Everyone has a place from where they earn a living. If working from home is how you make your ends meet, you are probably enjoying a great deal of benefits such as freedom, flexibility, more time with friends and family and savings on gas or travel. As much as the benefits are numerous, there are also some drawbacks, especially when it comes to getting work done effectively and efficiently. Here are some few tips on how to get work done when working from home.
- Have A Daily To-Do List and Stick To It
The use of sticky notes, diary, and other office stationery is quite important when it comes to working from home. Identify the tasks you need done at the beginning and end of each day and list them down for your reference. Make a to-do list of all activities within your business hours and be sure to stick to it. Keep track of pending and completed projects and assignments each day and have a way of determining what is to be done first and fast. Work on a priorities basis.
- Develop an Office Mentality and Create Comfort
If you work from home, the major assumption is that you already have a small office, even if it’s a desk at the corner of a room in your home. This may however not be enough. If you are to be better in what you do and get work done more effectively and efficiently, you need to develop an office mentality. Wake up every day and get dressed up as if you are actually going out for work in a ‘real office’. This can keep you mind and body energetic and in better shape as compared to working in your shorts of possibly pajamas. In addition to these, be sure to invest in enhancing comfort at your working desk. Buy ergonomically ideal seats with comfortable padding material and ideal support. This will get you to like what you do more, meaning your get work done more effectively.
Watch this cute video with working at home tips!
- Avoid Distractions – Forget that you’re Home
Another reason why working from home and getting the work done in time might be challenging for a great number of people is that there are quite a number of distractions to deal with. A friend may stop by; a neighbor may come along to catch up, your partner or fiancée, kids if you have any, and much more including your own temptations to take breaks when you’re supposed to be working. To avoid most of these distractions and disruptions, forget that you are at home, and make other people respect your work by being clear about your working hours. Set some clear boundaries, keep away from the home phone and let it get through to voice mail during business hours. It’s also important to let your neighbor know that you work from home, just so they won’t disrupt your focus with irregular visits or loud music and other forms of noise.
- Have A Clear Working Schedule
Well; this might seem to many people, as the hardest part of working from home. Well, the real truth is that it actually is. Developing a working schedule with clearly indicated working hours is one thing, but adhering to it is completely another. It requires discipline of high order as well as some time planning skills. You might as well consider taking a time management class or use reminder software applications together with your desk alarm to improve this.
- Have a Definite Personal Time
It is not uncommon to find yourself prioritizing on your personal stuff, or activities such as cleaning at the expense of getting work done when working from home. In most cases, this happens when one does not have a clear definition of their personal time. To avoid this, include your personal time in planning your day. Accommodate time for taking breaks, going to the gym, getting cleaned up, and other activities depending on what you consider personal involvement.
- Utilize Tech Tools
There are numerous tools online, which you can use to your advantage when working from home. Communication tools such as Google hangouts, as well as cloud storage applications such as Google drive will do you a great deal of benefit. With cloud technology, you don’t have to be at your home office desk every time you need to access some files from your laptop or PC.
- Enjoy the Flexibility
Humans are social beings but sometimes working from home can bring a certain degree of solitude in one’s life. Just because you are meeting a friend for lunch at the restaurant across the street doesn’t mean that you should abandon your work. In most cases, works from home jobs are flexible and non-supervised. Bring your laptop instead to the restaurant and work while you catch up. It can even be fun and relieving, as change is as good as rest.