So, You Want To Work From Home? Part 2

9 tips to working at home… cont.

Last week I shared with you a few tips that I have found that have helped me and others cope with the new challenges we face when we create a new work pattern and now work from home. Working from home presents some different things to deal with than what we find working in the traditional office environment. If you missed last weeks post where I introduced the first 4 tips for working from home you can get them here.

Without further ado let’s get started and pick up where we left off in Part 2 with 9 Tips To Working From Home.

5. Small kids, get some help. According to the DSA (Direct Selling Association) the vast majority of people that enter the direct selling/network marketing industry are women. If you were to venture a guess as to why they joined a company in this industry I’d bet most would say to be able to “stay at home with my kids”. I have met many phenomenal  stay at home moms that are very successful in this industry. They’ve learned to fit their personal lives and their business lives into the nooks and cranny’s of their days. They are incredible multi-taskers.

I’ve also had the privilege of hearing the testimonials and success stories of some very high powered women. They often had to find the time where they could work uninterrupted and  really focus on the work to be done and no little child will allow that to happen if they have anything to say about it. So, they enlisted the help of others. They had their spouse take over watching the kids, had grandma and grandpa spend time with them, dropped them at a friends for play dates, enrolled them in educational programs…just to name a few. The point is, yes they wanted to be home to be with the kids but they also knew they needed to get the job done and to do this they got help from others.

6. Choose your interruptions. An immediate benefit of working from home is less interruptions than the office environment of the “cubicle farm”. However, you will still have interruptions so choose which one you’ll give into wisely. Your phone will ring, email will come in, people will knock on your door. Caller ID is a huge benefit. Use it wisely to screen your calls and only take the ones that have a high priority. Like your spouse, the school nurse, or the client you’ve been attempting to reach. Any others let go to voicemail and return the call later. You have more important things to do than discuss the religious considerations of someone that comes knocking on your door. I’ve found that most people that come calling at your door will quickly think no one is home if you don’t answer. Oh, and you can also use the DVR to tape your favorite day time show to watch later…sorry Oprah and Ellen.

7. It’s OK to do housework. But, here’s the catch. Within reason. Sometimes a brief break to get up and move away from your desk can be very refreshing. Emptying the dishwasher is OK. Cleaning the garage is not. Moving laundry from the washer to the dryer is OK. Vacuuming and dusting the entire house is not. Look to keep your housework breaks to 5 minutes or less. Think about it, your boss in the old office days won’t allow more than a state mandated 10 minute break away from your desk so why should you? Taking a break is good, it can bring a new burst of creativity and energy…just be reasonable.

8. Bring on the white noise. If you thought the people from the office you used to work in were annoying wait till you hear what your neighbors are up to during the day. Chances are that the noise level at home might be less disturbing than the office but not always. Today, there’s road work going on down the street from me so there’s a nice steady “beep, beep, beep” from the equipment moving. There’s  usually a yappy dog in the neighborhood, the gardener with the weed whacker and lawn mower, and the laughter, screams and crying of the children playing nearby. True, these aren’t your normal every day distractions but they can become very disturbing and interrupt your flow. When they do, turning on an oscillating fan can be very helpful and if it’s real bad try noise canceling  headphones or even ear plugs.

9. Have a view. OK, this one isn’t crucial but if you’re going to work from home why not have a nice view from your office. Most people working in the “cubicle farm” don’t have any view at all. Those are reserved for “Mr. Big” in the corner office. I know some people will work wherever they can find a spot so pick your spot wisely. I much rather prefer working where there’s plenty of natural lighting. It just feels better and helps me be more creative. Right now, my current office allows me to feel like I’m in a nest perched in the tree tops.

There you have it. My 9 tips for working at home. I’m sure there are plenty more that can be added. There were a few tips left as comments in Part 1. Again, I’d love to hear the things you’re doing to help you be productive working from home. Please leave me a comment and if I get more great ideas I might have to add another part and continue the series.

As always, I’d appreciate it if you’d share this information with your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, go out and Live Your Best Life!

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