Play a word association game with yourself. Say the word “office” and the word you are most likely to think of first is “work” or “boss” or “project.” Humor me just a little more – try the same with the word “home” – did you come up with words such as “relax,” “television” or “laundry?” Even without delving too deep into the psychology of it, it becomes quite obvious that most people associate office with work and home with either relaxation or a different type of work. The point I’m trying to drive home is that such conditioning can be the cause of some confusion when you first begin to work from a home office. Home Office is Different from Office Operating out of your home gives you several advantages; but it also has its drawbacks. You don’t need to waste time in travel, but can you really get the same amount of work done? Depends on how well you resist distractions. If you are the kind that prefers working alone because it lets you focus, you are probably happy about doing things yourself. But if you are the kind that draws motivation from a boss or a co-worker giving out guidelines or monitoring work quality, having to go solo can reduce productivity. Most entrepreneurs who set up a home office also have to deal with other challenges; here are 5 ways to help you ensure your home office remains a productive environment. Choose the Place Wisely Find a room that can be exclusively yours without anyone needing to enter in frequently. Ideally, it’s good to have a place that is far from the part of home where everyone congregates. Make sure the room has a solid door that can be shut to keep out noise and a knob to hold a “do-not-disturb” sign if necessary. Set Work Timings Having a routine for your day at the home office works wonders for productivity. The best way is to work to a set time. Of course, you have the option of having breaks when necessary but beyond that, keeping things too flexible doesn’t really augur well for your home business. Need to drop the kids to school and pick them up? Plan for having these times off; but make a proper time-table for the rest of the time. Mimic Office Conditions The best way to ensure you stay focused on your work is to treat your home office like a real office – which it actually is, except for the fact that it’s located in the same building as your home. Want to get more quiet in the office? Wake up an hour earlier in the day before the rest of the family does. You wouldn’t charge out of office for a quick shower, would you? Then why do it at your home office? Shower and get dressed before you enter your home office. Would you cook in the middle of work at office? No – you’d finish your cooking before you leave home; so why not do the same when working from a home office? Besides, it’s easier to stick to a scheduled 20-minute lunch break when you don’t have to whip up a meal from scratch. Keep Distractions Out Watching a little TV during your lunch break is fine; but don’t let that stretch to an hour or more. You would never imagine doing that at office would you? Then why do it at your home office? Ditto for personal calls, shopping trips, checking personal mail or social media accounts – even if there isn’t a boss watching you with a hawk’s eye, you need to understand that once you have lost focus on your job, you need at least 15 minutes more to get back to the initial level of concentration. Set Boundaries When you work out of a home office, it can be difficult to tell where your work time and personal time begin and end. By setting clear boundaries for each, you can ensure your productivity does not decrease. Set clear goals and have a “to-do” list for every working day. If your family interrupts you when you are busy at work, be gentle but firm in training them to get used to your unavailability at those times. Pay equal attention to avoid work spilling over into the time you set aside for home. If you worked at an office, you would shut down the computer when you left the room, right? Wouldn’t you ask for a day’s leave if you had something important to do – a meeting with teachers at your kid’s school or a visit to the doctor? If you have previously worked in an office set-up, adapting to a work from home situation can take some time. If you have never worked before, it can be even more of a challenge to make the transition. But remember that it is not impossible; all you need is a little discipline and the motivation to do well at your chosen task and you will soon begin to discover the joys of running a successful and productive business from a home office Have any tips that have enabled you to work better from your home office? Feel free to share them here...
Yes the main th ing with a home office is you need to treat it like a business office, and keep all distractions out. If you treat it like a real business, then you'll succeed like a real business!
The hard part is not only keep to yourself out of distractions but keep other people in the house 'away' so to speak, so they don't distract you as well... Sometimes I have this problem with my girlfriend
