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Working From Home? Tips To Succeed Without Distraction
February 23rd, 2010 by Kendall
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Do you love the idea of working from home but you’re wondering how to handle distractions such as housework, kids, hubby and friends?
Working from home affords many benefits. Think about it: no traffic, commuting or annoying coworkers. But without the right mix of people contact and structure you can easily fritter away your time without the things you need to show for it, such as new clients and lucrative opportunities.
I’ve run my business from home for nearly ten years — from when I just started to now, as a multi-million dollar business — and would never trade in my home office for a “real” office, no matter how big my business gets.
Here are my favorite secrets for turning your home into what I call, a “success sanctuary.”
Tip #1 Keep Your Home Your Sanctuary
Even if space is limited, I recommend setting up a separate work area for your business. A private room devoted to running your business is ideal but if you must share space then set up a screen or some other type of divider to separate your business from the rest of your life. Creating this kind of privacy will help you focus and feel professional.
Tip #2 Know When To Close The Door
Running a business can consume every waking hour of your life unless you put into place much needed boundaries as to when you work and how much you work. I get the most done when I follow a daily ritual. That means I don’t answer phone calls, turn on the computer or answer email until I’ve completed my personal, morning routine.
Likewise, at night I have a clear stop time, and an end of day ritual that includes shutting down the computer, neatening my desk and updating my to-do list for the next day. Rituals like these give you a feeling of order, which will help you relax during your off hours so you can start up again the next day feeling refreshed and recharged.
Tip #3 Take Daily “Energy” Breaks
Some business owners crave company while others (like me) prefer to recharge by spending time outside or exercising. Whichever your preference is, make sure you build that into your day. You’re the “boss” so don’t wait until you feel stir-crazy to take action. I recommend taking a daily social or get-back-to-nature break daily to keep you focused and inspired about building your business.
Tip #4 Establish Clear Boundaries With Your Family
Women entrepreneurs are easily side-tracked with household demands such as making lunches, laundry, playing referee when your kids aren’t playing nice, etc.
Listen, running a business takes focus, concentration and creativity, which you won’t have if you’re constantly interrupted with the demands of others, even if they’re your family.
Tell your family up front that when you’re working you’re not available to handle their disputes or to “play mom.” Tell them why growing your business is important to you, then ask for their help. Tell them EXACTLY what the rules are, such as no interruptions unless the house is on fire or someone is bleeding (think I’m kidding? I’m not!).
Make sure to thank them frequently for helping you grow your business. Above all, do NOT cave in and give up your priorities for the day. Successful businesses are built on creating strong boundaries so now is a great time to practice strengthening yours. Besides, when your family sees that “mom means business” they’ll respect you and what you’re doing even more, making you an awesome role model for the people you care about the most.
There’s No Place Like Home…
Whether you have a private home office all to yourself, or you’re office is the dining room table, the more you practice these simple tips the more professional and focused you’ll feel. Remember that building a successful home based business is a dream that many aspire to and YOU can achieve!
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Tags: entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, working from home tips
Thank you Kendall for this great article. I switched from an office to working at home this year, and find this information very beneficial indeed. Setting boundaries such as these really helps keep the energy focused & powerful for the work at hand! Excellent advice!
Comment by Cara A. Mulheron — February 23, 2010 @ 7:59 pm
excellent information
I’ve worked for myself at home for like 20 yrs and love it!
Comment by Tara Burner — February 23, 2010 @ 8:28 pm
I have not quite mastered the concentration and energy needed to be completely at home (often take my laptop out to a public place to work, just to mix energies with other people) when I work. Being organized about what I plan to do that day usually serves me well. I think that it is because I am alone so much that I allow distractions, to the detriment of my planned day. Any ideas?
Comment by Liz Schneider — February 23, 2010 @ 8:40 pm
I’ve worked from home for over 10 years and love it! When the children were younger, I would take off work when they got home from school around 3:00 or 4:00, then get back on the computer when they went to bed at 8:00. I always shower and dress in the morning, as if I were going to a job-job. Most of my work is done on the phone and the person on the other end can hear “sloppy” as well as a smile. It’s great to be able to throw in a load of laundry, but I don’t have any problem with that extending to cleaning the entire house. I’m fairly social, and at first, I missed being around lots of other people at work. I compensate by attending at least two functions per week, usually networking lunches. And I get out of the house every day, even if it’s just going to the grocery store. Great suggestions, Kendall!
Comment by Susan K. Morrow — February 23, 2010 @ 9:57 pm
Kendall,
I too love working at home and can say that I’ve never turned the TV on during the day! If I like, I take a walk or sing a song or dance in my itty bitty disco. #4 is a good one for business and life!
thx,
Giulietta, Inspirational Rebel
Comment by Giulietta Nardone — February 24, 2010 @ 2:00 pm
yea boy, if it were only that easy!
Comment by Henry — February 24, 2010 @ 2:16 pm
Great article!
I too love to work from home and have been doing it for the last eight years. I completely agree with the fact that if we truly express seriousness about our business to our family and friends, they appreciate and respect our time.
My energy breaks are -working out in Gym, reading an empowering book and taking afternoon nap.
Comment by Lalitha — March 1, 2010 @ 11:02 pm
Kendall,
Thank you for your insight on distractions at home. As an artist I find that my office time (at home) consumes much more of my life than my studio time (away from home). I really need to turn that around!
I also LOVED the reminder to thank family for their help in growing my business. I think by acknowledging small contributions they will feel more involved and be more supportive.
Comment by Julie — March 3, 2010 @ 8:01 am
I work with a lot of Christian Counselors and Coaches and recently heard another great suggestion. Consider everything you do an “appointment”. Even time with family or friends. That way you block out time for everything important and if someone tries to interrupt or get you off track, tell them if you have an appointment or are about to go into one. That way no one is offended, yet clear boundaries are set.
Comment by Rhonda — March 6, 2010 @ 10:48 pm
You are like a mind reader. Those are exactly the first set of tips I share with my work at home clients. I have been working from home for 10 years and love that I can break my day into 3 parts to take full advantage of my high and low energy points through out the day.
Now if I could just get my mom to stop calling to take me to lunch as a reward for all my hard work…
Comment by Miriam Ortiz y Pino — March 8, 2010 @ 3:23 pm
Great set of tips- A lot of these I do already, but a quick refresher always helps me be more mindful.
Thanks!
Comment by Ryan Hemphill — June 7, 2010 @ 8:49 am
I love your idea about not answering the phone or turning on the computer until you’ve completed your morning ritual. This is one of my downfalls. The phone will ring and I feel like I must answer it. Just reading this article gives me the motivation to not answer the phone until all my important tasks are complete. After all, I can call them back! Thanks for these wonderful tips!
Comment by Kristen Keene — June 7, 2010 @ 9:47 pm