Dive Right In: Working From Home Amidst Family Chaos

Running a busy household is a job on it's own but working from home amidst the family chaos is even more challenging.  I tell ya: I have great respect for single parents that do it every day.  There have to be days when it can be daunting and you wish you could maybe pause or rewind.

I live in a busy household of seven and every day is, to put it simply, a juggling act..  Some days, it's purely about trying not to strangle one of the kids.

Patience - don't strangle each other..  yet. (J/K)

When you work from home, there are many skills and traits that breed success, but the two biggest ones are likely...

• Self-Starting - With no boss lighting a fire under your arse, taking initiative is the only way to make progress and get consistent results.
• Self-Accountability - No more pointing fingers or casting blame on others.  Being self-accountable means you accept your faults and constantly make efforts to improve - that means progress!

Note the focus on "me" and "I": you are the #1 reason you succeed or fail.  Of course, to say that demanding family lives do not create their own challenges would be misleading.  The basic approach to balancing your home and work life is simple:

• Be Proactive - Plan ahead - you can never be too prepared, but don't let your planning take the place of action.  Being proactive is about maintaining a "do it now" attitude and preparing for potential challenges before they happen.
• Stay Positive - Getting worked up and seeing doom at every turn does not help situations turn around.  Positive people don't see problems, they see opportunities.  We can learn and grow with every effort if we respond in positive, productive ways.

The tactics is where it can get tricky since every family and scenario is different.  I'd like to share some of the challenges I have faced and how to overcome them.