Full Time Job and Part Time Business: How to Manage Both

“ Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” — oprah winfrey Managing time wisely and effectively is challenging. But excellent time management skills are invaluable, especially when trying to manage both a full-time job and a part-time business. There are other things in life besides just work. But when you have a passion that turns into a business, it can certainly feel like your job is getting the way. Sitting down and working out a plan for when you can start to transition into part time job and part time business, before going full time in your business, is worth the time to do. If you want the opportunity to experience and enjoy other activities in life, getting your time under control is imperative. Can I have a business and a full time job? Absolutely! The key is to be organised. That may sound simple, but I am not just talking about in your business. You need to organise your life, because one thing I know, is that life can get in the way sometimes. It’s all about prioritising, focusing, and being productive, rather than simply being busy. Time Management These time management tips will help to guarantee that your time is spent wisely: Focus on being productive. You can spend a lot of time actively working, yet accomplish relatively little. Being busy is about motion. Being productive is about results. Consider the results you are likely to see from the course of action you’re about to undertake. Are the expected results worth the time? Being busy all day and accomplishing nothing should be avoided by everyone, but it’s especially important for those with two jobs. Drop the multi-tasking. The ability to multi-task has been lauded for decades, but recent research is showing that multi-tasking is a mistake. Some research has shown that focusing on one task at a time increases productivity and performance by 100%. Treah has written a great article about this that you can read here . This can be the difference maker between success and failure if you’re juggling a part-time business with a full-time job. Productivity is everything. Focus on one thing until it’s time to move on to something else. Consider using a timer to help you focus. If a task should take 25 minutes to complete, use a timer and try to beat the clock. A simple timer can really help you stay focused. Have a new list of objectives and to-do list each day. Priorities and needs change from day to day. Start each day with a new list or priorities. Any items that are incomplete can be moved to tomorrow’s list, but only if they’re still priorities. If you find it helpful, have a list of things to do before lunch and after lunch. Breaking up the day like this can make things more manageable. Create the list the night before. You won’t waste time in the morning trying to plan your day. You might also find some elegant solutions to your challenges if you have the opportunity to sleep on them. Make a real effort to eliminate distractions and interruptions. There’s always something else that needs your attention. However, you’ll get more done if you can stick to the important tasks before allowing other things to grab your attention. You might want to spend the first two hours of each morning working on the most important tasks of the day before opening your email or listening to your phone messages. Make decisions with the time expenditure in mind. Working full-time and running a part-time business requires focusing on the time required by certain activities. Quick decision-making skills are vital. Sometimes, the second or third best solution is the best solution if it saves time. Sometimes a good, quick solution is better than the best solution that is complicated and too time-consuming to implement. Delegate whenever possible. Whether it’s at the job or the business, delegate as much as you can. Do you insist on doing too much? Attempt to release some control and get all the help you can. Managing a full-time job and a part-time business is challenging, but many people are able to manage both successfully Focus on the most important tasks, minimize the distractions around you, and let others help. Automation No matter how hard we try as women, we can’t be in all places at the same time. You can however use free apps (if you have no budget) or paid tools to perform business tasks for you while you are at your full time job. Doing things like scheduling social media posts, content release, automated email responders, setting up sales funnels, and even using chat bots are some of the first things to invest your time in doing. This is how you get your business running on autopilot. I have written a great article on this that you can read here . Delegate I know this one will be a bit hard to swallow, but it is necessary. You have to get help. This help might be around the house, in your business, with the kids, or with an other responsibilities you have. “ The worst thing you can do it give up the things you love to do (like going to the gym or spending a bit of time socialising) so that you can keep doing the things you have to do (like housework or cooking).” — samantha morris Balance is crucial and something you have to be conscious of every day. You can’t be all work all the time. You will burn out before you see success. So have those hard conversations with those that should be supporting you and get them to be proactive in giving their support. My kids have chores to do. Yes my 12 year old son has dropped the ‘child labour’ bomb on me, but in truth I believe it is my job as a parent to teach my children life skills — and that includes learning how to cook and clean. My husband has to pitch in too. He has to take his turn cooking dinner and helping around the house. Does everyone like my roster — no. But my three eldest have all left home and did so with the confidence that they were self sufficient — in more ways than just around the house. My final thoughts… If you are working full time but find that the work isn’t satisfying, or the money isn’t enough, or your life just doesn’t look like you want it to, then starting your business while you still have a steady income is a good idea. Yes it means you will have to make the time and put in the work. But focus on the day you get to quit your job, the day you don’t have to worry about money, or the day you can run your own clock. Don’t spend your life wondering what if. “ Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” — Anonymous Love It? Pin This Article for Later.