Make working from home a success with these tips

I have the good fortune of being able to work from home two or three days a week. When I mention this to friends and colleagues, the response is mixed. Some say they too love it, and are able to accomplish a great deal at home because they can focus solely on the work or projects. Some on the other hand say they would love to work from home, but simply cannot because of the distractions that present themselves – the dog, TV, social media, kids, and housework. If you’re looking to achieve maximum productivity while working from home, follow these 3 tips.

#1 – Set yourself up for productivity success

To be productive at home you need to have a workspace that provides everything you need to do your job. I like to describe it as this – if someone walked into your workspace at home they would immediately think they had walked into an office in an actual office building. To achieve this, outfit your space with what you need – display the company vision statement, have quality internet, an ergonomically sound chair and desk set up. Make sure your printer, paper shredder, business Skype, teleconferencing and other support pieces are fully functional. Finally, make sure your work space is neat and orderly and you’re not wasting time looking for things. By setting up your workspace properly you’re setting yourself up for productivity and success working at home.

#2 – Dress the part

I had a friend of mine that when he started working from home he would put on a suit and tie every morning and go downstairs to his office. I initially thought this was a bit much. He however, said by putting the suit on it was a physical cue that it was time to work. It was like an athlete putting a uniform on – it was time to focus. I now completely understand his thinking. The key is to remember when you’re in your home office you are at work. You need to employ the same discipline in accomplishing tasks as though you were in the company office. So, if you have a hard time motivating yourself to get to work while you’re in your pajamas, wear what you would wear as if you were going into the company offices.

#3 – Plan your work

To be productive you need to have a plan, especially when you’re working from home. There are a million distractions that can arise when you’re working from home, and without a plan of what you need to get done, you can easily become unproductive. So, either when you are wrapping up your current day, or first thing in the morning of your workday, plan what you are going to achieve on that day.  Specifically, plan out what tasks you will accomplish, when and how long you will work, when you’ll take breaks, grab lunch, and catch up on social media. By planning your day, you’re able to stay focused and maximize your productivity.

Working from home can offer many benefits, but like anything, it takes commitment and discipline to get good at it and be productive. If you’re working from home for the first time, or you do now and would like to be more productive, try these 3 tips –  make sure your home office set-up mimics your company office set-up, make sure you’re dressed and ready to work, and make sure you plan your day out.

How do you stay productive when you’re working from home? Thanks for reading don’t forget to share/tweet/like our blog just underneath this paragraph. And don’t forget, we’re always here to help with your business efficiency needs.

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