Make the Most of Working from Home
How to Stay Focused, Establish a Routine and Avoid Distractions
For the 20 million people who work at home at least part of the time, "workplace culture" has a new meaning. This article has five tips for making the most of your time.
Those who work from home have a host of reasons for doing so—some are telecommuters and work for a multinational where they may never even meet their bosses. Others spend time doing mostly data entry or writing, tasks that don’t require face-to-face contact with their colleagues.
For many, the notion of totally unstructured time can be overwhelming. Establishing a routine is your first key to success.
1. Set the Alarm
It may be tempting to stay up watching the late night TV you’ve been missing all these years, but it’s important to stick to a routine that resembles the one you had (of course, if you were used to setting the alarm for 5:15 in order to start your 90-minute commute, there’s no sense in being a glutton for punishment!). Set the alarm for a reasonable time, get your coffee and breakfast, get dressed, and get moving! As NPR reporter Brad Lindor commented in a recent report, it’s hard to get anything done if you’re sitting at home in your pajamas.”
2. Keep a Routine
Although your job may have fluid deadlines, make a list of short-term goals each morning:
- 9:00-10:00: Respond to yesterday’s email
- 10:00-10:30: Write to two-three potential clients about new product line
- 10:30-12:00: Follow-up phone calls to 3-5 current clients, check on new product line satisfaction
- 12:00-12:30: Lunch
- 12:30-1:00: Respond to email
- 1:00-2:00: Research competitors’ quarter three profits
- 2:00-4:00: Webinar with West Coast staff
- 4:00-5:00: Respond to email
- 5:00-5:30: Review day’s progress, tomorrow’s goals
3. Enjoy Your Kitchen
One of the great things about working from home is that you have an opportunity to eat better. Gone are the days of sitting hunched over your laptop with a sandwich from the vending machine. The Internet is full of quick solutions for healthy meals at home. Buy yourself a rotisserie chicken and a bag of pre-washed salad greens, and top your salad with freshly sliced chicken. Roll the same ingredients in pita for a fast but healthy meal between conference calls. It can be tempting to just grab some chips and fill up at dinner time, but why not enjoy the ability to eat well and give yourself a break?
4. Avoid Distractions
Many home-workers complain that family members can take advantage by asking favors. Can you throw in a load of laundry today? Did you call the plumber to see if he can swing by on Friday to fix the dishwasher? If these small distractions don’t throw you off course for too long, go ahead—but be sure to set limits on your time.
5. Network
If you’ve been accustomed to a work life that’s full of meetings, presentations, and power lunches, it’s important to stay plugged in. Take the time to see former colleagues for coffee, make lunch appointments with new acquaintances, and attend the occasional conference to ensure that you’re still part of the scene.
Related articles:
Working At Home? You're Not Alone
