It can be hard to separate work from life at times – especially when you work from home. It can be a blessing or a curse depending on how disciplined and motivated you are.
That said, I have spent the last four months trying to master working from home and getting the most out of my days. I thought I would share some somewhat common sense tips to being productive while working from home.
Define a work space
Defining a work space is a must to maximize productivity while working from home. Have an area that is exclusive for work. Perhaps it’s a desk you setup in the den or spare bedroom. Whatever and wherever it is make sure it’s for work only. Don’t eat at this desk, don’t watch movies or play games in this area – it is your work area.
It won’t be long before you train yourself that when you enter this area or sit at this desk you are there for one thing – productive work. It is also great for those you live with so they know when you are working vs. merely using your computer or reading for pleasure.
Don’t forget your morning routine
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to roll out of bed and jump on the computer or phone. It may be tempting to get the work “out of the way” but before you know it the afternoon will have creeped up and you will not have showered or brushed your teeth.
So get yourself into a routine in the morning – you’ll be surprised how much more productive you are if you’ve cleaned up, ate some breakfast, and put on a pot of coffee.
Breaks and Exercise
Take breaks and get your exercise. Simple as that. Make sure you aren’t spending your entire day in your house – it is extremely unhealthy.
Run to the gym for an hour or go walk to grab a cup of coffee. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you do it every day – your productivity will soar because of it.
Stay focused and prepare – the night before
I’ve preached about the importance of preparing for your day the night before in other posts. It’s easy to get distracted when you work from home so it’s even more important to identify the major tasks of the day that you need to get done.
Every night, identify three important tasks that you need to get done the next day. Do this on a piece of paper or in your note book and circle the one tasks that is the most important. The tasks that if you got nothing done except this one thing, you would still feel good about your day.
This will keep you focused on what needs to be done first.
Know what schedule works for you
One of the major benefits of working from home is the fact that you can – depending on your job – set your own schedule. Society has us preset to a 9-5 work schedule which isn’t necessarily ideal for everyone. Although some work may need to be completed in this timeframe in order to connect with others on this schedule, a lot of work can be completed at your convenience.
Personally, I am somewhat of a late riser – normally 9 or 10 AM – and I usually take another hour for my routine before getting down to work unless something very time-sensitive comes up. I avoid the mid-afternoon wall – a time during which I am very unproductive – by getting out for a walk to grab a cup of coffee, heading to the gym, or even scheduling a meeting so I can get out of the house and away from the computer. Most of my creative work, brainstorming, and writing gets done between 9PM and 2AM.
If you are just starting to work from home, you will quickly begin to learn what schedule works for you in order to get the most out of your work day.
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I wanted to stay focused on working from home vs working location-independently. That said, leveraging free wifi and great coffee is another excellent way to stay productive during the day while switching up your environment. There are many great resources to live a location independent lifestyle.
10. December 2009
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