(These photos have nothing to do with the post but what fun is a post without photos? I thought you would understand.)
When you are a stay at home mom, homeschooler and entrepreneur with a home office… your worlds start to collide.
There are days that without everything right here at home I know I wouldn’t be able to do all that we get accomplished.
Then there are the days when everything coming at me can be a little too much.
The most frequently asked questions that I receive are about how I get so much done, how our family works with a business and how I stay organized.
Over the next months I thought it would be fun to share some of the ways that I have found to bring focus, balance (is that even real) and intention to the day.
I wanted to first talk about social media and the pull that we can feel all day from Facebook, blogs, Instagram, email and just having a phone with us.
Whether you run a business or not…the above pulls are a part of our lives (whether you like it or not) and we need to learn to manage it without letting it manage us!
Here are some of the top ways I TRY to keep social media from running my life.
I know this sounds silly but it is a major time saver. Sometimes we just need to check one thing real quick BUT if you sit down you could lose more than a few minutes. Facebook goes to Pinterest goes to email goes to….you get the picture. Unless you are working on an actual project or need to do some serious writing my recommendation is to do it standing and then get on to better things.
Imagine constantly checking your phone, Instagram and email over a two hour time. Now imagine setting a timer for two hours and at that time checking everything and then getting back to better things. That is what I do ALL OF THE TIME! I don’t want my children to remember me as the mom always texting, checking emails and instagram while we were hanging out. I want to be present and that means setting boundaries for myself. I get lots done because I am very intentional with my time. Now don’t get me wrong…I can waste a day with the best of them but I don’t want that to be my norm. It is about being distracted and I need when I am making art to really make art, cooking a meal to be engaged with what I am doing and when I am spending time with my family that they know they have my attention. When the timer goes off I check work stuff, personal stuff and within 15 minutes everything has been taken care of and to think that I could have spent that two hours constantly checking. The sad thing is…I would have!
Lose your phone. Leave it in the car when you go to a restaurant, leave it upstairs while you are watching a movie and tuck it into a drawer while you are reading. Give yourself a break to not worry who is calling, texting etc. Losing your phone intentionally may be the best thing you do for yourself each day. The world will live. Promise. Unless you are a brain or heart surgeon…then you can keep your phone on you:-)
I will call you out on this if you are my friend (and they know it). When you are eating dinner with your family, at a restaurant with clients or having coffee with girlfriends…for the love of all that is good…keep your phone in your bag! You have someone right in front of you that wants to talk to you. Let them know you love and appreciate that by actually listening to THEM!
I interviewed a man not too long ago for a small job for my business and the whole time we were talking he kept checking his phone. I felt invisible and we never really made it past the interview process. This is make and break stuff in business and definitely with relationships. Don’t just save your attention for clients and friends. Keep it in the bag with your family the most!
Remember when people used to read a book in bed or get it on at bedtime? I am serious…this stuff happened! Nothing like the soft glow of your phone to lull you to sleep. In all seriousness, as a business woman I need to not have work being the last thing on my mind before bed. I can’t see at 10:45pm that someone can’t get into their class and then feel like I need to get out of bed to see what is going on. Remember that whole brain and heart surgeon thing from before? I promise you that most people will live until morning. I have excellent customer service but we also can sleep too. Do you remember working hours? It is healthy to have a time of night when work stops and rest begins. Don’t let your phone be your last contact at night and the first contact in the morning. This has made a huge difference in how I sleep and the peace I feel as I am going to sleep.  Maybe we can all read more books and do some other things too:-).
You want to know the biggest game changer for our family? We have chosen Sundays to be our family and no tech day. No joke. That means no computer, phones, texting, work etc. There have been a few huge deadlines when we had to do some work after the kids went to bed but for the most part we really honor this. We go to church or hike or watch a movie together or play games…but together. No one else is interrupting our day and no one is going off by themselves to work, text, face time etc. I love what I do so much and I could work 24/7. When you love what you do it can be hard to stop working sometimes. This day was put in place for Kelly and me as much as it was for the kids. We are trying to teach our kids all of these things about social media and technology because they are the ones that are growing up in it. One of the mottos in our home is “People before technology”. How can we say this if as parents we don’t live it and they don’t believe they come before work or distractions.   Giving up technology for one day a week can be hard for everyone at first but after awhile you just may love the freedom you feel.
Technology and social media are here to stay and I LOVE them! I am so glad I can keep up with friends that live all over the world, see glimpses into the lives of the people I admire, work from home, take creative classes no matter where I go and instantly know where my kids are. I just want to also read, take walks, create art, have a quitting time each day and to look at my children and husband when they are talking with me.
I am still working on these things but these are some of my most useful tech and social media tips that have made the biggest impact in my day to day. What about you? Do you have some tips to share! Please leave your thoughts below.
What great advice so that technology enhances life and creativity vs. inhibits it. These 6 tips are brilliant!
I found your blog through Facebook with Creating a Life. Glad to say I’m adding you to my blog reading list. Gorgeous pics with great advice. Can’t beat it.
I really appreciate these reminders and tips. I am guilty of all you mentioned, but have been trying to be better. I’ve put down my phone on Sunday’s too, and that’s been a huge help- not just with relationships, but also mental sanity. Thanks again for a thought- provoking post
Great tips and reminders Jeanne! I love the one day of no media! You got it going sister! xo
I really look forward to reading your blog as you post about how to make it all work! I too, homeschool my kids, and recently quit my part-time job so that I could do more art at home (my husband works from home). I’ve done a bit of art but I find the little time added to my home life from not working out of the home I have just put more to-do’s on my plate that don’t involve much art. My computer and art table are in the dining room as it’s the only place they fit and there are times when I shut the door to my computer cabinet and don’t look back until the boys are in bed. I love that I can do that. But it’s still a challenge. Getting lessons done is the priority. Being with family is the priority. Thinking about art and running an art business some day – well, it’s a dream that I will one day accomplish and I am thrilled when I see others making it happen! That’s the other thing: making time for me and not feeling guilty for it. Working on that too. 😉
Thanks for the great post! Looking forward to more! 🙂
This is one of the best posts I have read in a long time. As with most things in life, we know the answers but really need to be reminded. I would love to share this on my Facebook page!
Gosh, this makes sense and really carves out time for the people you love. Thanks for the great message.
Great advice! On Sundays we are no technology before noon. I think it really helps honor our time going to Mass. And the rest of the day ends of being very little tech as we do projects or family time or visit family. Once in awhile we go shopping if we need to as it’s the only day my husband doesn’t work. The timer is a good idea.
Great tips. You do inspire me with all you accomplish. Thanks for sharing…
Great post! We all need to remember these tips especially the ” people before technology” part! Thanks Jeanne:)
Love this! Thank you for sharing!
I love this post!! Both the reminders that are so encouraging and the beautiful pictures of your home! <3
This is sound advice. The last few times my sisters and I have been able to spend together have been robbed of much of their sweetness because one of us has an addiction to being connected with electronic family instead of being present. I hope and pray she will take this to heart (shared on fb) and learn to “Love the Ones Your With.”
Soooo very good!!!! Thank you!!
Thanks for the advice. Prioritizing things, shunning distractions and tracking time – rightly pointed here.
These are excellent tips for small business owners. We tend to check technology from the time we wake up until right before bed and on weekends. It really makes sense to take a day of rest for a better sense of balance in your life.
Fantastic post, Jeanne! Great advice – As a business owner myself, who loves what I do too – I hear you about the ability to work 24/7 — We are going to adopt Sundays as no tech days too!! Love that idea!!
Finding balance has been really tricky for me. There never seems to be enough time in the day. I realize I need to separate myself from electronic devices for at least a few hours a day and avoid checking them right before bed or I will have trouble getting to sleep.
I have to admit I really need to work on this. I have been getting really distracted with my phone/emails lately while the kids are playing. Tying to run a business is very hard when you have 2 kids that want to play all the time. Great tips, I’m going to try these out. Another tip I have been doing lately – is not checking my phone as soon as I wake up, I take an hour to myself and the kids first.
I NEEDED this ! I will always need this ! thank you ! i def. don’t want to be remembered as the mom w her nose in the phone.
I am so glad you found the post useful! We all need these reminders! Me included.