One of the biggest questions I get from people when talking about being an entrepreneur is whether or not I like working from home. They’re curious if I like it, of course, but one of the questions that always gets brought up is, “Do you find yourself distracted when working from home?”
Answer: YES!
But after lots of practice — first when I worked from home before I left my corporate job, and now as an entrepreneur — I’ve found ways to minimize distractions and make working from home work for me.
The Pros and Cons of Working From Home
It’s a hot topic as of late in general, because working from home is a benefit that’s no longer just reserved for the self-employed. It’s something that lots of companies are offering up to their employees, whether on a permanent or occasional basis. And for good reason! Working from home is, of course, wonderful.
The amount of time that you get back in your day is incredible. In fact, I didn’t realize just how much time I spent commuting until I didn’t have one; it’s literally hours back into my day. (Take that with a grain of salt because I was commuting in Chicago traffic before, but still!) There’s so much more flexibility — from being able to throw in a load of laundry throughout the day, to being able to work in cozy clothes — which I’ve definitely found lends to a happier mind frame when I’m working.
But it also has its downfalls.
The flexibility of being at home means I’m surrounded by the everyday aspects of maintaining our home. Things that would normally be “out of sight, out of mind” during the day like dirty dishes, rogue socks in the hallways, kitchen counters that could use wiping, and endless laundry, are always there. In your view. Can’t. Be. Ignored. It’s so easy to get distracted, especially when you’re like me and…SQUIRREL! (Ha! But, really.)
Particularly as an entrepreneur, there was a lot to adjust to when working from home while also owning my own business. Not having a team to work with, not answering to anyone besides myself, not having an established “office” to go to, re-creating a new routine…it was tough to find a groove.
For me, the biggest element to focus on comes down to amplifying productivity. How could I optimize my time the best? Hold myself accountable? What was the best way to minimize distractions?
With months under my belt of working from home full time, I do think I’ve picked up on some really helpful tips on how to be more productive while working from home. Ready for them?
7 Tips For Productivity While Working From Home
1. Make “To-Do” Lists
At any given time, I have a few going. “Immediate”, “This Week”, and “Long Term” lists for business, and a “Personal” list that houses my tasks associated with our home, family or personal appointments. At the end of the day, I re-write my lists — I take away what I’ve accomplished, and add what I’ve accumulated that day.
Lists are huge for me — they’re a place to organize thoughts and constantly-evolving to-do’s. If I didn’t write them down, I know so much would fall through the cracks simply because there’s so much going on! List making is something I’ve practiced since my first job and is something I swear by.
2. Pre-Plan Your Day
This is another area where lists come in handy. At the end of my day, I’ll mentally plan my next day based off of what I need to accomplish and how much time I anticipate needing to put toward those tasks. Then, at the beginning of each day, I’ll do the same as I dive in. What’s most immediate? Do those things first. If I completed all of the “Immediate” items, what can I start from my other lists in order to get ahead? My lists, quite literally, help to organize my days.
I’ve heard that actually blocking out time slots in a calendar is helpful for staying on track. This is something I’m going to start moving forward! Especially with creative tasks like writing a blog post or taking photography, it’s helpful for me to have a set time duration to work with. Or else, I can tend to go down “creative rabbit holes” and all of a sudden I’ve been working on one post all day. Which sometimes is necessary, mind you, but there’s no way I’m going to be able to keep up with my content goal of posting 5 days a week moving forward if every post takes 8+ hours to write!
3. Be Diligent About Completing Tasks
This one is quite simple. My work days aren’t over until all of my “Immediate” items on my to-do list are done. Of course, with a family this can be complicated and requires for me to work in off hours a lot. For example, if I didn’t complete all my to-do items by 5 when I pick up my girls, I know I need to turn back on after they go to bed and work into the night. This has led to lots of 2 am mornings, especially with creative consulting client work, but it’s what’s necessary to do in order to get it all done!
4. Invest In Quality, Reliable Internet
Is there anything worse than having a lot to do for work, sitting down, and finding that the internet is slow or – worse – doesn’t work?! I’ve had that situation so many times and it’s beyond frustrating, especially when you have pressing things to work on or have something like a video conference that you need internet for.
When we moved into our new house, having quality internet was a non-negotiable. Not only do I work from home and rely on my internet connection to do my job well, but Doug has a demanding job in which working nights and putting in time at home is a regular. We use Xfinity Internet at home, and I can’t recommend it enough because their WiFi truly gives us the speed, coverage, control and security we need for being productive at home. We chose this based off the fact that Xfinity is America’s best Internet service provider, according to Speedtest.com, and it delivers the fastest internet!
There are a few notable things that I love about our service and experience with Xfinity.
Getting everything set up was smooth and seamless. We weren’t sure what packages to go with for our needs, and from the moment we walked into their store, their team worked with us to identify the best package and options for us. Their install technician was also super helpful — he took the time to show me how to work everything (For being someone who works in digital, I can be a grandma when it comes to working devices, ha!) and was there for all the questions that I threw at him.
While we weren’t worried about reliability or speed, we do have a highly-connected house, especially when Doug and I are both working. So far, we’ve been pleased to have a strong internet connection in every room, but just in case we didn’t, I love that Xfinity xFi Pods are available to purchase to help eliminate dead spots.
Alright, so, this last point was a game changer for me.
I feel safer having all our devices connected to Xfinity Internet because our service also includes xFi Advanced Security that helps to protect from malware, phishing and helps to block suspicious activity. This is huge for us because the added peace of mind knowing that we have security against potential threats is honestly priceless. The Xfinity xFi app has parental control options, which I love because that means I can better monitor and control what Grace and Jo are connecting to/watching once they get older!
Basically, because we use internet daily and rely on it for productivity, it was really important for us to go with a provider that could deliver on our needs. So far, so good!
5. Use The Cloud
Everything I create digitally is connected with the Cloud. For client work, I make folders on Google Drive, which houses all their files in one place. I send files to them with the help of Drive, because most items are too big to email and I don’t want the quality to be diluted. All of my photos are backed up on my iCloud. Heck, even my website files are backed up on a Cloud.
Especially when you’re in a creative industry and working daily with assets that are very large file sizes, it’s important to have a system for storing them. It’s also equally important to have a system for backing things up, because can you imagine loosing all your hard work should your computer crash?! It’d be devastating.
Beyond work, this is huge for me because all our photos and videos of my family and kids are housed in my iCloud. I snap a photo on my iPhone, and it uploads to the Cloud, which means that not only can I access it anywhere, from any device, but I also have backup for if my device breaks. Invaluable, I tell ya! (And, really, so easy!)
The internet works and thrives based off the Cloud. Embracing it as someone who works from home is important because it’s a great way to send and receive files, store assets, and remain organized. The accessibility and communication doors that working off a Cloud opens is amazing!
6. Have A Separate Area For Working
I’ve found that having separation from where I live daily life and sleep is vital to being productive. I need a place where I can get into my zone, be free of distractions, and dive in. Somewhere that’s devoted to work — where my mind immediately says, “Let’s do this” when I sit down.
The office used to be that place for me. I’d go in and get into a productive mind frame, mainly because there were so many other people in similar mind frames around me, and that’s where all the work was done! Not going into an office has been a really hard transition for me — I liked being surrounded by teammates, going to meetings, and brainstorming on topics. Working from home is wonderful for so many reasons, but it can also be isolating and hard to get into the working mind frame when you’re surrounded by all your personal things.
I’ve tried working in bed, on the couch, and in pretty much every room of the house. What I’ve come to the conclusion about is that I am most productive when I have a place dedicated to working. Areas in our home where I feel I can be most productive is at our kitchen counter or in our sunroom. Both have places where I can sit, tune out all that’s around me, and dive in! I’m excited because we just go a new desk for our sunroom, where I’m currently typing this post and – yes – I’m feeling super productive!
7. Put Down Your Phone
Don’t just put it down. Literally put your phone face down so that you can’t see any notifications or pop ups.
My phone is by far the most common distraction that I succumb to. From texts to social media, I sometimes find myself picking up my phone while working and all of a sudden a half hour has passed. “HOW?!” usually spurts from my mouth, which is also typically followed by a curse word because, really, HOW did a half hour just pass by?!
The only thing…the only thing…that helps me here is to put my phone face down, and ideally in another room. Yes, I sometimes will miss phone calls. Yes, this means that while I’m working I respond to texts at a snail’s pace. But disconnecting is the best way I’ve found to increase my productivity in regard to writing and getting through my to-do list, so I embrace it!
I recognize that this is an impossible feat for those who may have meetings or calls to dial into, in which case I’d recommend this: Leverage a phone specifically for work. One where you only have calls, texts or email notifications from work-related contacts. Don’t cross over your personal accounts with this phone – it’s strictly for diving into work. This is what I did when I worked in corporate and it really helped me, especially because my side business was this blog, where I constantly had social or email notifications throughout the day that I had to field to even keep the lights on. It was impossible to have them all in one place, so I separated them, and it was so helpful for my work productivity!
What are your tips for working from home? How do you ensure productivity, despite distractions? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
This post was sponsored by Xfinity; however, all opinions are my own. Big thanks to Xfinity for the partnership, and big thanks to you for supporting the brands that help to make Isn’t That Charming possible!
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