Working from home sounds great, but staying on task can be difficult. With home as the office, distractions such as chores, television, children, food and exercising can monopolize time. By building structure in daily activities anyone can increase focus and become more productive working at home.
Set a Work Schedule to Work from Home
Always treat an at-home business just like a regular job. Create set work hours and stick to those hours. A white board calendar can help in setting a weekly schedule.
Make sure that friends and family know the work schedule so that they don’t call or disrupt the work time. Try to schedule work hours during times when there are few distractions. For instance, schedule work hours during times when kids are in school or at other events. Always consider possible distractions when formulating the weekly work schedule.
To stay on track, use an alarm clock to signal the start and end of the work day. It helps to make the day more routine and provides structured break times.
Dress for Success Even When Working at Home
People who work from home need to get dressed and look presentable every day. This may seem like a silly thing to say but anyone can easily spend the entire day in pajamas when working from home.
Getting dressed and ready for the day, will create a more productive atmosphere at home. Dressing appropriately will set the work mood and will help to get more done each day. This also helps when work requires runs to the store or post office. Dressing for the day will help when random errands need to be completed.
Create a Work Space at Home
It is extremely important to designate a space in a house or apartment as a work area. Ideally this area would be a room with a door that can be closed when not in use. Creating a work space will facilitate a feeling of going to work and leaving work. This feeling is important because it helps to keep work and life separate.
Set up an office or studio in a spare room. Make sure the room is equipped with adequate lighting and storage. If special tools are required for work, create a space in which those tools are handy and organized.
Be Your Own Boss and Demand Success
Anyone can easily become less productive when working from home. To battle this tendency, set weekly work goals. Write these goals on a list and post it so that it can be clearly seen from the work space. Check off the goals as they are completed. This checklist will create focus and a sense of accomplishment.
It is also important to make a list of larger goals for a business. These may be yearly or monthly goals. Take time to think of a few large goals for the business. Post these large goals in the work space. When forming the smaller weekly goals, think about how those goals will help to reach the larger goals.
Maximize Productivity While Working at Home
Use the tips listed above to increase productivity and find greater success when working from home. Though it is easy to lose focus, anyone can stay motivated by focusing on work goals. Use the above tips to create a work atmosphere that increases focus and encourages work. Remember to set large goals and structure each work day to move closer to those goals. With organization, focus and drive, anyone can find success working at home.
