The biggest advantage you will get from working from home is that you will not have to commute back and forth to the office each day, you are never tied down in peak hour traffic and you don’t have to eat takeaways at lunch time. It can also come as a mixed blessing as there will certainly be more distractions at home, and if you are a procrastinator you will unfortunately be behind the eight ball right from the start.
If working from home means doing your work on the internet, you are much freer than you might think. With the development of laptop and notebook computers in recent years, along with mobile broadband and WiFi hotspots around to keep you online wherever you may be, means you can even take the kids to the beach and still keep your deadline. Working from home now means working from anywhere, as you can change your environment any time you want to.
Working from home demands self discipline and organisation, so use the following tips to help you stay productive:
- To be able to successfully work from anywhere however, you will need to exercise a certain level of self discipline. The work still has to be done and the time still has to be put in, so whenever you go easy on yourself and tell yourself that you will have time to catch up later – don’t listen! Whenever you put things off you are starting to get behind, therefore one of the most important things to remember is to make certain periods of the day available when you can work without undue interruption, and only pass that time up if it becomes imperative that you must do so. Even then have plan ‘B’ on hand where equal time can be made up later without disturbing your weekly schedule.
- It is a fact that it is easier to work in an uncluttered workplace. A tidy desk and room to work in lends itself to a better work environment than having your laptop stuck in among a pile of laundry items on the dining table waiting to be ironed. An untidy workplace can be very distracting at times, especially if you have periods where you have to do a bit of thinking before creating. Some people can find relief just by looking out a window. Others prefer a blank wall, but whatever your preferred thinking area it is much easier if it is tidy and clean.
- Although it is an age old piece of advice, it is as true today as when it was first uttered, know when you work best and try to do your work during those hours. Some people find they work best in the mornings, others during the day, then again there are more who feel they do their best work at night. Whatever time you feel suits you best put that time aside for working in. You are no longer having to work from nine to five so why continue doing so if you work better at other times.
- If you are not careful you will waste a lot of time doing things that are not earning you money. You won’t have a boss looking over your shoulder, so you will be free to waste time if you want to, but it will only prolong the time you will have to sit in front of your computer to get through all your work eventually. To avoid this you will have to prioritise your work. Do what you have to do first. Leave everything else till later. Don’t allow temptation to take over and check the news stories half way through your work. Stick to the job on hand. Get it all done and then you can play around a bit.
- Another old saying is that time is money. Nothing is more true to a person working for themselves at home. Every hour you spend at your computer should be earning you money. If you are not already working to a deadline, create your own. Make sure you complete a certain amount of work every hour. Each time you finish a component get up, take a walk around, have a coffee and biscuits. It is important to take a break every now and again to refresh your thoughts. It will keep you on top longer. If it helps you can put it all down on paper as a time roster. If you do this stick to it religiously.
- For those of us who are easily distracted try ‘StayFocused’. Some of us are easily distracted. You are one of these people if you have been going for a full half hour or so and you suddenly want to know who is on Facebook or Twitter. Once online you find a couple of friends with nothing else to do and before you know it, it is lunch time. StayFocused can be downloaded from Google and it will block out all such sites that are likely to distract you. When finished you can turn it off.
You will eventually find your own way to get your work done that suits you best. After all it is your living that depends on it. Having personal freedom to work when you wish to do so comes with certain responsibilities, both for yourself and the body you are doing the work for. It is well worth giving it a go.
Leah Gibbs is the Founder and Business Manager of Lifestyle Careers.
Lifestyle Careers is an online recruitment job board. Our niche and specific focus is the advertising of flexible employment and work at home positions. It is designed for professionals wanting to balance their work and personal life.
