Around this time last year, we wrote a blog post about Time Management and the struggles entrepreneurs face working from home. With the weather starting to get nicer we thought it would be a good time to revisit this topic and try and help with some tips to staying productive while still working from a home office.
For a lot of entrepreneurs starting out, your only option is working form home until you have the cash flow to work from an office. This is a great way to get your business up and running and save some money. You are focused, you are motivated…time to get to work and be productive!!!
But wait, you missed that one show you wanted to watch last night. Ok, just one show then I’ll get to work. You are your own boss so who cares right? Now you see that there is some dust on the floor. Ok, just a quick sweep, wash the floors and maybe dust a little. Then back to work for sure this time, no more procrastinating.
Working from home has some great benefits but some major downfalls as well. It’s hard to be productive with so many distractions around. How did I manage to stay productive and not get distracted while working from my home office?
It’s not easy and has challenges but the best way to do this is set a schedule and follow it. Set your alarm for whatever time you did before when you were in school or went to your 9-5. No matter what, I set my alarm for 5am. Get up, follow a morning routine that consists of a breathing exercise, reading for an hour, making my bed and getting showered and dress for success every day. Even though you’re in your home office and no one will see you. Why does that matter? Ask yourself, are you more productive in your sweats or PJ’s or in good clothes that you would wear to the office?
I have set a schedule to work uninterrupted from my desk from 8am to 11am then take a lunch. This lunch is your time. I take that time to eat, clean or do whatever it is that I need to, but I make sure I am back at the desk for 1pm. Then work uninterrupted till dinner time.
I understand things come up; they always do but think of being at your desk as you are at an actual office. If you must leave for a meeting or a networking event during the day, make sure you set that time aside and work later in the evening.
If you set your mind to it, you will be able to stay motivated and work from home and be as productive as you would be in an office setting.â€
Everything I said in this post is still true and I have even found different ways that help me to stay productive. As you may know, I now use a To Do List app called ToDoist that helps me stay focused and I still make it feel like I’m heading to the office even though it’s a room in my house. Though I work through the day and into some evenings now, my schedule is almost the same as it was back then. If you want to know more about what a typical schedule looks like, take a look at this post from last year as well!
Do you want to see how ToDoist can help you be more productive? Just click the button below and see for yourself!