Are you checking in with Reality?

Reality. A funny little word for those of us who are Virtual Realists. Often Reality gives us a good swift kick in the hiney to make sure we are paying attention. Reality right now is having me check in with myself to make sure that I'm balancing my IRL (In Real Life) world with my Virtual one.

For us Momprenuers our reality at any given time could be a number of things. Are the kids fed? When was the last time I showered? Oh crud, I haven't updated the Etsy site in a few days. What's for dinner? Man, this workroom is a disaster! Seriously Facebook... I only popped on for 5 minutes and now it's three hours later.

Often because of all that I have to do in a day some things get left out or forgotten. A few weeks ago it was an online meeting. I failed to check my calender that day and decided to take the kids out of the house. It was a beautiful day! But the reality is that I could have done both that day if I had CHECKED IN with my calender (which is REALITY in a nutshell) and made it home in enough time to also go to my meeting.

So my new goal is to Reality Check twice a day. Once in the morning as I'm eating breakfast and once again at night right before bed. I'll give you an example of my morning Reality Check. I spend some time (about 10-20 minutes) working on schedule and to do lists.

Family
1. Check calender for any meetings/appointments/special things at school/work/church.
2. Make the Schedule for the Day (I need this otherwise I might get distracted... facebook. Craft blogs. Ravelry.)
3. What's for lunch and dinner? (I have my menu for the week done but I need to get out the stuff for dinner now. Before I forget. Yet again. And I absolutely detest meat that has be thawed in the microwave.)
4. What do the kids need? How are they doing emotionally/physically/in school/at church? Etc.

Business
1. Check calender for any upcoming deadlines.
2. Review the PoA (Plan of Attack) that I made during the previous nights Reality Check.
3. Points to Ponder- For example... Does my schedule work for me? Should I do that craft show? What about putting my stuff in the shop downtown that does consignment. What stores are low on product? New ideas for product, etc.

House
1. Are there any super huge messes that need to be cleaned up?
2. Cleaning Schedule- I do one BIG deep clean a week. The whole house. Top to bottom. It works better for me but I know a fair few people who like to do a little bit each day. I prefer to straighten up rooms every night before bed and make sure my dishes are clean. I leave the heavier stuff for my Cleaning Frenzy day.
3. What maintenance/projects need to be done? Put them on the schedule to tackle.


I've found if I take the 20 minutes at breakfast and the 10 minutes at bedtime to go over these things that the important things to me are always being carefully considered. I might also add finances to this list. That seems to be a big thing for me right now. Hmmm... something to ponder tonight!

Momprenuersonline.com

I  just found this great website http://www.momprenuersonline.com/.

There is a wonderful message board there and the Newbie Took Kit is an essential read if you have ever thought to start your own at home business. I love the articles as well. Some of my favorite articles are the ones called Staying Organized and Time Management tips. Both of which I need help on!

My brain gets buzzing with all my new ideas and then it flows into the "but I need to get ____ done first" and then a kid needs something. It's just a never ending cycle.

So this week I'm going to work on two things. One is to come up with a work schedule that will work for me and my family. And the other is to make a decision once and for all as to where I want the workroom to be. Not having my workroom set up and clean and organized is giving me a serious case of unproductivity. I'm wasting a lot of time digging around in there trying to find the things that I need to make product. And time is money! Especially since I don't have as much time with my husband here to help with the kids.

And I don't know about you but Google Calender just may save my skin. I've never been good in the past at making sure my calender was used effectively. But Google Calender is about ten shades of awesome. Now, to remember to check it...

Are you a Momprenuer? Let's have a link party!

I dabble in business. I find it interesting and you can frequently see me reading a vast array of business related articles and books. And everyonce in a while I actually make some money. Either through Floral Design or on my Etsy shop. My business partner Shannon and I even have a great idea for a business but have yet to fully follow through on it.

Some of you may be a Momprenuer like myself. Some of you may be wondering what the heck a Mompreneur is. Well, a Momprenuer is a new term for women who have a business at home while also caring full time for their children. Some Momprenuers do it for the extra cash. I do it for the creative outlet and the aquiring of business knowledge. (Because Knowledge TRULY is Power!).

I don't have a lot of readers yet as this blog is still in it's infancy but I would love to know what other Momprenuers out there do. Are you an ebay seller? Maybe you came up with an invetion. Or you have a small baby boutique. Let's have a link party! Link me to your online shop or website so I can check you out!

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