Working At Home – And Being ProductiveHere are 3 simple tips for being productive if you work from home. I don't follow them all the time, but when I do, I find that I'm more productive and have a better quality of life and peace of mind.1. Get up and GO to work
Get out of bed, hop in the shower, shave, and put on some real clothes. For months I used to work in my pajamas until around 10 or 11. I would roll out of bed and roll into my chair and start working. When I came up for air, I'd hop in the shower. I found that it was a big interruption and caused me to feel like I had wasted my morning. Instead, I now try to walk into my office (20 feet from my bedroom) fully dressed as if though I actually had to face the world.
2. Set Your Objectives
Whether you have a boss or not that you report to frequently, we all have things we need to get done and objectives we need to meet. I find that I can easy spend my day working on 100 different projects and end the day feeling frustrated and upset that I “didn't do anything.” In reality, I was busy all day, but I couldn't remember what I did. Now, I try to make a list at the beginning of each day and check things off as I go. If I get a call and someone asks me to do something that isn't on my list (and can't wait) I add it to the list. It may be a bit juvenile, but being able to look back at the end of the day and see how many “gold stars” you accumulated, does give you a better sense of self worth.
3. Life is a Marathon. Run it like one.
If you were setting out to run a marathon, you wouldn't sprint the whole time, right? Life is the same way. If you're lucky, you're going to run a long race. Working from home makes it easy to totally consume yourself in your work. It's so easy to pop into the office and check mail three or four times in the evening, and should something come up, that 5 or 10 minutes can easy turn into several hours. (trust me on this one) Don't forget to take some “water cooler time.” Whether it be a walk around the block, a lunch out with friends, reading a non-industry book or magazine, or just some quality couch/tv time, get OUT of the office for a few minutes every hour or so. I like to take a walk around the block. It only takes about 10 minutes, but even when I walk it quickly, I come back RE-ENERGIZED. My mind is racing and full of ideas and when I get back to that chair, I feel like my productivity has increased by 15-20%.