Working from home may seem like the ideal job for most people. Being able to set your own hours and conduct business from the comforts of your own house is what many freelancers or entrepreneurs strive for. But, how do you do it successfully? How do you go about structuring your day productively when you work from home?
The best way to stick to a work schedule at home is to treat your house as if it were your office. You can’t allow the comforts of home keep you from creating that ‘off to work’ mindset that is vital for career success. There are 10 things you can do to make this possible. Following this simple set of rules or tips will make all the difference in auspiciously growing your home business.
Now that you know there are 10 simple ways to help you stick to an at-home work schedule, let’s take a closer look at them below. We’ll discuss what each is in detail and how to achieve it. We’ll also explore a few related topics, such as what are the benefits of working from home and how to work from home more productively while sticking to your work schedule.
So, if you’re ready to learn more about maintaining a work-from-home schedule and successfully sticking to it, then let’s get started!
10 Easy Tips for Crafting and Sticking to the Perfect Work-From-Home Schedule
The 10 ways to ensure you stick to your home working schedule include the following:
1) Set Your Alarm
Get up each day at a specific time, just as you would if you were going out to work. That way, you establish a daily routine, which helps create the structure necessary to achieve success. Routines help build momentum and increase productivity.
Healthy morning habits, such as getting up each day at the same time, help kick-start the day and create a sense of order in our lives. As morning is often the most productive and energetic time of the day, making full use of it is likely to benefit you not only professionally but personally as well.
I know from my own experience that when I was waking up at 5:30 on the weekends, I didn’t enjoy it at first. Things changed as time went on because as I started getting up earlier and at a set time on Saturdays and Sundays, it made it much easier to do so during the week when I was going to be working from home. Getting your day started early, if you hit the ground running, means you will accomplish more in a day than you could ever imagine.
2) Shower and Get Dressed
Though it may be tempting to lounge around in your pajama’s all day, it’s important to shower and get dressed each morning. This subconsciously gets you prepared for the workday ahead. Not doing so can result in procrastination, which is a bad habit and a hard one to break!
Even if you plan to work from home the entire the day (with no intention of leaving), getting showered and dressed will energize and refresh you physically. This, in turn, will affect you mentally by improving concentration, boosting creativity and increasing productivity.
This tip ties in well together with my tip of setting an alarm. From personal experience, if I wake up, get showered and ger ready, if I don’t have work or other plans, I still get more done. I find that if I get up, have coffee and sit around in my pajamas, I end up having a less productive day than if I had taken a shower and gotten dressed right off the bat.
3) Create a Dedicated Home Office Space
Designate a specific area or room in your home to work. Set-up a desk with a computer, printer, phone and other necessary office supplies. You must establish an environment conducive to ‘work’ to be prolific. This space should be used for work only, if possible, be sure to:
- Choose a separate room in your home as a dedicated workspace. It should have a door that you can close to keep business in and family out!
- Pick a room where you can limit distractions, far away from loud areas such as the kitchen, living room or laundry room.
- Select a workspace that’s big enough to have everything you need in one place. Running back-and-forth between rooms to complete tasks is far less productive than working from one area.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can work while sitting on the couch with your family, as you might get some things done but probably not as much as if you had your own separate location for working at home. Just to mention as well, when you have distractions, you also have an increased chance of making a mistake. If you are working for others from home and providing work with mistakes, you might not be working for them for very long. Just a thought.
4) Decide Your Work Hours at Home
Most often we feel that we must structure our workday like that of a typical job (Monday thru Friday, 9am to 5pm). Although 8 hours is generally considered ‘the norm’, yours as a freelancer doesn’t need to be that long to achieve success. In fact, 30 hours per week is often enough, creating the perfect balance between labor and leisure.
While a flexible routine seems ideal to most people, it can be both a blessing and a curse. You must figure out a realistic way to control your schedule, otherwise it’ll end up controlling you! You can get overwhelmed if you take on too many projects at one time or you can take too few and not meet your goals. You must set your work boundaries beforehand.
To avoid finding yourself in one extreme or the other, decide your work schedule ahead of time. Will it be 7 days a week or just 4? 40 hours a week or no more than 30? The amount of time you put into will depend upon how many clients/opportunities you have. This will ultimately determine how much money you make and how successful you are.
The nice thing about working from home is how easy it is to adjust your work hours , if you need to. One other tip for you regarding setting work hours is consider breaking the time up over the day. Work a bit first thing in the morning then go get your exercise in, then come back and you can get back at it.
5) Create a ‘To-Do’ List for Daily Tasks
Outline what it is you need to accomplish each day. Do so on a calendar or in a day planner. A ‘to do’ list is a great idea. Putting your goals/objectives down on paper and setting a reasonable timeline for each is key. This detailed workplan will help you stay focussed and on-track. It’s also a great motivating tool to help achieve your at-home work goals quicker (and easier).
As you complete each task, check it off! The simple act of checking marking an item on your to-do list will encourage you to ‘take action’ and keep going once you see progress being made. It not only saves you time but also brain power, as it frees your mind from having to remember everything! Setting clear, concise and achievable goals each day is essential to daily success as a freelancer.
6) Prioritize Your Goals for Working at Home
The best way to achieve multiple freelance goals simultaneously is to prioritize them. This allows you to perform at higher levels, making you more responsible, reliable and efficient. It also helps you limit interruptions that can cause distractions and waste time. Being able to prioritize your task effectively is vital to work-at-home success.
Decide what you need to do the night before, as mornings are often hectic and it’s easy to veer off-track if don’t your priorities in order. Begin by tackling the hardest or most time-consuming job first, in the morning, when you’re fresh. Save phone calls, in-person meetings or collaborative projects for the afternoon, when you’ve had a chance to fully ‘wake up’ and get other pressing tasks out of the way.
Be realistic when prioritizing your goals. Don’t spread yourself too thin. In other words, don’t try to accomplish too much/too soon, lest you be disappointed or discouraged when you can’t. It’s better to have fewer tasks on your ‘to-do’ list and complete them. This will not only help you stick to your work schedule but provide you with a sense of pride and accomplishment and the end of the day.
I find I am constantly revisiting my goals, whether they are daily or weekly. I use my cell phone, my laptop and a whiteboard for prioritizing goals. It might be overkill but it works for me and just might work for you as well.
7) Minimize Your At-Home Distractions To Help You Stick To Your Home Work Schedule
Don’t let others throw you off your game! Communicate your expectations to family members or roommates at home so they know to respect your time and space during work hours. Steer clear of social media and other distractions, like the TV or the phone. These not only waste time but prevent you from sticking to your work schedule and interrupt your creative and ‘flow’.
If you feel tempted to check-in on your favorite social media sites, do yourself a favor and remove them from your browser shortcuts. Consider working from an ‘incognito’ browser window, if you’re using Chrome, for example. This will prevent you from being able to sign-in to your user accounts as well as keep the autocomplete function at bay.
It’s amazing how, at first, you feel like you can’t be in a different room, away from your cell phone but after doing this for a few days and seeing the benefits of not having it attached to you constantly, you will soon find out how liberating it is.
8) Be Sure to Take Breaks
It’s easier to stick to an at-home work schedule if you take regular breaks. This is especially true if you spend most of the day on a computer, whereby eyestrain, headaches and shoulder pain can affect your concentration. Taking a ‘time out’ (or two) from work throughout the day helps you:
- think more clearly
- make better decisions
- be more productive
- complete tasks more accurately
- stay focussed for longer periods of time
Be sure to stop for lunch. Just like at any traditional workplace, you are allotted time to eat, whether its 30 minutes or one hour, so take it! Food is necessary if you want to think clearly and work productively. You can’t achieve success on an empty stomach!
I like to walk on my breaks. It’s so easy yet so beneficial. If your weather is not cooperating some days, then consider using a treadmill, stationary bike or other piece of cardio equipment. You will feel refreshed and rejuvenated afterwards, ready to get more work accomplished.
9) Be Committed, Yet Flexible
Be vigilant in sticking to your at-home work schedule. However, if it’s not efficient, don’t be afraid to discard it out and start over. The beauty of working from home is the flexibility it provides so take advantage of this by trying something new if your current plan isn’t working.
Being committed to your entrepreneurial success doesn’t have to come at the expense of your work/life balance. In fact, the productivity of your freelance business can flourish by improving your current at-home working conditions.
I will share another personal tip regarding being flexible. Your level of flexibility will depend upon your personality. I find it easy to put things off or procrastinate. This is not a good habit to have. So, for me, being less flexible and more committed to a schedule works best. You have to determine what works best for you and then stick with it.
10) Plan Ahead
It’s easier to stick to an at-home work schedule, if you’re prepared in advance. Make your meals the night before, if you anticipate a long day. It can be tempting (since you’re at home) to take your time cooking a fancy breakfast or hearty lunch, but this will undoubtedly cut into your work hours, so don’t.
Time management is of the utmost importance when it comes to maintaining an at-home work schedule. Set your priorities for the day, get organized and schedule your time appropriately. If you can do that, you’re well on your way to achieving your freelance goals and entrepreneurial success.
Related Questions
Is working from home more productive? Studies have shown that working from home not only increases productivity but also leads to a healthier lifestyle. It provides for a better work-life balance that improves both mental and physical well-being.
What are the benefits from working at home? There are many advantages to working from home. These include a flexible schedule, comfortable environment, reduction in stress, zero office distractions, no lengthy commutes, saving money on parking and more time home with loved ones.
Conclusion
To summarize, the best way to manage an at-home work schedule is to act as if your house is your office! Create a ‘going to work’ mentality which will help you stick to your business plan and achieve your freelance goals. To help you do this, simply follow the 10 tips outlined (in detail) above. These suggestions will not only improve your productivity but also help you sustain a healthy work/life balance, essential to your overall well-being.
Hopefully this article has helped. Good luck and may your future business endeavors be prosperous!