was to read or try to write something, while they were playing.

It works especially well when they are in a playground, outside, but sometimes it also works at home,  if I take my computer to their playroom and sit there with them. They feel they have my company and sometimes I have to empathize with their activities but it is precious time. One or two hours won at the end of the day. Just imagine at the end of the month, it would be between 28 to 56 hours won in a month.

So, why didn’t I try it more often? Because I am not being consistent.

> Listen to motivational speeches

I was never a believer of motivational speeches until the day I started to hear some and even if I hear just one in every six months, I noticed it helps my mood and increases emotional motivation, so I will start to listen one of those speeches, once a week. I accept suggestions, in case you have some references you think can be helpful.

> Make a new plan and have discipline and consistency about it

Nowadays, with so many technologies and task managers apps available in the market, you can bring your plan with you everywhere.

I must admit I am still loving the plans made in paper, handwritten, but then I do not put it always in a visible place and at the end, many tasks are forgotten. I need to exercise consistency and discipline.

My husband shared recently with me an app called Things and I recommend you. It has a plain structure and is very easy to use. You can structure your plans efficiently but you must pay for it, what can be a disadvantage.

However, there are many options for free on the internet. Just write “task management apps for free” in your browser and you will find several options.

Time to go, Mums. Please share your tips, experiences, and opinions. They are valuable!