Running your online business and working from home is just like any other business. You have files that need managed, paperwork that needs filed, phone calls to make and answer, emails to write and reply to, bills to pay, mail to open, trips to the post office and bank, educating yourself, researching and more!
Whew it’s a lot! I know how you feel! Transitioning from working in an office, into your own home office can present many challenges. It’s easier to get distracted at home than it is at an office. Sitting there and remembering that you need to do the dishes, the laundry, go grocery shopping, take the kids somewhere…. you know what I mean. A lot of distractions.
Working From Home Tips
When you head off to the job, how are you doing it? You are getting up, getting dressed, eating breakfast and getting out the door. Don’t change these habits when you work from home. But instead of leaving, take that nice short commute to your home office and shut the door on HOME life, because it’s now time for WORK life.
Now, in order to manage your time, you need to think of your home office as a regular office building. That is your domain. After you close your door, don’t let anyone or anything interrupt you.
As online entrepreneurs, we wear many hats. We have to do our customer service, and marketing and etc. I personally like to set timers. There are so many tasks that I need to complete each day, just like you. So, I like to use my calendar to set reminders every week and when I’m getting ready to work on something, I estimate the time I need to complete it or how much time I can work on that task that day and set a timer.
I have found that it greatly helps to organize my day by breaking it into workable chunks. If you don’t want to use an online calendar like I do, you can always get a planner and write down what you need to accomplish each day and setup how much time you will spend on each of those tasks and you will be ready to go the next day and with how much time you need per task.
Take Your Breaks Seriously
And finally, to avoid burnout, make sure to take breaks. Just like working at the job, you are entitled to breaks. Set a timer or an alarm, and make sure to take all of those breaks! You will get burnt out & then easily distracted if you don’t. But take those breaks OUT OF YOUR HOME OFFICE. Don’t sit there for 10 minutes on social media. Get up, and move around. Play with your dog. Listen to music. Make yourself a snack. You will find that you can be even more productive or even get inspired if you do something different than what you were currently doing for work.
Did you like this article? You might also like…
Home Based Business: Why Do We Do It. Read it HERE.
Five Ways to Make Your eBiz Look More Professional. Read it HERE.