Working From Home – Manage Your Time

Avoid Distractions

People who work at home are able to set their own schedules and hours. However, it can be difficult to concentrate when there are many distractions when working in the home environment. Here are a few time management tips to help you stay concentrated as you work from home.

First, have a plan before you turn on your computer and go online. Write a list of your daily tasks and goals and stick to your list. It is too easy to become distracted and stray from your work tasks, check your personal email or just surf the net or a thousand other things. Work from your to-do list and cross off your tasks as you achieve each one. Try grouping similar tasks together. Discipline yourself and check your email only 2 or 3 times per day and use those same times to answer your email. Work on one item at a time and stick with it until it is finished. It is distracting and takes more time if you jump between tasks.

Identify things at home which can waste your time. Friends can call or talk or a favourite television show comes on during the middle of the day. Try to eliminate these time wasters as you work at home. Avoid answering personal phone calls during your work time and avoid household distractions such as the television.

Assess your hardware needs. The hardware you will need depends on whether your need to work from home is a temporary arrangement or something more permanent. You probably already have internet access so the hardware to go with it will probably need to be a little more capable than a smartphone or tablet. A laptop can enable you to take your work around if need be. However, if your work involves some rather heavyweight computing a desktop machine may be rather more practical.

Use a timer to help you keep on task. Allow a specific amount of time for a break or to accomplish quick tasks and stick to that time. If you can establish a routine helps with time management. A routine helps you perform tasks automatically and takes less time. For example, check your email first thing every day as you work from home. Make this a routine which will help you to get your day started right away. A routine will allow your day to run more smoothly.

It is important to set limits for yourself. Sometimes it is simply not possible to get all work at home projects accomplished in one day. Ensure your goals are realistic and can be accomplished in the time allotted for them. Following these few rules to help you save time as you work at home and make your days a little easier and more productive.