Making Time for Chores
Being the chief cook and bottle washer for your business as well as having sole responsibility for your household chores can be rather daunting at times, especially when the holidays are looming. I either go into overdrive, knocking out task after task like some kind of demon, or I huddle on the sofa with my cats and a bag of air-popped popcorn, OD’ing on sappy Hallmark movies. I like to say I work well under pressure, and I certainly manage to accomplish a lot when a deadline looms. At least with my work, I’ve learned to slow it down a bit so what I put out doesn’t look as slap-dash as my approach to the task.
Household chores are a different story. I have a real love-hate relationship with chores. I’ve managed to get into a routine when it comes to my kitchen, leaving it clean and organized every night. The rest of the house is much the worse for wear. I love the fact that I can still do things for myself, but cleaning has never been my passion like it was for my mother. Still and all, once I get going, headphones in my ears with the music of my choice playing, I actually enjoy the process of putting my house to rights. I just need to learn not to try to do it all at once.
I suspect the struggle to balance hearth and home, and a growing business is a common one with other up-and-coming entrepreneurs. I can only be grateful my kids are grown and gone so I don’t have their needs and schedules to manage at the same time.
Using What Works for My Business Projects
It occurs to me that I’ve gotten a handle on my business projects by creating a physical 
schedule, just as I did with my weekly gym workouts. Perhaps what works for self-care and client work will be as effective for chores? It’s certainly worth a try.
Like everything else, it’ll take some trial and error. I tend to overbook myself in the beginning. But I’ve learned not meeting goals doesn’t mean I’ve failed. It simply means I need to revisit my goals and make them more achievable. I may be Wonder Woman when I set those tasks, but it’s a mere mortal who has to accomplish them.
As it is, I’ve already scheduled time every week to run errands. I know how long it takes me to empty sandboxes, and vacuum and mop the house. Creating a schedule around these and other tasks shouldn’t be rocket science. I have to conquer my resistance to committing to them every week is all. Perhaps I could offer myself a reward? I got myself walking every day (high winds permitting) by promising coffee and breakfast when I was done. It doesn’t matter that I get coffee and breakfast anyway. Making it a condition of getting out to walk was still effective.
Rewarding Myself for Finishing Household Chores
What reward do you offer for a couple of hours of heavy cleaning? Sure, there’s the satisfaction of clean, grit-free floors and the smell of vinegar permeating the air. I typically add about 6,000 steps to my day as well, so there’s the health factor too. I’m at a loss for the moment, but I know I’ll think of something.
If nothing else, I won’t be stressing out Thanksgiving week thinking I need to give the house a deep cleaning in two days, and still get my writing done. Since Thanksgiving falls at month-end this year, I’ll have to have the Medium posts scheduled and done too. I discovered that’s about a 4 hour job, start-to-finish.
Applying Metrics to The Whole Week
One of the things I learned from my years in Corporate America is the value of metrics. In my 
case, time is my metric. I have so many hours in the week, and I know how long some of my regular tasks take. Creating a workable schedule means nailing down how long others take too.
For example, how many hours do I really spend writing, formatting, and publishing a blog post? As I write at least 3 per week, that has to be figured in. Gym time is somewhat flexible. I’ve also joined a group that’s supporting each other in resuming the “Winning the Game of Money” program, so I have to allot 30 minutes a day for innercising, and maybe an equal amount for interacting with the group.
Sometimes, the best approach is to first list all of the weekly and monthly tasks, then start filling in times. Once I know how much time I need for each, it’ll be easier to make time, not only for work-related projects, but for household chores too. I think that’s where I’ve gone astray lately. I add tasks but have no idea how much time I need to complete what’s already on my plate. I’m beginning to understand why some entrepreneurs are ruthlessly organized with blocks of time allotted to various tasks. Unlike them, you will not see me starting my day before 8 AM, at least not on a regular basis.
Setting a Sustainable Pace
I’ve learned we have to respect our own rhythm. Some work best and most efficiently in the early morning, but plenty of us don’t. I can accomplish at least as much as the early risers. But I have to discipline myself to go back to work after dinner instead of calling it a day. I have to use my non-dance nights as working opportunities instead of giving in to my propensity towards sloth.
What I’ve learned is it boils down to a few things:
- Organize
- Quantify
- Schedule
- Discipline
I have to organize what it is I want to accomplish. Then I have to determine how much time each task requires and pad it for the unexpected. Interruptions and sidetracks will always occur. I know how my ADD mind works. Time estimates give way to a preliminary schedule I know will require adjustments once I actually put all tasks into play. For it all to work, I have to exercise a certain amount of discipline or I’ll make excuses for avoiding the tasks I hate.
The key will be finding rewards enticing enough for my inner child (the real procrastinator in this story). The first step was really in identifying the problem. Once I got that far, I knew it was a matter of following my usual process for getting everything done. Maybe I really am Wonder Woman? Isn’t that the first requirement for starting your own home-based business anyway?
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri 
believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook at Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.
