How to Productively Work From Home

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A work from home opportunity sounds like a dream come true for a lot of people. However, it comes with its own set of challenges. When you become your own boss, it's all too easy to sleep in late, procrastinate, take naps and generally become unproductive. The key to productively working from home is organization.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Designated office space
Thick notebook and pencil
Discipline
Support of family and friends

Step1

Organize your office space. This should be a separate place in the house, designed solely for your business activities. Make sure you have everything you need to run your business close at hand. Set up a filing cabinet, arrange your office supplies and make sure you have enough lighting. Above all else, make it a comfortable, inviting place in which to spend 8+ hours a day.

Step2

Set major goals and deadlines. Define the big milestones you want to accomplish in the next year and give them specific deadlines. List these goals on a sheet of paper then post it somewhere visible in your office. Better yet, use a white board. Either way, you want these goals front and center, every day. They are what will drive forward progress.

Step3

Keep a daily goal book. Based on the major goals you've defined, set weekly and daily goals in a notebook that will remain on your desk at all times. Keep track of what you accomplish each day in order to assess how you are using time. This will help you make adjustments and become that much more productive.

Step4

Schedule your day in advance. Begin and end work at a set time each day, breaking for a specific amount of time to eat lunch. If it keeps you honest, log your start, end and break times in your goal book.

Step5

Set boundaries. Let friends and family know that you're a professional. Just because you work from home doesn't mean they can stop by or call any time. Set up a separate business phone line to reinforce this idea and only take personal calls outside of business hours, unless it's urgent. Also make sure the kids know not to come knocking during business hours.

Tips & Warnings

Take advantage of your newfound flexibility to set hours that work for you.
Get out and see real people once in a while.
Resist the urge to let chores take over your work day.
Never take a "power nap"; you won't make it back to work once you crawl into bed.