How to Be Productive, Working from Home

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By jkelvey
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So you've scored a job that will let you work from home. You've convinced the boss that telecommuting will save the company dollars, or maybe you've decided to start freelancing. Whatever the situation, the one thing you don't have is a boss standing over and the humdrum routine of the office. That's what you wanted right? Sure, but there's a downside: the boss and the boring grind of routine can act as a sort of metronome, making sure you get down what you get done. Without a way to keep "work time" and the lure of TV procrastination, you could be on your way to looking for a new job from home ...Here are some simple steps to keep you focused, productive-and employed-while working from home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A job that let's you work from home
An area set aside for "work"
A bit of will power
A desire to maximize YOUR time and money.

Step 1

Putting on the suit: You don't actually have to put on a suit in the morning ... but it may help. What at first seems like the greatest perk about working from home, working in your pajamas with a big bowl of cereal, can set you up for major procrastination. You have been conditioned over the years-probably without realizing it-to associate a quick cup of joe, dress clothes and sprint out the door with "work mode" and pajamas, cereal and a slow morning with the lazy weekend and a dull mind. You need to establish something of a "Work morning" ritual so that you get up and ready to go, rather than slump down in the sofa for cartoons. Get dressed in SOMETHING other than pajamas and slippers right away, answer at least one work related email or make a phone call before making breakfast and watch your productivity soar. Plus, you'll have the extra bonus of weekends still feeling like weekends, without the contamination of "work."
Step 2

Creating an Office Space Away from the Office: If you have associations with how you get up and dress that can determine how much work you get done, just imagine how influential your living space is on your state of mind! Planning on waking up and sitting down on the comfy love seat Where you normally watch TV? Probably a bad idea. Do whatever you can to create an "office" space in your home. A separate room is best of course, but a desk in a corner with a little curtain or other visual barrier can work just as well. This also has the added benefit of keeping "work" stuff from flowing into you "home" space and cramping your now, oh so hipstery, work from home feng shui.
Step 3

Walled off a space? Now wall off your mind: Distractions abound at home, and the procrastinating mind is always looking for distractions. A phone call from your mother (bet you wouldn't take that at the office would you?), that weird smell in the fridge, kids wanting food or money to go somewhere; there's plenty of "work" at home to keep you busy until retirement. It takes a bit of planning, but you simply MUST ensure you have some time set aside to work without interruptions each day.
Step 4

Goal Setting: Finally, you need time management skills for the day. You will inevitably have days where you fail to get up and out of your pajamas right away or when you simply HAVE to take care of some domestic chore. Fine, that's part of what makes working at home so great, but if you let these things pile up, you'll find yourself sitting around the house with no income.

To head distraction and procrastination off at the pass, set small goals for yourself. Just as you should try to do one work related thing as soon as you get up, make a goal to do ten before the first hour of the normal "workday" has passed. Answer ten emails by 10am or complete the report from last night by 11:30am. Whatever you pick, make them small, achievable (but significant) goals and set tons of them. They are the mile markers by which you can judge your progress.
Step 5

Get to the actual office as much as you can: "Wait a minute, I thought I was working from home to AVOID the office as much as possible!" True enough, but there's something to be said for that office environment. Checking in can help you keep up you refocus your efforts at home. If visiting the office for a day isn't in fact inspiring directly, let it be a reminder of the purgatory to which you must return should you fail to get things done at home.