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Vishal P. Rao
Administrator
Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 663
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# Posted: 4 Sep 2006 00:28
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One of the biggest advantages working at home is that you can decide your own working hours and you need not stick to a nine-to-five job. However, if you don't manage your time carefully and set rules for yourself, then it's pretty easy to get distracted and stray from your goals.
People who do not manage their time find themselves lagging in their commitments to other people and ultimately are not successful. What you need to do is to consider a home business as your job and set aside working hours. You know that being delayed by an hour will not mean a lecture from the boss but avoid breaking the rules that you have set for yourself. Being serious about your work will indicate to others that you mean business and that you are not doing a home business just for fun or to earn a few extra bucks!
To manage your time better, follow a few basic guidelines.
* Concentrate only on your work during work hours � Time set aside for work is for work alone. Don't entertain any kind of interruption during this period. It could be a self created distraction or one that is created by someone else. Take only business related calls, chat only with your potential or current clients and definitely don't do laundry and other chores side by side. Make sure that your family and friends are aware of your timelines and respect it as well. You may have to be curt and blunt with them a couple of times in case they do not get the message in the first instance. Turn down calls from friends and be firm even if your friend calls on you without prior notice.
* Decide the times that you will allow disturbances � It is important that people understand the situation in which you can be disturbed. This should include only emergencies, the nature of which should be spelled out. Decide on a special way of communicating for instances like these, may be through phone or email (if you have a home network with more than one pc). This way, it can be less distracting. If you have children, decide beforehand who will take care of your children while you are working and arrange for all household chores to be completed before you sit down.
* Another useful tool that you might want to use is a calendar in which you can put in tasks for the day, deadlines and goals. This simple tool can be used to understand whether you are over committing to a large number of projects that you cannot manage. Design a spreadsheet wherein you capture the number of hours that you have spent on each of the projects and estimate the amount you are making per hour. Be sure to include the time that you spend in talking to your clients on chat, phone or writing emails. This will help you redefine the kind of projects that you take up the next time.
Understand that managing your time while working is as important as managing your time with your kids and family when you are off work. Don't think of your pending work or access official mails once you have let yourself out of the hook. Do something special at this time with your family. Put your official phone on the answering machine and do not take client calls after a certain time.
You will feel like a professional if you think of yourself as one and behave accordingly. And you will soon realize that those who make money from home business or freelancing efforts are the ones who feel more motivated enough to try and manage their time effectively.
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champion
Member
Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 4
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# Posted: 25 Jan 2007 12:00
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I have found that it helps me to make a list of the things that I need to do the next day. Then I arrange the list in order of priority. It seems that every day there will be at least one thing on the list that I enjoy doing less than the other things. I always put the thing that I don't enjoy doing at the top of my list. This helps me to get that out of the way first and the rest of my day is more enjoyable. Additionally, always put a time that each item is to be done the next day and you will better manage your time.
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jjthomps
Member
Joined: 1 Feb 2007
Posts: 3
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# Posted: 1 Feb 2007 22:34
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I would suggest whiteboarding. When you use a whiteboard, it is easy to limit yourself only to the space you have on hand and therefore you have to be more precise and focused with your planning.
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sss3d
Member
Joined: 4 Feb 2007
Posts: 8
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2007 03:10
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Plus
Take only business related calls, chat only with your potential or current clients and definitely don't do laundry and other chores side by side. Make sure that your family and friends are aware of your timelines and respect it as well. 
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Chaz T
Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 123
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2007 03:26
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Quoting: Vishal P. Rao Understand that managing your time while working is as important as managing your time with your kids and family when you are off work.
What a great statement!
Working at home can be the most rewarding thing that you will ever do. And for me sometimes it's so hard to go "okay stop.... done with work.....family time now!" Especially when there is so much to accomplish.
I remember once at a day job I had, it was about 7:30pm and I had been there from about 4 that morning. Anyhow I was pooped! But I just couldn't break away because I felt that there was so much to do.
Well, one of my guys walked by and told me something that really helped me with learning time management, and he said, "Hey go home, the work will still be there tomorrow."
As simple as that sounds it opened up a whole new level of thinking for me. Because I'm the type of person that hates to just leave things. And when he told me that, it made me realize that no matter how much I try to do right now, there's going to be more to do tomorrow!
And that experience has carried over into my work at home business. Actually more than ever now that I have a wife and kids who also need quality time! And I'm constantly learning that as serious as I am about getting work done, I have to be equally as serious as being done with work (if that makes sense).
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Anna
Member
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 42
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# Posted: 21 Feb 2007 22:37
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I'm just like you Chaz, it's almost impossible for me to leave anything I have started when it is not finished. What that guy told you made me think a lot also and I am glad you shared it with us... definitely helps a lot, thank you! 
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Chaz T
Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 123
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# Posted: 28 Feb 2007 01:40
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Trust me Anna I gotta remind myself of that everyday (ha).
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barefootmentor
Member
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 46
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# Posted: 2 Mar 2007 17:18
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I've been marketing online full time for 5+ years now and I have a simple routine that I stick to everyday.
I add content to my site's generally in the morning and teach an online training class on marketing strategies.
In the afternoon I generally kick back and just enjoy life, generally that means going for a walk, caring for my garden, or playing with our farm animals.
Generally 2 evenings a week I host online training class in my web conference room. Then every night before turning off the computer I check my tracking stats on my websites. This helps me to know exactly what needs to be accomplished the next day.
If this sounds all "greek" to you come to one of my many online training web conferences I host weekly. It's very easy to find my weekly event schedule just do a google search on my name "Cindy McAsey" and you will find it.
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hollyb
Member
Joined: 3 Apr 2007
Posts: 5
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2007 15:50
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Just thought I would share with you something that has really helped me. I do not update all of my classfieds, ad posts, forum posts ect. What I do is keep a journal with what I have done for the day. I then have a day by day tradition that I do so that I know I am not forgeting something. EX. Monday: Post classifieds on x,y,z. Tues: Renew ad in adspace....
Holly
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Global
Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2007
Posts: 19
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2007 21:55
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Good day,
Been in business for over 10 years and for me it is focusing on what is important and out sourcing what will take me to much time to do.
Also letting family and friends know that I am not available because I am at work now.
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gchildren
Member
Joined: 21 Aug 2007
Posts: 37
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2007 19:01
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Great advice.
One needs to be self-motivated and self-disciplined to be successful with a work at home business.
The most difficult aspect for me has been the distraction issue. My wife and I have a daycare business in our home. In addition, my daughters and grandchildren will have to live with us for short periods while they work through their problems.
Here is my point. You can be successful with your internet venture if you are organized, motivated and disciplined. The key ingredient is balance.
Make sure you organize your time management and that you commit to staying focused on where you parcel your time during the day.
You can be commited to your family and your business. As I said, it is all about balance.
To your success,
John
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pcwork
Member
Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Posts: 1149
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2007 19:37
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I am lucky, I have few distractions and can fully concentrate on my work
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JCP
Member
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 85
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# Posted: 8 Sep 2007 23:56
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Hahah I take ritalin to help me with my tasks.... hahaha
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catfly
Member
Joined: 26 Aug 2007
Posts: 13
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# Posted: 2 Oct 2007 10:27
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I make a list and do all the things i like least first. then the rest of the day is easier...nothing hanging over me.
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Newbie Shield
Preferred Member
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 702
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# Posted: 2 Oct 2007 11:26
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Hi all,
I am very meticulous about almost every minute of every day. I have charts in Excel, an over-sized calendar on the wall, and I organize things in Word every day.
I focus real hard on work. I love to be efficient and productive. I enjoy it that way.
I make my general list on the wall calendar and I check it around three times a day or so. I cross off things when I complete them. I have my details in Word and laid out a different way in Excel. There's a lot to track every day. It's a great system.
I've even used MS Project at times but then again I'm a bit of a technology geek ;-)
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