Working at home can present unique challenges. Here are some basics on time management that I’ve learned over the years ….
Try to maintain regular business hours. When I first started working from home I found myself working way more than I did with my “traditional” job. It’s just so easy to jump out of bed in the middle of the night when you have an idea, but you would never do that if it meant dressing and driving to an office.
Let your family know that when you’re working they should not interrupt you during your work hours. Exceptions can be made for any of the following reasons: Soap bubbles are oozing from underneath your office door, an incessantly barking dog (and you don’t own a dog) or if your children have been quiet for more than 10 consecutive minutes.
It's important that your office space is not...multi-purpose.
Having a designated office space is very important. I have my office in what is really a formal dining room. It’s open to the rest of the house, no walls or doors. Now that my oldest is on her own, I could have used her room but I like the feel of still being connected to what’s going on in the rest of the house while still having my own space. If you’re not lucky enough to have a spare room, it’s perfectly fine to have a small desk in the bedroom, kitchen, wherever (within reason)…as long as it is only used as a workspace. This is also important for tax purposes. It should be relatively comfortable. A small space in nearly any part of the house can work but the bathroom is probably not your best choice for well, obvious reasons.
Schedule your day. You don’t have to be so strict that people start comparing you to the Soup Nazi, but you do want to have some structure. Set goals for each day, each week and/or each month.
Tags: work at home challenges
A picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes you just have to be willing to do what you have to do to get the job done!
I’m lucky that I have a small bedroom transformed into an office. The best part about my office? The door. I need to be able to close the rest of the world out.