Quit Your Day Job, and Work From Home

Hello there. I’m Alissa T. Hunter, Author to YA Morning Star Institute book series: Malicious, Shameless, and Ruthless. I’m a Mom-entrepreneur, fitness coach, and a work-from-home kinda-gal.

You must be here, reading this blog because either you have already quite your job in order to work from home, or you daydream about quitting the job that drive’s you crazy, and makes you miss out on your kid’s lives.

No matter the reason, I’m glad you’re here. Read more below to learn how to have a successful work day at home, leaving you with more time to do the things you WANT to do, and have more time with the ones you love

It’s all about mind set; or in my case, prioritizing one word at a time.

Finding time to work from home can be a challenge if you let every little distraction keep you from doing anything but what you should be doing.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret which will allow you to have a smooth day nixing the distraction and leaving you with time to spare, or time to enjoy what you’d rather be doing in the first place.

The first key is to recognize those distractions which could be posing in any corner of you house, writing them down if need be as a reminder, and avoiding them, (we will get back to the list of distractions you might not have considered).

The second key is to turn away from those distractions, put the full force of the foot down. And the third key is to find a systematic routine in which you pledge to never break; after all, you’re working from home for a reason be it to spend more time with you family, or to be your own boss and provide an income for you and or your family and still do what it is you enjoy most.

First things first: congratulations on following your dream. It takes guts kid!

Let’s take a good hard look at why so many of us have nixed the 9-to-5 for the glamorous life at home.

For me writing was a way to order my thoughts at the end of the day, to beat postpartum depression, and prove that I have a mind of my own. And I had always dreamed of being a writer, to create something fun, and edgy for all to read. The idea struck in the middle of the night, (while up with a newborn), how since I was at home raising little babies refusing to pay for daycare, there had to be something I could do to keep from going stir crazy. Plus, I wanted to help contribute to my family any way I could, even if it wasn’t right away.

A plan had formed.

Like me, there’s so many more people out there who do not want day care to raise their kids, (now I’m not trying to disrespect people who have no choice, and need day care), it just wasn’t for us. My heart would race, I sweat and pace the entire my kids are in someone else’s care beside my own; I certainly couldn’t get any work done feeling this way; it wasn’t fair for my kids, myself, or my employers. This meant it was time to get serious about working from home, buckle down and start writing. It took some time, but eventually I talked a small Publishing house into signing me as one of their novelists, (4-book contract to be exact). That’s how I became a MOM-entrepreneur.

Now for those lists of distraction:

The T.V.

Turn off the television, no you cannot truly get work done while the background noise of the T.V. is on tempting you to look away from the task at hand. Besides, if you get your work done, and you’ll have time later to enjoy your favorite shows.

There’s an alternative to the T.V. if you must have some kind of noise in the background. Turn on music that motivates you, and helps your brain create. Be careful in choosing the right music to accompany you though, base it off the type of work you do from home. (A good dark cello concerto from Adam Hurst always gets my creative juices flowing).

Pets:

Yes we love our furry little friends, but they can be a huge distraction. Figure out a routine that works for all of you, include your pet. Maybe take them for a walk before you sit down to work, throw the ball and wear them out. When you come back home they’ll need to rest again, and give you several hours of pure work space. This can be done again for a lunch break, (if you’re not already done with all your work for the day, that is.)

The next distraction is an obvious one. TURN OFF YOU PHONE. Or at least silent it. You’re at work remember, do not take personal calls until you’re on an official break. Otherwise, you would get nothing done if you jumped up to answer your phone every time it rang. Use caller I.D. to judge if it could be an emergency, otherwise that’s what voicemail is for. The same goes for email. Schedule a time of your day to check emails, like early in the morning while drinking your coffee. Don’t get onto social media every five-minutes, unless it’s scheduled in. I usually get onto social media and market my business when I’m at the coffee house waiting for my daughter to get out of preschool, (the coffee house is too distracting to get real work done, so it makes a great place to do a little marketing). Or have real conversation with people at the coffee house, let them in on what you’re up too.

The next for the list of distractions goes to Kids…

Now the reason you are at home in the first place could be because of your kids. This is great, really, but even kids, toddlers, and babies can be very distracting and more often than not, we use them as an excuse for why we haven’t gotten anything done. Sometimes this is true, like if you have a sick kid, but most of the time it’s an excuse or a poorly planned day. Guess what? Kids crave and love structure just as much as we need it to be successful in our home jobs. It’s a win-win!

Get your littles’ into the same routine as you. The key is to be consistent. Babies are a bit trickier, because unlike a toddler you cannot sit them down at the table with preschool books, or coloring books, or puzzles, or Play-Doh, or finger painting…you get it, (and all great ideas for your toddler to stay busy with).

Babies need constant care, but don’t give up, instead think of ways this can work for you. Can you sit down and rock a child and read material at the same time? Read out loud, your baby won’t really understand what you’re reading at this age, but they will love hearing your voice anyway. Older babies love a good workout in the bouncer, floor, or stationary toys. Just make sure they are safe, and not left alone. Also, there is always nap time for you to use in order to get all caught up.

No matter, how you go about your day while caring for kids at home, be patient with yourself. You’re doing what you love, you’re still being there for your kids, and in the end it will all be worth it.

You and your family are worth it.

The next step leading to a successful work day at home is the routine you use. Be consistent. Find what work best for you and do it each day. It’s all about finding balance.

For me it is waking up with a cup of warm lemon water, a little breakfast before getting my kids ready and off to school. After the older kids are at school, I’ll need to situate my toddler after breakfast with something to keep her entertained, (today’s choice was painting at the breakfast nook).

Next comes some blogging, and or writing for a bit, since novels don’t write themselves. After I might do some yoga or Piyo, make sure my toddler is content and doing something besides watching T.V. (Which I admit, I will let her do once a day. But she deserves it, as she has been working hard learning all day as well). After I’ll probably sit down and write some more, making sure to take my scheduled breaks for a walk, meals, and more often than not, a dance party with my daughter in the living room and several bouts of Ring-Around-The-Rosy...

No matter what your day looks like, or your family situation, if there’s a will there’s a way. Be consistent, be true to yourself and never give up. If I had given up there would not be my Morning Star Institute series: Malicious, Shameless, and soon-to-be released, Ruthless.

If you’re wanting to check out what reviews are saying about Malicious, or wanting to pick up a copy for yourself, you can go here:

Not matter what work you are doing from home, be it fitness coaching, novel writing, selling makeup, or selling antiques on E bay, keep your mind focused on the reasons why you’re doing it in the first place.

Stay consistent, have integrity, and don’t forget to take care of your pets, your kids, and yourself, (otherwise what’s the point if you’re ignoring what’s important?), and I promise you will see the fruits of your labor.

Thank you for reading my blog on how to be successful at home, and don’t forget to follow me over there to the right of your screen. I’m constantly doing giveaways concerning my book series, and who doesn’t like free stuff?

Also I am running a Bikini Fitness challenge group, as a fitness coach to help you shed unwanted pounds and tone up in time for summer. If you’d like to join the challenge, click here: Fitness Challenge LOSE WEIGHT

Feel free to leave your comment below. I would love to hear how you manage your home business, or other tips and tricks for avoiding distractions.

I hope you all have a Maliciously good day!