How Do You Juggle Your Working At Home Business Life From Your Personal Life?
Working from home, as you probably know, takes some planning. Most probably when you first start out working hours and personal hours get jumbled up together and you are not productive in either area!
If you work from home it is most important to make yourself a plan of how you are going to do this successfully.
1. The most important thing is to have an area which is your working space. If you are fortunate enough to have a spare room you can set up as an office so much the better. For many this is not possible, so make sure that your ‘work’ area is defined somehow. Maybe a screen or a partition around this area would help to let others know that this is your office and not to disturb you.
2. Let friends and family know that working from home means you are ‘working’ and that you can’t just pop out for a coffee or they come over for a chat. Explain that if you were out at work you couldn’t just pop out for a coffee or take a look round the shops or drop in at the pub for a pint! Use that same working ethos when working from home.
3. If finances permit try to get a business phone so that when working hours are over you can switch that phone to voicemail and when you get back to work you can pick up the messages and deal with them. If most of your work is done on the internet then make sure that the computer you use is just for your use and not for the rest of the family.
4. Plan a work schedule. Do you work best in the morning or are you a night owl and do your best work at night, whichever part of the day suits you best then they are your working hours. Obviously this isn’t set in stone and the best thing about working from home is that you can change your working hours around.
5. Make a To Do List in the mornings or the evening before of what you want to achieve that day. Once you have completed your list then that is the time to empty the dishwasher, mow the lawn or whatever. Be disciplined in your business keep your schedule and you can combine a home business and a personal life easily.
To summarise:
• Set up your working space – let everyone know that is your office.
• Let friends and family know that you are working from 9 am to ?? am and you will give them a call or whatever after that time.
• Get a business phone or make sure you have a computer solely for your use.
• Plan a work schedule and stick to it.
• Make a To Do List that you complete each day.
Follow these ideas and you may find that life becomes less stressful!
Sorry mis read this p-lease amend with
Hi Barbara,
great advice I amust admit though that I am guilty of all of these which is the reason I never really feel that I have achived as much as I ought to have done. Just finishing my round of the 100 blog challenge and realised that in some parts of the world it is already september the 1st Doh!!!!
Cheers
Rob
Rob Corrigan´s last blog ..What Is The Cheapest Way To Start A Business Part 2
Hi Barbara,
Many people (OK almost everyone) think that because you are working from home you have the time to chat, visit you, doing their everyday tasks like shopping etc. Almost everyone that calls me on the phone they ask “Andreas, are you at home or at work?” When I answer “I am at home” they reply with a “OK great! Since you are not working we can visit you…” he he
Well this is BAD because my family or other people around me don’t consider that I am working (or understand what I am doing) so I temporary stop taking my online business too seriously in a result of being unproductive for many hours, loosing lot of the potential money that I could make. Arg!!
An office (outside your house) makes you feel more productive. There are marketers like John Thornhill and Ray Johnson that their business has skyrocket after working from an office!
Of course there are sometimes that I am working the WHOLE day “forgetting” my personal life.
Setting “office hours” and balancing your “working life” with “personal life” is important because you can become a “slave in your own business”.
Take care,
Andreas
Andreas Spyrou @ Free Affiliate Marketing Tips´s last blog ..The Biggest Affiliate Marketing Mistake &8211 Mistake 6
Hi Barbara,
Working at home does have it’s perks and downside. Your tips here are right on the money as sometimes, it’s not all about the incentive, it’s more about structuring. Thus, I think many of us fail to get ahead our first year because of this restructuring. When it finally hits us, we realize OK, this is exactly like work out in the real world. No distractions. I hope you’re doing well on the challenge as I’m almost there.
See you beyond the 100th comment!
Thu
Thu Nguyen@BloggingFor´s last blog ..The Complete Helium Report REVIEW by Bob Younce of The Writing Journey
This is a great “to do” list.
I find that I “go to work” and then stay there all day and all night!!!
I really need to follow your advice and set times for working and for being with the family. And then plan the time I work to be more efficient!
Thanks for the great suggestions to get organised
Jennifer
Jennifer@Online Business Making Money at Home´s last blog ..Internet Marketing Promotions – Step by Step Guide to Contributing
I remember another tip I read somewhere which was to dress as if you’re going out to work. This prepares one mentally to get into work mode. I like your five tips and I think anyone who works from home should post a list like yours on the fridge door as a reminder.
It is easy to get caught up in household chores and not focus on the work at hand… It does take discipline. Thank you for your post.
Stopped by on my 11th hour visit for the 100 comment challenge.
Best,
Elizabeth
ElizOF´s last blog ..Yoga Love- Learn to Add Balance to Your Life…
Hi Barbara,
Great post and list of advice for people who work at home. I am luck I have an office, my own computer etc. but the one challenge I have is working when my daughter is home from school. I only have one daughter and I like to spend as much time with her as I can because I feel that children grown up so quick and if I was stuck in an office all the time I would miss out on our special time. So when she comes home from school, I am off the computer, encouraging her to do her homework, preparing dinner etc. Also not forgetting, working from home still means you have to do the housework etc.
So I feel the most important part about working from home is planning. Plan what you are going to do that day, stick to it and write a list at night to plan for the next day.
Good luck with the challenge and I will be visiting your blog again soon.
Take care
Robyn
Robyn´s last blog ..Blogging Tips
I find it always challenging to keep the two separated. I guess having an office is a great bonus as I can close the door and ‘forget’ about my business for a while. It also helps to keep a balance by scheduling time for both life and work.
Michael Pedzotti´s last blog ..Guess who is guest posting
Barbara
Hope that you are well, I’m a fellow MWA student, lost my way a bit but back now with a vengeance!!
Some great tips here, keeping it simple and helping to seperate “work” from family and home really helps with your focus. Its too easy to over complicate things when all too often simple is the key to success.
Speak soon
Tom
Tom Harvey´s last blog ..Video Marketing – Anatomy Of A Successful Affiliate Campaign
Hi Barbara
You are right. It certainly pays off to have rules and discipline when working from home. It is all to easy to be distracted and fall short of your work targets.
Good luck in the challenge.
Best wishes
Eamon