Do you work in a mobile office in your home? Have kids underfoot? Lots of distractions? A home office that “travels”? You’re not alone.
Reader Profile:
Mona, blogger, works from home, homeschools three children ages 3-15
What’s your biggest challenge?
“One of my biggest challenges is that I don’t have a desk space. Right now I am working on the portable island in my kitchen. I keep all of my files and such on my hutch. There is no where in my house that I can put a desk without getting interrupted because my house is open to the other rooms. I don’t really mind the mobile office life but I do wish there were less distractions.”
What have you tried before?
“I have tried setting up a office-type space in my bedroom but it wasn’t much better than what I am doing now. My desktop computer was set up on my nightstand because there was not enough room to put a desk in there. Now that I have a laptop I can move around the house more easily but during the hours that my family is up and about I have to move my laptop so it won’t get things spilled on it“
What organization tool or tip would be most helpful to you?
“I have set a schedule for myself that allows me to get work done before they get up in the morning ( I just started this) and after school is done and all/most of the house chores are done. My main hours of work are 6am-8am and 7pm-10pm.
I would love it if you could help me come up with a routine that will help me to flow and transition better. I think that if I could get a routine down then my mobile office would have less distractions. How can I start work, stop work, big break in between and then start work, stop work again?”
Here’s what I suggest: Mona, you are one busy lady! A few tips that may help:
- Set clear boundaries: Keep your office out of the bedroom if you can help it at all. Working (permanently) in the bedroom doesn’t allow your mind a place to unwind and rest. This can lead to all kinds of sleep problems, not to mention a general frazzled-ness (yes, I did just make that up). You’ve done well to move your office into the common area.
- Keep it all together. It sounds like part of the office is in one place, and the rest is in another (island and the hutch). Consider moving everything to the same location, on the portable island if possible. Use a portable file that can slide on the bottom shelf or in a shelf nearby. A home office, no matter where its located, is more productive if you have most everything at your fingertips.
- Use checklists to combat the distractions. You’ve set up a time schedule to work around the family. You also mentioned that distractions are an issue, so consider using checklists of tasks that need to be done on a regular basis. You can use them for each day of the week, daily tasks, weekly and monthly. Use your imagination. It’s a way to make sure that you get things done, while allowing for flexibility. Using checklists helps you navigate distractions, establish routines, prioritize and live and work more consciously. At the end of your day, make sure everything was accomplished.
Thanks for sharing your challenges, Mona!
Readers, if you have a suggestion please leave a comment below.
To learn more about Mona, visit her at one of her blogs: iwebis and Time To Budget
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I would try to get a fold up table or something that you can dedicate to be your work area. You can take it down when company comes or when you need to use the space for something else, but you need an area that you can normally leave setup for work. Otherwise much of your work time is going to be spent unpacking every day.
You may even be able to find a creative space in a closet or somewhere else that can hold your desk, but still keep it out of the way. I would still suggest trying to find a place where you can go that keeps you separate from the rest of the household activities.
We spent a few months in Mexico and I had a very small four foot plastic table and a folding chair that collapsed three times each day. Still this was better than trying to use the living room table or some other area where I would have had to move it a few times each day. (There were also the some unused maid’s quarters on the roof, but I decided it wasn’t worth battling the scorpions.)
You can see a picture of my Mexico desk toward the bottom of this post if you are interested: http://www.productivity501.com/my-current-working-desk/229/
Mark – Productivity501s last blog post..Contests
Your tips were very helpful Brandie. I will print these suggestions and keep them where I can access them quickly. I have the tendency to forget suggestions and fall right back in to the things that don’t work.
I didn’t realize that a bedroom office situation was a bad idea. The points you made about that made a lot of sense.
@Mark – thanks for your suggestions too. I like the idea of a small collapsible table. The office space you used for you Mexico trip would be doable for me.
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Hi Brandie,
I just thought I would let you know that after I thought about the ridiculousness of my mobile office situation I decided to create a stationary office area.
I also took the advice Mark offered about getting a collapsible table.
Things have been a lot better since I don’t have to move my “office” around everyday.
Thanks again for offering your advice as well!
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