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Anyone that works from home can attest that it comes with its pros and its cons. I personally love working from home because it allows so much freedom. However, with that freedom comes alot of distractions and that is where things can get messy pretty quickly if you do not have a few things in place first.
Set up a Dedicated Work Space
The first place that I would start is to create a dedicated work space. Because you are at home, it’s important to choose one place in your home that will be dedicated to your work. Maybe you have an empty room in your home. Or you have a room in your home that is not well used and can be turned into an office. Or maybe you don’t have the financial luxury of having a dedicated office to turn into your workspace. This is okay too.
If you don’t have a dedicated room or office, then I would suggest to find a table that you can turn into your own dedicated workspace. Having a dedicated bag that can hold all of your essentials for work can help you move in easily. When work is over for the day, you can pack up and leave that area all cleaned up like you weren’t even there.
Set a Vibe
I work for a financial institution and we each have our own office space. In each employees office, they have their own theme going on. Decorations everywhere, plaques and accolades everywhere, you could walk into it and immediately feel a vibe. Each person has their own taste and they decorate their own space differently.
I like to take the minimalist approach. I bring in key items that helped me productivity wise, and also adds some flare to my work space. Some great ideas are an essential oil diffuser, a good lamp that adds decor but also provides functionality, inspirational book(s), and a small bluetooth speaker that you can play some music on. The possibilities are endless. But the idea is just to create a clutter free space that inspires you and your creativity
Keep your work space super organized and clutter free
The more crap you have, then the more distractions there tends to be. I do my best work when I am clear minded and centered in the moment. In order to be clear minded, I like to have a clean area that I work in. I like to have the area picked up and clean because that type of environment helps to keep me engaged. It is an area that is clutter free and all that I keep around me are tools that help me increase my productivity and creativity. If it does not help with both of those, then I tend to keep it away.
Avoid Distractions
Let’s face it, you are working from home, this means there is temptation and distractions all around us. After all, our home is a place of leisure and fun. We have designed it that way. But, when it comes to working you need to avoid anything that is going to become a distraction to you and your work. Avoid anything that can suck you in and become a distraction. Keep your smartphone close, but far, avoid social media sites, and use a timer to “sprint” through your tasks and goals.
Write things down
Everybody is different when it comes to how they like to execute on their work and their tasks. I believe one of the most effective practices is to write things down. If you are going through your workday and executing off of pure memory and it is bringing you wealth, health and happiness, then continue doing what you are doing. However, for the rest of us, writing down tasks on paper can really help you increase your productivity and efficiency.
We have all been in that scenario where you have a task that you need to get done and you forget something. All this does is slow you down, because now you need to go back and fix those gaps. By having a dedicated work notebook with you, you can use this as a guide – a second brain. When ideas come to mind or you create tasks for yourself, write them down. Create a To Do List and keep that list next to you where it is visible. As you complete a task, then go in and scratch it off. Very simple and basic advice, but extremely effective. If you can discipline yourself to implement it and stay consistent over time.
Create a Debrief
As my work day ends, I like to get go back and review what it was that I was able to accomplish. I also go over what I was not able to accomplish. Then I create a debrief. Either on a document page that I have saved to my computer or a dedicated notebook. In doing this, I am able to stay on track and organized which churns into productivity and efficiency. The debrief acts as a reminder to myself for the very next morning. This way I do not need to sit and waste time trying to figure out where I should start again. I simply look back at my debrief, read over my notes and then jump immediately back into work.
Working from home can be challenging for some. However, I believe that the more organized that you keep things, the better the outcome will be. Take the tips that I have provided and create something for yourself. Create a process and a space that is yours. A space that truly brings out the best in what you do and what you are trying to accomplish.
