How to Practice Effective Time Management When You Work at Home

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By Kathymcbain
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Time Management when working from home

Many people who work from home do many different things throughout the day. If you have a small business you may have many clients. If you contract with companies, you may contract with a number of different companies to meet your financial needs. Add to that the fact that you probably have family obligations and lots of other things to do and time management when you work from home can become a big problem! It doesn't have to be! Learn how to implement good time management when you work at home and be more productive!

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Planner
Computer

Step 1

Use a Planner

~ Use a Planner ~

One of the best things you can do to incorporate good time management when you work at home is to use a planner. You can use an actual planner where you'll write down what you're going to do, or you can choose to use an online planner or your computer's calendar. Choose whatever you are comfortable with and works for you. Utilize it to plan the times of day that you'll work on different projects and make sure you set aside time for yourself and your personal obligations.
Step 2

~ Know Where You Make Your Money ~

Many people who work from home are involved in a number of different ventures. You may be a virtual call center rep, a free lance writer, and a website or blog owner. You may do a lot more than that! To implement time management into your work at home routine, you've got to know what's making you the most money per hour so you can spend your time on the things that are going to benefit you the most.
Step 3

Get Housework Done First

~ Get Household Duties Out of the Way First ~

It can be hard to concentrate on work when you know you have a sink full of dishes in the kitchen and dirty clothes overflowing your laundry room. Get your key household stuff out of the way before you start working for the day and you'll find that it's much easier to concentrate when you sit down to work.
Step 4

Dedicate a Place to Work

~ Create a Separate Workspace ~

If you work in the middle of your house, it's easy to get distracted and you'll find yourself wasting lots of time throughout the day. Ideally, you'll have a separate office so you can separate work time and family time. If that's not possible, try to set up an area in your home that's quiet and it used just for work. When you sit down, it will signal your brain that it's time to work and you'll get more done.
Step 5

~ Set Times for Breaks and Lunch ~

Part of practicing effective time management when working from home is setting aside time for breaks and meals. Force yourself to work until your scheduled break or meal, just as you would if you worked in an office. Set end times to your break and go back to work as planned at the end of a break.
Step 6

~ Get Rid of Outside Distractions ~

If working from home is a serious endeavor for you, it's best if you get rid of outside distractions while working. Turn the ringer off on your home phone, don't check personal emails, close internet windows that you don't need to do your work, and get off your chat unless you need it from work. It's easy to become sidetracked for hours at a time when working at home. Get rid of the distractions and spend your work time really working!
Step 7

~ Be Flexible ~

Sometimes you'll find that no matter what you try, you just aren't productive. You'll be using more effective time management if you walk away for awhile when you really can't concentrate on a specific project or task. Switch to something else or take a break and get some fresh air. You'll find that you are able to better utilize your time when you return.
Step 8

~ Track How You Spend Your Time ~

Spend a few days writing exactly what you do when you work from home. Write down the time that you spend working on each job or project, the time you spend doing personal things, etc. After a few days, really look at how you've spent your time. Find areas where you are wasting time and make changes to become more productive.