Is it your dream to telecommute and work from home? Sure some aspects of it are great. You wake up two minutes before work and roll over in bed to hop on a conference call without ever even brushing your teeth.
Many people however; find that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. People miss having interaction with other people, find it hard to stay motivated, or find it hard to keep a normal schedule.
So, here’s some tips that will help you be more productive and have a better experience telecommuting from home or even better running your own business from home as an Entrepeneur...
One: Get ready for the day...
Get your day started right. Don’t sit around in your pj’s. If you take the time and make the effort to get ready for work and look like your headed to work it will wake you up, help you feel structured and lessen the chance of you lounging around doing nothing. You’ll also feel better and there for work better.
Two: Go out to get morning coffee...
This tip is sort of one in the same as tip number one about getting ready for the day but by going out and getting a coffee in the morning you’ll start your day off with some interaction with people. Again it will help you wake up both getting out of the house and having coffee, and it will be more like the start to a normal day.
Three: Set up a workspace...
Though part of the dream of working at home may be working from bed for some; it’s not a good idea. A good friend of mine works from home, however apparently hasn’t read this article because she works on the floor, from her couch, from a desk in a crappy plastic Ikea chair, and is constantly complaining about back and shoulder pain...yeah I’m talking to you G!!! Set up a work space. It will help you feel more structured, you’ll also have a dedicated workspace so when you’re off the clock, you’re not watching television in your workspace. Though you may not realize it, you can never relax when you’re in your workspace even if you are having downtime.
Four: Get outta the house!!!
The biggest complaint about working at home is the isolation. Your a professional, not a maximum security prisoner in isolation. Get out of the house. Whether it’s running out to the store, stopping in at a coffee shop to have a drink and responding to a few e-mails, or getting breakfast. Getting out of the house will give you some social interaction and shake things up a bit for you. Heck...it could help spur your next great idea!
Five: Have a schedule and stick to it...
Though it would seem one of the benefits of working at home is not having to stick to a schedule make one and stick to it. It will go a long way in keeping you productive and sane. That friend of mine mentioned above in reference to the chair also has a problem with this. Though she is very productive she doesn’t have a schedule she sticks to. Because of this she often finds herself working odd hours. Sometimes she can’t wake up and gets a late start, other times she can’t sleep and is working til four in the morning. Stick to a schedule and you’ll find your more productive and have a more enjoyable work experience.
Six: Take breaks...
When working from home it’s tempting to run down to the kitchen make yourself a quick lunch and bring it up to eat while your working. Schedule breaks and take them. It will make your day feel more like a normal day at work, you’ll have something to look forward to, and surprisingly there’s some great daytime television. Take a lunch break and watch some Judge Mathis...my personal favorite.
Seven: Set a start & stop time...
This kind of goes along with having a schedule and sticking to it, but when you’re working from home it’s easy to never stop working since you never actually have to leave to get home. Set a start and stop time and stick to it. Doing this, will allow you to relax when the day is done. If you don’t have a stop time you’ll never stop working and never be able to fully relax.
Eight: Invest in a good chair...
I shouldn’t have left this until number eight because it’s one of the most important aspects to working at home. That friend of mine mentioned earlier, yeah the one working in a hard pink plastic Ikea chair with no arm rests. This will probably shock you but she’s constantly complaining of back and shoulder pain. I bought her good quality Certa office chair and it has made a world of difference. Office Chairs can be expensive and it may be tempting to work from a folding chair but invest in a good comfortable office chair. It will make a world of difference.
Nine: Be thankful your at home...
When I was up early showering and getting ready for work....okay you got me, I woke up late and felt lazy and didn’t shower....anyhow, when I was up early getting ready for my morning commute you had an extra hour to lay in bed and only had a twenty step commute to work, ten if you live in a condo. Your working at home, you’re own space without distractions from co-workers, enjoy it.
NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!
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