When women like us decide to stay home and figure out just how to make a living from the Internet, we do so with the intention of being more available to our families and ourselves, right?
You may have had the intention to pursue more of your hobbies, or perhaps you saw an opportunity in Internet marketing or the blogosphere and just wanted to try. For most of us, we are committed to exploring our own interests and skills, and just embracing the overall elements of managing our time and life on our own terms.
Whatever the reason, you have started this endeavor with the intent of succeeding. Part of Internet marketing requires bloggers and marketers to engage in social media. Social media has become the “go-to” place to spread the word about your product or service and it is one of the few ways that you can connect with thousands of people without spending thousands of dollars.
Yet now it may seem like all you are doing is sitting on the social sites, as opposed to actively promoting your blog or product in any other manner. You are spending less time with your family or accomplishing your tasks because you have to be available to respond to the posts on social media, and stay in-the-know about the topics that might connect you with your potential clients. You are now working more hours in a day than you ever did at your previous job!
You have now discovered that you are unfulfilled, and that social media can be an even bigger time-vacuum than your typical 9-to-5. Now what?
What To Do In This Situation
To better manage this process, here are four tips for achieving your goals of success and family time. These tips take a life coach approach to time management and goal-setting, and will serve you well if you are committed, flexible (because these processes leave room for the unforeseen), and tenacious. Consider hiring a life coach to help you set up a system that will help you define your goals, and put actions in place to achieve those goals.
1. Set A Schedule. You will need to design a schedule and stick to it. Set a specific time to post content, to respond to social media, to be with your family and to complete your chores. Some days, you won't be able to stick to your schedule, but make that the exception, not the rule.
2. Social Media Can Wait. While it is easy to believe that when someone posts a comment on your blog that you should immediately respond, the truth is you have time. People may be grateful for an instant response, but it is not necessary. Many people will post a comment or question and then move on to other things. They do not check for a response until a later time.
3. Remember What Is Important. Your family is important. Your housework is important. Your hobby is important. Your blog content is important. Everything else is secondary. Yes, money matters, but the way you earn income can be tied to your sense of fulfillment, and Internet marketing is one avenue for that knowledge to be applied. Making time for your highest priorities can leave you with the clarity of mind to attain work-life harmony.
4. Reevaluate Your Goals. Sometimes it is very important to step back and look at the reasons that you started this business. When you rekindle the romance with why you wanted to become an Internet marketer or blogger, you become re-energized to actively pursue that goal again. A good coach can help with this component, and thanks to today's technology, that coach can be anywhere in the world, and still serve you well. When you're looking for a life coach Tampa, think of Atlanta, Los Angeles, or even Kingston as viable cities for which to search for your ideal coach online. Don't be shy to search outside of your area, because you can use Skype or Google Hangouts for "face-to-face" contact.
It will be a little difficult to make the adjustment from being totally immersed in social media to regulating your time, but it is possible, and Internet entrepreneurs the world over are doing it every day. Try the steps above, include a coach in your readjustment strategy, and commit to embracing not just busy work, but meaningful work as well. Social media is meant to be a tool for your success by engaging with people who share your interests and need the skills you have. Keep that in mind, and you may just see that work-life harmony is not that far-fetched of an idea.
Akilah Richards is a full-time entrepreneur who has benefited significantly from the services of a reputable life coach. She shares articles about the importance of hiring reinforcements to help you design a plan for your time and tasks, so that you can see the benefits of choosing a non-traditional approach to your work, via the Internet.
