I have been working from home (or in freedom, since I also work while we travel) for almost a decade now. I can say that it is one of the best decisions I have made since I get to be hands on with my family and, at the same time, earn enough to support our needs at home.
But, days do not always go as planned. Although I already have a system in place that allows me to work AND take care of my family and our home (we don’t have househelp) while still giving myself my much needed me-time, there are still challenges that come with working from the comfort of your home–such as distractions that can suck the time out of my day. Distractions equal low productivity, which is something you cannot afford when you work from home.
Which is why as a work-from-home business owner, we all need a strategy to stay focused and productive. Globe myBusiness shares four tips to keep you productive while you work from home:
- Define your workspace. When you’re in an office, you know instinctively that it’s a place of business, and that the entire area is designed specifically for the purpose of working. You need to designate a place at home for this same purpose – a space that will give you the maximum focus for managing your company. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate office, but it should at least be conducive for work. Have a desk and a comfortable chair, at least. While a chair isn’t as comfy as your couch (or God forbid, your bed), it’s a much better place to stay focused. It also helps you stay organized if you have specific spaces for paperwork, devices, and other materials only related to business.
- Work according to a schedule. Because you make the rules, this doesn’t have to be a 9-to-5 thing. But to stay on track, you should at least come up with a daily plan of action and stick to it. Setting deadlines and clear goals will help you stay productive through distractions, and teaches you to prioritize important tasks so they don’t overwhelm you.
- Allow yourself to take breaks. You’re passionate for growing your business, and that’s great. But you might end up exhausting yourself – so prevent burnout by taking breaks throughout the day. Remember to do things you enjoy, and keep yourself healthy. Your mind and body – and your business – will surely thank you. Every now and then, remember to treat yourself to longer breaks as well for all the hard work!
- Get the right gear. Every job requires tools, and these are usually specific to your business. You know better than anyone what gear you should always have on hand – be it a laptop, office supplies, or even equipment and machinery. Make sure they’re close by so you don’t have to leave the room often, and make sure you always have an ample supply – that way, you won’t have to worry about skipping work to buy materials ever again. (Read: 5 Tools for Working From Home Successfully)
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This is awesome Kim. Thank you for giving ideas about “Define your workspace & Work according to a schedule”. That really are the great start too if one wants to be a VA.
Hi Kim!, I am an avid fan of you Blog! I enjoy reading it while I’m at work to get to know more about working from home since I’m planning to switch for my 2 years old son (I’m a single mom), I just have a question, how do you manage to do your work while taking care of your children? I only have a son but it’s giving me tons of stress since he is really active. How do you manage it? Do you consider working in a late hours as well?
Thank you for being an inspiration to me 🙂
Hi Carmie, I try to work around my kids’ schedules. I can’t work late at night (after they sleep) since I don’t function when I don’t get my sleep so what I do is I work when they nap or while they are playing. One key is to teach your little one to play independently. What worked really well for us are wooden blocks, clay, and coloring. What I did is I would ask them which activity they want to do, and I set up the toys for them to play with while I work. They’re 6 and 4 now, but when they were really young, I would also explain to them that mommy needs to work while they play. I made sure they understand the importance of my work, but also took breaks in between to play and de-stress with them. You don’t have to work 8 hours straight. Work in 30 minute blocks then take a break to attend to your little one after. 🙂 Hope that helps and good luck with your work at home journey!