Working from home is bliss, except when your home life chips away at your productivity. So, how do you balance your priorities and manage your time working in a home office? Here’s some tips I’ve used and recommended to my clients.
- Use a task list. If you use Outlook or other program, use your task list and assign due dates so the get done. If you use good old fashioned paper, do a brain dump at the end of the day to make sure your tasks are written down and get into your workflow.
- Map out your week. If you have a school event you want to volunteer for or a conference you’d like to attend, plan for it. Be realistic and schedule out your week so you’re not pulling out your hair at 2am (or reduce your chances). If you’re busy on Wednesday, frontload your Tuesday to make sure your priorities get done.
- Breakup your day. I’ll use myself as an example. I work from home with a kindergartener, so my golden hours are 9am-noon. I use this time for critical items that are best done without interruption. When my son comes home, the afternoon is for short spurts of work when he’s having some quiet time or playing outside. At night, I work after everyone has gone to bed for a couple hours. The beauty of working from home is that work can fit into your life, not the other way around.
- Closed door policy. Whether you have a separate room for your home office or a corner in your kitchen, let your family (or roommates) know when you are working. Communicate what that means and how they will know (i.e. the door is closed or your headphones are on).
- Be realistic and get help when you need it. Working from home has it’s perks, which can also be the drawbacks. Be real with yourself. If you have children, consider hiring a sitter for one day a week so you can get some uninterrupted time to work. Hire a housekkeeper if you can’t quite get to scrubbing the toilet. Don’t be afraid to ask or help, you are worth it and so is your business.
Above all, remember why you are working from home. Boundaries can go a long way, so don’t be afraid to use them. Getting down to business at home can be rewarding, just make sure you are putting structure into your home office that fits your life. You can do it! 
(photo by Betsssssy)
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Hi Brandie,
This fits really well with your Half Principle article from the other day. I work a regular 9 to 5, but when I’m at home doing my freelancing it can be really hard to know when to stop or start working.
I like alone and have a home office, but a weekly plan and a brain dump at the end of day’s work are crucial for me. Those things allow me to make full use of the few hours a day I have to devote to my freelancing. Without them, it would take me forever to get on track and stay focused on what needs to get done.
Great article!
Sara
Saras last blog post..Self-Promotion Basics: Your Elevator Speech
Oh. One more thing! As part of my brain dump, I write the very first task I need to complete next time I start working on a post-it note and stick it on my keyboard or monitor. I do this at home and at my 9 to 5 and I find it really helps me get started right off instead of wasting the first 30-60 minutes checking email, reading Twitter or doing any one of those 18,000 other things that waste work time. =)
Sara
Saras last blog post..Self-Promotion Basics: Your Elevator Speech