Daily routine

It's hard to admit, but I had a goal of writing on my blog daily. I'm almost embarrassed seeing my blog with only one entry this week.

This is one thing that I have to always watch about myself. That attitude of..."I will do it in the morning" or "I will do it tomorrow". It's almost comical because I actually remember when this all started. I was in my early teens, and this attitude has been something I have been trying to defeat since I realized how much of a handicap it was.

My friends say its the latino in me. I just think its the huevona in me.

So now with one of my flaws duly noted for all of you to read about, working from home this week was a bit of a challenge. Even with the long weekend in the US this Monday, it was quite a busy day. I had about 200 emails to answer billing to do, checking all campaigns are running smoothly following up with IT, ensuring all projects are being handled in a timely manner, following up with clients and looking for new publishers. All these tasks actually don't take too long to complete. I would say roughly 5 to 6 hours would make it a full time day. But when you work from home there are many distractions and that is one of the basic things that I had to to successfully conquer very early on when I started eight years ago.

You must be thinking...working only 5 to 6 hours a day, you must be able to do everything you want. That may be true for someone that works from home but not for a mother that works from home. I thought I was in the clear, but now that my daughter has started to speak I have found a need for a new routine to be put into place. So this has been my struggle this week: creating an atmosphere that will allow me to be the mom I want to be and get my work done in the most productive manner possible.

So here are a few of the things I must work on this week.


* Wake up an extra hour early so I can work 2-2.5 hrs straight before she wakes.

* Napping time needs to happen at the same time each day.

* Get help for 2-3 hrs so I can finish my work

Weekend

Saturday I spent all morning with my daughter. Watched a couple of movies and checked some stats on my websites. I started updating this blog as my daughter took a nap beside me.

I love the summer months because I get to sit outside with my laptop and work. My daughter was too young last year to play outside, but I'm sure this summer we will enjoy it quite a bit.

So ,I'm starting to write a few new articles for my publication. I've already written over a hundred over the last year for newsletters I've sent out, but I'm not so sure they convey the message for that first publication print. I don't have any idea which to use for the first print. I'm thinking of asking a writer friend of mine to give me a hand on the subject.

I posted an ad on craigslist looking for people who work from home to interview for a featured story and have so many responses that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the choices. I guess its better than not having any content.

Sunday was pretty much a day off.

Spent most of my day out enjoying the sunshine. After tucking my daughter in, I placed some ads, checked website stats, emailed some clients and publishers and sipped a cup of sleepy time tea and started planning the layout of my publication.

I'm still a bit unsure of when to launch my publication, but I'm sure it will all come together.

Things to do before publishing

1. keep up with existing businesses

2. choose editor
3. finalize layout of newsprint
4. decide which stories to print
5. verify stories for printing
6. request final drafts from advertisers
7. remember to take time off
8. decide on printing shop
9. blog every day
10. get a proof printed.
11. finalize areas of distribution
12. clean up website before first publication is out.
13. Breathe
14. organize a lunch party
15. print

Intro

After many requests from my 9-5 working friends, my colleagues and newsletter subscribers I finally decided to start a blog so they can keep updated on the daily musings of being a work at home mom.

The one thing I'm asked time and time again is what do you do really?

Its really not that hard to explain...

I make money online by simply doing what anyone does on a daily basis.

huh?

I do nothing different than what most people do when they sit in front of their computer and chat with their friends about the hottest new product they bought, a coupon they found or a service they found helpful. The difference is that I get paid for doing it.


In short, I generate leads for companies looking for more customers or members. I advertise online and bring new subscribes each month to join my newsletters where I share tips about how to work from home. I also consult companies wanting to take their off line product or service and help them launch it online.

The twist is...after working from home for 8 years, now that I'm a mom it's become more challenging.

The many requests I get from people is not really about wanting to know so much about what I do, but how I do it with all the family commitments and other businesses we also run.

Yes, we - because my husband also works from home with me.

It's a wonderful thing and a challenging thing at the same time. Working from home with your partner and young child is not an easy thing to balance along with family time and just general sanity time.

But I would not give up the moments of work at home stress for the 9-5 work stress.

I was just calculating for a friend who spends 3 hrs commuting each day.

1.5 hrs each way 5 days a week is 15 hrs a week of commute


That's 60 hrs a month.

That's 720 hrs a year.

That's 30 full 24 hr days of someone's life.

Imagine doing that for 20 years.


Well ... am I glad that I do work from home and have that extra month every year to spend with my daughter.