Time Passes...

Time slides by quickly when one keeps busy and this Summer and Fall just flew by for me. Working from home can be a challenge and I found that I put in a lot more time than I would at a "job" to get everything done. My biggest challenge is organizing my time to fit in working, keeping house, cooking meals, grocery shipping, serving in my church, working on finances, and spending time for family members.

When you work for a "company" and you work 8 to 5, you go to work, chat with the co-workers about your night, settle into you workspace and get started. Someone may stop by your desk to tell you about the good time you missed by not going with them to the bar or something. Each time you stop to chat, you don't stop the "company clock". The "company" still pays you for your time, no matter how many times you stop to chat. When you work at home, you only get paid only if you produce results. If you are billing time, you can't keep the clock running when you get interrupted. This can create a stress. How do you keep interruptions to a minimum? If you know, give me some insights, in how you handle this problem.

I bill time, so some weeks I may work 50 hours just to bill 40. (I can't bill for the time I am spending right now to write this blot.) One thing that helps me, is getting started early in the morning. If I can work several hours before the rest of my world gets up, then I will accomplish more in the day. Sleeping in may be nice at times, but losing those hours can be costly. (I read once that Martha Stewart only sleeps 4 hours a day! She uses 4 more hours each day than I do, because I sleep 8. That can really add up quickly, 4x7=28 hours a week. But if I find I don't get sick as often if I get more sleep.)

Structuring my time and making every spare minute count can help me get the other things done that I want to do. When the TV went Digital, we didn't get a box, because TV can waste a lot of time, and now we don't watch TV, unless it we rent a DVD on the weekends. This frees up so much time for family and for accomplishing other things, like hobbies or spending time with friends.

Our world may be changing with the recession in that people are spending more time with family instead of spending money going out. We may be getting better acquainted with our children and friends and finding that they are great people. My challenge this Holiday season will be to relax a little in my drive to get everything done, spend some time looking for those who are in need of help getting through the season, and making a difference. I challenge you to find people you can help and make this a Thanksgiving season to remember.