In the industry that I am in, a very high percentage of people actually work from home. There may be an office that you can go to several hours a week. But for the most part, you are either at home or working on the road.
So many people I talk to think that working from home is a dream come true. While in many aspects of this is true, there are plenty of downfalls that can really suck away your productivity numbers.
While flexibility ranks among the top reasons people love working from home, you may find you have to push yourself to get what you need done in the shortest amount of time.
Here are some tips that will help you stay productive while working out of your home office.
1. Plan your office hours and stick to them. You will want to structure your office just like you were working outside of the home.
2. Let others know what your office hours are so they can respect them and work with you. This could also include family members who tend to think that since your home you can just stop working at any time.
3. Sit down with the calendar and plan your day. Include frequent breaks so you can be fresh for each task.
4. Focus on the most difficult and intricate tasks early in the morning with the least amount of distractions. Even before you hit the email.
5. Break your day into time blocks so you are only working on specific tasks for an hour or two at a time. Most people will lose focus if they are working longer than that at one specific project.
6. Create a clutter free, healthy office environment that makes you want to be in that room. Make sure that it is separate from your living space and it is comfortable, bright, and inspiring.
7. Find tools or gadgets to help you be productive. Headsets, phone apps, timers, file management systems, outsourcing when applicable, online meeting systems, etc. can all help you get the work out quickly and efficiently.
8. Equip your office with equipment that you need. Specific printers, scanners, chairs, desk setups, that allow you to get what you need done accomplished quickly.
9. Turn off distractions such as notifications and the television. Even send the phone to voicemail when working on a priority. Schedule your email review and answers for specific times during the day so you do not lose yourself in the time warp.
10. Be flexible. Some days you want to take the morning off or have to work late due to conference calls or meetings. Or you may even want to head out to the coffee shop or library for a bit of refocused work.
These productivity hacks can work if you set up your work space properly. Set limits and enjoy your space for the best office set up and most productive job yet.