How to Be Effective When You Work From Home

Want to know how to be effective when you work from home? Read ahead to find out what to do.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• an Internet connection
• an alarm clock
• motivation

1. 
    
   ipod alarm clock - Image by respres

   If you want to be effective when you work at home, the number one thing to do is to wake up on time. This is the only way to get your day off to a smooth start. Set multiple alarm clocks if you have to, but wake up on time every day.

2. 
    
   coffee beans - Image by Refracted Moments

   Give yourself a strict time limit for morning rituals such as coffee, breakfast, and showering. Don't let yourself waste all morning doing non-work-related activities.

3. 
    
   time is ticking - Image by Carbon NYC

   After your morning rituals, get started working immediately. Be careful not to get distracted by mindless surfing.

4. 
    
   lunch break - Image by taiyofj

   Try not to spend more than 90 minutes on your lunch break. When you are working from home, it's easy to be tempted to run long errands at lunch time. However, if you spend this much time away from your uncompleted work, it's often hard to get back into the swing of things when you return. Some people may be able to ignore this advice, but for the majority of people, it's best to follow this rule. Find out what works for you.

5. 
    
   doing dishes - Image by Daniel Morris

   Avoid doing household chores until your work is finished. For me, it's always tempting to throw clothes in the washer or to wash dishes, etc. But these things always lead to further distraction and end up killing my productivity. Save the chores for after work.

6. 
    
   television - Image by dailyinvention

   Avoid other distractions such as the television and video games. When you work from home, these things are in your face at all times. Make a promise to yourself that you won't touch these things until your work is complete. I know--easier said than done. But, for most people, it's necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Working from home without distraction can be challenging, but if you can learn to make deals with yourself (i.e. promise yourself that you can watch TV or play games AFTER the work is done), dealing with the distractions can become much easier.
• Sometimes distractions can be more difficult to deal with than other times. If you are having trouble concentrating, try a change of environment. Move to a different room or take your laptop to a nearby coffee shop with wifi. It's amazing how a change in environment can sometimes boost productivity.

Resources

• How to Be Ineffective When You Work From Home
• How to Work From Home and Make Money Online

[MyJB]

on 6/22/2009 This article has good tips for being a productive "at home worker". I find it easiest to do the work first as you points out. I am going to follow these steps for next 30 days to make it a habit. Work first and then play.Thanks for sharing.

[femwriter]

on 6/21/2009 Great article this should help out a lot of people who plans to work at home 5*

[RiteNow]

on 1/11/2009 Great advice and very helpful to keep focus. Thanks.

[angeladent]

on 1/10/2009 Wonderful article, thanks for sharing! It so hard for me to stay motivated workign from home....thanks!!

[kkemp]

on 12/29/2008 Excellent tips!