I’ve been a solo entrepreneur working from home for a long time now. I adore working from home, but it’s easy to get distracted. Through some trial and error, I have discovered a few easy tips to keep myself on track and working when I’d much rather skip out and read a book or watch tv instead. With so many people continuing to work at home, I thought I’d share my tips to help you be the best “at-home worker” you can be.
Make a schedule and stick to it. If you don’t have someone else dictating a schedule for you, then you’ll need to make one and stick to it. You might need to post the schedule for your family and friends so they remember that you are actually working and not available to hang out. Remember to schedule time into this schedule for lunch, snacks, and time to work on growing your business not just in serving your clients. If you get lost in your work, then set alarms on your computer or phone to beep and make sure you take your breaks.
Work ahead whenever possible. Whether you take some time on the weekends or just squeeze it in when a client meeting cancels make the time to work ahead. You never know when an emergency, either yours or a client’s, is going arise and blow your plans for the day out the window. Working ahead makes it easy for you to do or ask someone else to do the extra things that need to get done.
Learn to say no. Saying no can be a really hard thing to do for many, but it’s crucial for your business and your sanity. If you’re an entrepreneur and running your own business, you will be approached by everyone selling you everything you didn’t know existed. Figure out what you need for your business to grow, list those topics, hires, and more on paper, and put it up on your computer. Then say “no” to everything else. It’s so easy to say yes to the million different masterclasses, free training videos, and the like especially if you’re trying to be supportive of others. If you don’t prioritize yourself and your business’s needs, you’ll drown in your good intentions. Only say yes to opportunities that are going to grow you or your business. You’ll feel far more productive and much less overwhelmed.
Find shortcuts that work for you. Everyone has the things they struggle to do. I recommend finding shortcuts to make these tasks easier. It might be delegating the task to a professional who can do it for you. It might be finding a website or phone app that speeds up the process. For me, a great shortcut is batching content, for some of my friends time blocking works great for them, others love the Pomodoro method. Find what works and do that.
Here’s to your productivity as a Work from Home worker and entrepreneur!
By the way, if you loved this tip and you want tips customized to your business, Grab your FREE 30 minute 1:1 Getting to Know You Strategy Session. Each session is full of tips tailored for your business to help you now. I do a very limited number of these sessions each month and these can only be scheduled through email, so if you want one, email me today! Let’s chat about how branding and design can get your business where you want it to be! Talk to you soon!