Posts Tagged ‘ Motivated ’

Owning and running a home-based business comes with certain challenges unique to the home office setting. One such challenge is the everyday distractions that come from being in your own house. By following a few guidelines, you can help yourself stay focused and motivated no matter where your office is.

1. Make a Dedicated Work Space

Ideally, this space would be a spare room that you can completely claim as your own. But if a whole room isn’t available, carve out some space where you can partition yourself from the rest of the house: half a room, a walk-in closet converted to a mini-office, a section of the basement, or even a shed in the garden. Arrange your office so you won’t be distracted by normal household traffic or noises.

Explain to everyone else in the household that when you are in this space, you are working and should not be approached or interrupted unless for something critical. If you have a door to your space, close it while at work and let others know they can’t just walk in. If you don’t have a door, a decorative folding screen can help define the office space and block out the rest of the house.

2. Set a Schedule

Setting up work hours will help define your business day. When you are “on the clock” refrain from doing anything that isn’t business-related. Don’t do your household chores during this time; dishes and vacuuming can wait until you are on personal time again. Be sure to mark an end point to the day that cues you to wrap up your work just as you would if you were preparing to leave an off-site office and drive home.

Of equal importance is to avoid working during your off hours. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of checking in at the office for a few minutes after dinner or before bedtime. If there is something critical that needs to be attended than you can certainly take care of it. But make working during off hours the exception rather than the rule.

3. Get and Stay Organized

Don’t let your workspace get disorganized. Even a home office can build up a lot of clutter in a short amount of time. If you are feeling distracted or restless, resist the urge to get up and do non-work related activities. Instead take some time for “busy work”, small but necessary tasks that are part of your business. Filing away documents or organizing your desktop will help you do your work better and keep your mind in the office, not on the television or a grocery list.

Leave yourself 15 minutes at the end of each day to make sure everything is put away in its place. This will not only help clutter from piling up but it will give you a fresh start the next morning.

4. Keep a To-Do List and Calendar

Sometimes distractions happen due to feeling overwhelmed or lost about what to do next. A to-do list and a calendar will help you keep track of what you need to do and when it needs to be done. Your to-do list is great for setting up the next day’s work schedule and for jotting down tasks to be entered in your calendar. A calendar will help you stay on top of meetings, ordering schedules, milestones and other tasks that have a definitive end date. Review your list at the end of each to see what needs to be added to tomorrow’s list. If your to-do items are large make sure to break them into smaller, more manageable pieces.

5. Stretch Your Legs

Schedule in a couple breaks during your work hours to get up and refresh yourself and check in on the household activity if need be. Fix a snack, stretch, or take the dog for a short walk. Your mind will appreciate the break and sometimes a little time-out is all that’s needed to recharge and motivate yourself for the next task ahead. Use a timer to signify when break time starts and ends if you tend to lose track of these things. And if your work keeps you behind a computer all day make sure to frequently stretch your arms and take some deep breaths to keep the oxygen, and your creative juices, flowing.

6. Dress the Part

While one of the advantages of working from home is that you can work in your pajamas if you want to, many people find it useful to dress for work just as if they were going into an office. The routine of getting ready for work, just like defining an office space and making a schedule, helps them get into the “I’m at work” mindset and stay there. It is also a cue to others that you are at work and not on personal time. Being dressed properly for the work day can help set a productive tone for the day and puts you in a more business like frame of mind.

Remember, it’s important to treat your home-based business just as you would an office-based one. Following these tips will help you stay focused and motivated, keeping you and your business on the path to success.