Working from home sounds so... comfortable. Doesn't it? People who work from home must leisurely put their feet up and have loads of time for quiet introspection. Lucky buggers.
But the work-at-homer is bombarded by distractions every minute. The laundry, dishes, internet, phone calls and garden all clamor for our attention. It's enough to make one hide under the desk. If there are children at home too, the challenge to stay focused doubles...
But the work-at-homer is bombarded by distractions every minute. The laundry, dishes, internet, phone calls and garden all clamor for our attention. It's enough to make one hide under the desk. If there are children at home too, the challenge to stay focused doubles...
My effort to write at home this morning looked like this:
I was in the middle of crafting an article and just caught a wave of inspiration. The words were flowing and I could hardly wait to get them all down before--
and then a little voice shouted up the stairs, "MOM!! Guess what!!" I stopped typing.
"What is it dear?"
"You should come down and LOOK!"
My hands remained on the keyboard. "I can't dear. I'm working, remember?"
"Well can I just show you?"
"Can you just tell me?"
Little feet pounded their way upstairs, and little eyes stared into mine. "Mom, you know what we saw?"
"What, dear?"
"A woodpecker!"
"That's great. Thanks for telling me. I--"
"--and it had red feathers on its head!"
"Mmhmm. That's great I--"
"-and it was pecking at the tree!" I started fidgeting. "Right by the hole!!"
"Yes dear. Woodpeckers are cool. Thanks for telling me."
They smiled and left, and I returned to crafting the article. I tried to remember what that wave of inspiration had been. Hmm. Oh! yes! I typed madly before--
And another little voice shouted up the stairs, "Mom? Can I have..."
Between phone calls and supper and 'Mom can I have', articles can take days to write. There are a few things I do to keep on task and moving forward with my writing. Even a write-at-home mom can get this done. Even a homeschooling mom can write books and articles and business blog posts.
Oh yes we can!
How This Write At Home Mom Gets It Done:
- Dedicated Writing Sessions
One day each week, the kids are in my sister's care. I hole up somewhere, away from my house and all its clamoring, and write like crazy. This is when the bulk of my writing happens. - Daddy Time
When Dad is home for the evening, the kids love to hang out with him. They'll work beside him on projects outside, they'll wrestle, read, whatever. I leave. No guilt, no pressure. I've been with them all day, we've had our time. I let them have their Daddy time, and I escape to my computer to edit and write whatever needs doing. - Be an Opportunist
On those magical days when the kids decide for some reason to play in a sandbox for three hours straight, and don't seem to have many questions for me, you better believe I'm using that time to Facebook. Uh... I mean write and edit. Yes. That's what I mean. -I'll even close the windows so I don't hear their weird conversations about who should have the shovel first or why taking turns is not fair. Seriously. Don't feel bad about closing the window. Focus is allowed.
How about you - how do you get it done?
