honestbizpro

Working from home certainly has it's advantages we all know that.

But sometimes that wonderful freedom of working in your underwear surrounded by delivery menus, papers everywhere, things to do lists buried under other things to do list, presents a problem that needs to be addressed quickly.

My solution....

Pretend you have company coming over even if you don't!

Take that shower, brush those teeth, fix that hair, get organized and tidy up the place!

You will feel great after and be much more productive.

Hey at worse you can just go out for some air, go shopping for needful things or just enjoy your favorite book store ...the one with the great ambience inside.


Any other tips on staying productive while working from home?

ReneeArticles

Here are some ideas

i) get up, shower, get dressed for work, dab on that nice cologne too

ii) get breakfast done and have a nice meal

iii) get to your designated work area (home office, basement, attic, spare room) on time -- if you've got a 'start work time' then be punctual

iv) get your work table organized

iv) get your 'to do list' out and start working on it

v) break for lunch or snacks or coffee

vii) and on again till you call it a day (or night)

Working at home or working at the office -- look and feel the part and you're on your way to a more productive time ~

~ Those are just some ideas to share ~ they work for me ~ but possibly not everyone's cup of coffee ~

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businessmatt

When I am working from home (on the few glorious occasions that I am able to) I find the hardest thing is to get everyone else in the house to realize that I am working, not just hanging out at home. I find a designated work space and time are helpful for that.

Matt

When life gives you lemons, at least you don't get scurvy.

aleserlee

The productivity is very much coorelated to time management and scheduling of task. We need to prioritize our activities and accordingly have to create plan and act upon. Working from home is always like having a pie. You need to understand that you are the boss and no one going to interupt you for any reason. While having those luxury still we lack in terms of discipline.
1)Arrange all required documents and useful tool to your access so that they are readily available.
2)Avoid unnecessary phone calls.
3)Avoid frequent breaks and moving around.
4)Make sure you set a deadline for each activity otherwise you postpone it everytime for your benefit.
5)Make sure you segregate personal work from office work.
Understand time is money and value it.

Ruth P

I agree that treating your home work like you're actually going into a job helps. At times when I don't get dressed straight away, I really feel my productivity drops.

I also believe that setting my to do list the night before makes me A LOT more productive than if I leave it to the day I need to work on those tasks.

Aside from that, I am also a big fan of 'timers' e.g. setting a timer (could be on your computer, could be as simple as a cooking timer) for periods such as 30 minutes and just work without distraction until the timer pings.

honestbizpro

I am loving this thread because now I can keep coming back to it if I ever get off track! Thanks guys/gals for sharing.

Leedir

I also work from home on a few occasions. But the problem I always face is that I get stuck at my desk, forget to take breaks and work more than the designated time.

dezfutak

The analogy I've had lots of mileage with is the "stones-in-cup":

Put the biggest stones in the cup first, then later on in the day, fill up the gaps with smaller stones. The bigger ones are your most important tasks for the day, smaller, less important, but still necessary.

Also, to help productivity, always have in your thinking how this or that task fits into your overall strategy for achieving your bigger goals.

Dez.

ms66

Ive got to admit with me used to working outside all the time, sitting in front of a computer screen all day is a bit of a culture shock, and a lot of the time i feel like i am not achieving anything, but i think thats a good idea about getting up showering and dressing as if your going to work.

honestbizpro

Something about Year 2010 just has me feeling really good and productive each day!

Making great contacts I plan to turn into some lucrative ventures!

biz2bee

So true Matt, that is a problem indeed. It became better when I started closing the door to my homeoffice and allowed no one in before knocking first. Probably sounds weird but it works

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neil1976

Working from home helps me a lot. Not only my working style has changed, but also the productivity also increased due to no pressure of boss in my house.

smoke.sessions

I've been planning to clean up my room a bit, just too lazy. It's good motivation though, and I always like a clean place. Once it's clean, my mind won't be on it so much anymore.

trafficman01

Thanks for the great tips. Working from home does have it's advantages. One of the things I do to train my mind is to clean off my desk every night. Don't leave your day's work piled up. Your mind will be more apt to get more done the following day rather than leaving off the day before.

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Fernando Veloso

Will print these and splash them in my wifes office desk

Mr.Cash

The best tip I could give on productivity is planning. At the start of each week draw up a list of tasks you need to get done each day and set aside a certain length of time for them e.g

Article writing 1:30mins
Bookmarking 45mins
RSS feed submission 30mins

By allotting time to each task your mind automatically shifts into what I like to call 'task mode'. When you hit task mode you I will start to look at each task you have to do for the day and try an outperform yourself. This is a natural reaction for your brain as humans naturally love a challenge.

At the end of each day reflect on the work you have done and at the end of each week pat yourself on the back as you look through your list of tasks completed.

KillerDM

A couple things that work for me:

1) Picture results but plan tasks.

2) I work at my kitchen table. It's a clear table, no office distractions.

3) An hourly reminder tells me to stretch, relax, and check that I'm working on what will have the most impact - this often jars me out of email and busywork and gets me refreshed and back on track.

4) Mid-day exercise. I'm already pumped in the morning (thanks coffee! bff). It's after lunch when I need the kick exercise gives me.

honestbizpro

Love all the above comments thanks guys!

And these too are "Killer".

farasens1

Here are a couple personal work from home productivity tips:

- get a friend/girlfriend/boyfriend to live it
- have a goal each month/week: for example: I want to make 10,000$/month, but, why? I want to make 10,000$/month so I pay my bills/rent, invest 2000$ in buying sites and having fun in Amsterdam/Europe for a week and vising a friend for another week.
- don't get to sleep until you make the money you want that day. For example: I plan on making 1000$ this night. If I go to sleep and don't make those money, I won't be productive.

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webwriter

I;ve found that taking care of important errands in the morning and devoting my afternoons and evenings to working at home keeps me focused. I'm also quite sure that this "schedule" has become a good habit for me and cut out a lot of procrastinating.

honestbizpro

[QUOTE=webwriter;1598704]I;ve found that taking care of important errands in the morning and devoting my afternoons and evenings to working at home keeps me focused. I'm also quite sure that this "schedule" has become a good habit for me and cut out a lot of procrastinating.[/QUOTE]


Procrastination..ahh a biggie...Sometimes you can find yourself actually doing constructive things but not what was originally intended.....still procrastination.

affjourney

For me I think the most important thing to do is to know how to separate worktime and hometime within the same enviroment

Kenster

It really comes down to discipline.

What helps me is to physically seperate work from home life. My home office is for work activities ONLY. I will never ever go to facebook or any personal sites...business is business, no exceptions

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honestbizpro

That is very good point kenster...but I could have sworn I have seen products boasting how to make bank with facebook!

Arinal

Awesome ideas. I would just add:
1. Drink coffee when you start to feel tired
2. Prioritize your tasks using 80/20 rule so that you use your time most productively

honestbizpro

Starbucks would be glad to hear that but I think a shower works just as good.

Arinal

Honestbizpro, I know. I didn't want to say "coffee is good," although this article from Wallstreet Journal seems to imply that (quite unbelievably, I must add)

honestbizpro

Ha I know moderation is always key. I can remember driving cross country alone and coffee probably saved my life!

and on a side note..I do not recommend that drive alone!

he_who_brings_order

Wow, interesting tip...

I like to do some small task before larger. As a small exercise.

Also I like to sleep 1 hour before a larger task. It helped me to concentrate.

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betesh

Working from home is really wonderful specially if you're with your family. But if you feel like you are not productive and feel bored. Think that you are in a real company. After you wake up, take a shower, dress as if you were in your office, eat breakfast and start your day with a smile.

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steve-wilkins

Nice ideas! I always find that if put on one of my best suits it makes me feel as if I am back in the office again and I am far more productive than when I sit working in my joggers and hoody!

Mark Blaze

Personally i find working for 2 hours straight on my to do list tasks and then having 1 hour off to do something else. Now that sometimes does mean i work alot longer in total but manage to get alot more done and during those 'work' 2 hours i do work and get alot done!

Now its not always practical but you enjoy that 1 hour when it comes around and then by the end of it normally want to get back to work again too.

Picked up some great suggestions so far from this thread though too

Mark Blaze

honestbizpro

Me too Mark!

Also seeing rush hour traffic when you do not have to be in it can give you a surge of productive energies.

rajput441

I never face this kind of problem at the time of working at home. I start any time and with fresh mood. I always ready to work, need not to ready before going ahead.

stevefall

This is a great post! Easier said then done tho! I have been struggling with this for years. The hardest part for me is when the sun is shining and its beautiful outside! makes me crazy sitting there knowing that if at any point I could just go outside and enjoy it at anytime.

honestbizpro

That is a very good point for us people who like to get out and do something!

These days watching the news about jobs is a booster shot ...the rewards are just too great working for ourselves.

Another problem of mine is having way too many browsers open.

Organization and moderation is vital...even for work I think.

digidoodles

Woah.. you are disciplined.

I'm not so much. I work in my jammies.. as a matter of fact, when I go and get a shower out of no where, my kildet say "where are you going?" HA HA HA! (I'm serious. And no, I don't smell under normal circumstances. And yes, most times are normal. And no, I don't go more than two days without showering. And yes, I'm serious.)

I am a list maker. I love me some lists!!! I feel really productive when I can check "made out list for today". ha!

Warmly,

Brandi

cody123

My biggest problem is forgetting to eat and drink water. When you're focused on making money online, it seems everything else falls by the wayside.

BySilent

A lot of great comments one thing I do is have a timer on my desk, a to-do list and set blocks of time to do the tasks needed to get the days work done. Working for yourself or working for someone else is no different you have to plan the work then work the plan to succeed.

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mysterrio

When I work from my home office I make a to do list and put #1 in front of most important etc.

I do them in that order.

I also set an amount of time for each item. 30 minutes to work on #1 45 minutes for #2 Etc.

I remind others around me - I am working!

I eat AWAY from my desk and work area - do not work and eat. Take a break.

One more thing - when I am done - I am DONE until the next work day.

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honestbizpro

Very true...I have found myself celebrating the completion of a new project and notice that my waistline has stretched a few inches!

winsonong

Hi Mr. Cash, I agree with you as I also practice to allocate my time for different tasks to ensure I am complete the job as planned.

However, I didn't specific the length of time for each task. I just separate my time into 3 portion everyday:
morning: post article and bookmarking
afternoon: source information
night: write article

GSX Enterprises

My hardest challenge is helping others understand that I'm working and not just playing around on the internet. Constant distractions but they're not made by me. I'm going to be renting a studio soon to counter-act this problem soon though ;D Great tips, love them!

-Safe Travels

veeronica

I find putting a to do list together the night before helps and make sure u stick to it.

Allicin

You should have a designated place/room from which you work, and not just work from anywhere within your home, as that helps to 'get' you and then 'keep' you in the right mindset. Once you step into that place or room for work you are more likely to be in the "I am at work" mindset or mode , and once you step out of that area or room you are back in the "I am at home again" mode.
Hope this helps.

VeitSchenk

there's a book entitled "home office from hell" by Jeff Landers -- I did interview him a while ago, very interesting stuff, I'll dig out the interview if you're interested.

key message was this: if you're interested in growth (he calls them growth mavens), then you will eventually have to leave your house. I've got 4 kids (oldest one turned 7 today) and they don't 'get' that daddy is "at work". Neither does my wife when things go haywire (think fish-fingers stuck to the walls, light-bulb blowing and dish-washer starting to leak all at the same time) -- "but you're here hone" (no, I'm not, I'm at work)

the other group Jeff calls the 'lifestyle gurus', not so interested in growth and they tend to be happy at home, even when there are interruptions.

so, I guess the one question you need to ask yourself is this: do you want to grow a business that runs on autopilot at some point and give you the freedom to do whatever you want or is it more a lifestyle thing, where you enjoy sitting around in your boxers...

Cheers

Veit

PS: actively planning move into office 15 miles away from home. Sorry honey, those lightbulbs have to wait until tonight... (don't tell my wife yet;-)

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honestbizpro

That is good point Veit. Our personal lifestyles will differ greatly. We all have to find that middle ground.

Alot of times one step out of the house opens up a whole new ballgame of distractions too.

RoadBandit

My home is a 24 ft Class C Motorhome and at times I can't do an ounce of work in it. I suggest your local library just for its peaceful atmosphere. Every time I go into a cities library I always get 2x the amount of work done.

Cheers!

richporr

Great tips for productivity and just plain taking care of ourselves.

I pay attention to my work environment at home but I also pay attention to my virtual environment since it is kind of where my head lives a lot of the time.

For example, I use the Fences program to organize my desktop into categories of icons so my virtual workspace is "well behaved" and organized.

I use iGoogle to do the same for Firefox with a separate pages for three different streams of my business. I especially rely upon:

- the bookmarks gadget
- the box of links gadget
- the sticky note gadget
- the mylisty gadget

Stuff not lonly stays where I want it but appears the same on iGoogle from any computer I log on to.

-Richard

I wrote my signature on the screen with a Sharpie but for some reason it's not showing up.

linkbeasts

A routine. Also no TV in the office. Music helps.