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3 Tips for Working from Home
Published on August 29, 2022
Being your own boss and working from home has many benefits, like flexibility and no commute, but being productive can be tough if you’re not used to working on your own schedule. It takes time to establish a routine that works for you and allows you to allocate time to work and do things in your personal life. What works for one person may not work for another. For this reason, it’s important to reflect, evaluate, and try different things to help you establish a structure for your day so you feel accomplished.
Here are 3 tips to help you stay productive when working from home so you can get the most out of your time and maintain a healthy work-life balance at the same time.
1. Turn Off Distractions
Your environment can have a large impact on your productivity. When creating a work from home space, it's important that you establish a place that allows you to focus, encourages creativity and optimizes your performance as a web designer. This includes having the proper lighting, seating and equipment to get your job done right. It also includes minimizing distractions such as household chores, telephone calls and people walking in and out of your office all day long.
We recommend using noise-canceling headphones during phone calls to minimize disturbances. A room with easy access to natural light is best; otherwise invest in good artificial lighting so that you don't experience eye strain while working at your computer screen late into the evening. If you can, find a quiet room or space that is away from areas of your home where other people congregate, such as the living room or kitchen.
Social media can also become a huge distraction. It's easy to get caught up messaging friends on Facebook, browsing photos on Instagram or watching videos on TikTok. Before you know it, you've lost an hour of your work day. To minimize these distractions, set specific times during which you will engage with social media and stick to them as best as possible. We recommend using tools such as StayFocusd for Chrome (available on Google Chrome Web Store) that help limit time spent online by restricting access after a certain amount of time has elapsed.
2. Make a Daily Routine
Making your own schedule might be one of the best parts about being your own boss but it doesn't mean you don't need structure. When you work from home, it's important to establish a daily routine. Your daily routine should outline all the important tasks you need to accomplish for the day. Establishing a routine will ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and you stay productive all day long. For example, if you know you are more effective designing sites in the afternoon, then don't plan any meetings or phone calls after lunch. That way, when your afternoon rolls around you can focus on design without interruption.
Create a schedule and stick to it. Carve out blocks of time to focus on individual tasks. Hold yourself accountable to sticking to this schedule. You should never let your schedule slip or allow interruptions to disrupt your work flow. Get back on track as soon as possible when something interrupts you.
Need help staying focused? Getting Things Done (GTD) is an organizational system that helps you manage all aspects of your life, not just your home-based business, but anything that requires organization and planning can benefit from GTD.
3. Set Goals and Stick To Them
Setting goals and sticking to them is an important task for any entrepreneur working from home. Break down larger goals and projects into smaller, more achievable milestones so you don't get frustrated. Breaking large projects into bite-sized tasks will help you stay focused on what needs to be done in order to reach your ultimate goal. For example, if you are working on a 10 page website that needs to be completed in one week, focus on completing 2 - 3 pages each day.
Make sure that your goals are realistic and have clear targets so you can easily see whether or not you are on track. Make adjustments as needed along the way until reaching your final destination! For example, if your goal is to have 100 paying clients by the end of the year, break it down and set smaller targets for each month, or even week. If at any point you feel like you won't be able to hit a target then adjust accordingly before it's too late. Sometimes all it takes is a change in strategy.
Become More Effective Working from Home
Most people dream about working from home, but not every job allows it. That's one of the perks of becoming a web designer. You can literally work from anywhere as long as you have a laptop and a cell phone. If you're thinking about starting a home-based business like web design or struggling to stay productive while working from home, utilize the tips outlined in this article: Turn off distractions, make a daily routine and set goals.
If you follow these tips and stay focused, you can be more effective working from home and on the path to a thriving business.
Being your own boss and working from home has many benefits, like flexibility and no commute, but being productive can be tough if you’re not used to working on your own schedule. It takes time to establish a routine that works for you and allows you to allocate time to work and do things in your personal life. What works for one person may not work for another. For this reason, it’s important to reflect, evaluate, and try different things to help you establish a structure for your day so you feel accomplished.
Here are 3 tips to help you stay productive when working from home so you can get the most out of your time and maintain a healthy work-life balance at the same time.
1. Turn Off Distractions
Your environment can have a large impact on your productivity. When creating a work from home space, it's important that you establish a place that allows you to focus, encourages creativity and optimizes your performance as a web designer. This includes having the proper lighting, seating and equipment to get your job done right. It also includes minimizing distractions such as household chores, telephone calls and people walking in and out of your office all day long.
We recommend using noise-canceling headphones during phone calls to minimize disturbances. A room with easy access to natural light is best; otherwise invest in good artificial lighting so that you don't experience eye strain while working at your computer screen late into the evening. If you can, find a quiet room or space that is away from areas of your home where other people congregate, such as the living room or kitchen.
Social media can also become a huge distraction. It's easy to get caught up messaging friends on Facebook, browsing photos on Instagram or watching videos on TikTok. Before you know it, you've lost an hour of your work day. To minimize these distractions, set specific times during which you will engage with social media and stick to them as best as possible. We recommend using tools such as StayFocusd for Chrome (available on Google Chrome Web Store) that help limit time spent online by restricting access after a certain amount of time has elapsed.
2. Make a Daily Routine
Making your own schedule might be one of the best parts about being your own boss but it doesn't mean you don't need structure. When you work from home, it's important to establish a daily routine. Your daily routine should outline all the important tasks you need to accomplish for the day. Establishing a routine will ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and you stay productive all day long. For example, if you know you are more effective designing sites in the afternoon, then don't plan any meetings or phone calls after lunch. That way, when your afternoon rolls around you can focus on design without interruption.
Create a schedule and stick to it. Carve out blocks of time to focus on individual tasks. Hold yourself accountable to sticking to this schedule. You should never let your schedule slip or allow interruptions to disrupt your work flow. Get back on track as soon as possible when something interrupts you.
Need help staying focused? Getting Things Done (GTD) is an organizational system that helps you manage all aspects of your life, not just your home-based business, but anything that requires organization and planning can benefit from GTD.
3. Set Goals and Stick To Them
Setting goals and sticking to them is an important task for any entrepreneur working from home. Break down larger goals and projects into smaller, more achievable milestones so you don't get frustrated. Breaking large projects into bite-sized tasks will help you stay focused on what needs to be done in order to reach your ultimate goal. For example, if you are working on a 10 page website that needs to be completed in one week, focus on completing 2 - 3 pages each day.
Make sure that your goals are realistic and have clear targets so you can easily see whether or not you are on track. Make adjustments as needed along the way until reaching your final destination! For example, if your goal is to have 100 paying clients by the end of the year, break it down and set smaller targets for each month, or even week. If at any point you feel like you won't be able to hit a target then adjust accordingly before it's too late. Sometimes all it takes is a change in strategy.
Become More Effective Working from Home
Most people dream about working from home, but not every job allows it. That's one of the perks of becoming a web designer. You can literally work from anywhere as long as you have a laptop and a cell phone. If you're thinking about starting a home-based business like web design or struggling to stay productive while working from home, utilize the tips outlined in this article: Turn off distractions, make a daily routine and set goals.
If you follow these tips and stay focused, you can be more effective working from home and on the path to a thriving business.