It’s actually not easy starting and running a business from home. Your living space stops being a place for retreat and rejuvenation and becomes a work zone. You can become attached to your business 24/7. To be honest, when you start to work from home, it can feel like you’ve lost control.
After all, it changes how you relate to the loved ones you live with and how you inhabit your own home. Overall, when you work from home, it can feel like things are unbalanced. However, don’t worry, because I’m here to tell you how you can fix all of that and become your most productive and happy self while working from home.
Three Things You Have to Do if You Work From Home
When we become unhappy working from home, it’s because we have poor habits. Most of us have never learned how to work from home — away from an office, no one looking over your shoulders. A lot of us just aren’t good at it.
I’ve gotten better at it, but then again I don’t worry about it so much because I’m semi-retired. When I had to write a course, though, I thought, “Oh my god!” At the end of the day, I just knew I had to do it because there were 10,000 people waiting for me. I didn’t have a choice. You just have to learn to be productive.
However, I understand that increasing productivity in a comfortable environment is easier said than done, which is why I have three tips to give you today:
1. Create a Space
Set aside a space for work that nobody else can come into. No kids, no dogs, no TV, no nothing. It’s just a little space for you to work. This will do wonders for you. It will create a trigger for you that will help you turn on and off “work-mode.”
2. Create Time for High-Productivity Work
Set aside times for high-efficiency or high-productivity work, and time for play. Maybe it’s one half-hour a day. Out of eight or 10 hours, we’re only going to set aside half an hour a day for high productivity work and play each.
“But Harv, what if I can do more?” Then do more, duh! But for at least 30 minutes a day, nobody can walk in. It’s a do-not-disturb sign. You tell your family and whoever else to not call between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. because that’s your high-productivity 30 minutes. If you can do an hour, then do an hour, but start with 30 minutes.
Don’t do all of those other crappo emails and other stuff. Do the things that are necessary for you to make money. That means add value to people. Answering email doesn’t add value to a lot of people. It wastes a lot of time. People say, “But I have to.” Yes, you do, but not during your productivity time. That’s not productive.
“But I have to answer business stuff.” No, you don’t. It doesn’t make you money. If you’re not selling something, marketing something or creating something, you’re not making money. Everything else is superfluous to making money.
Sell, market or create. Those are the only things that make you money. Only when you sell your creation do you actually make it. Spend 30 minutes or an hour — or more! — per day just making money.
3. Create Time for Play
The other time you set aside is for play. You have 30 minutes a day. It’s 30 minutes more than you’ve got now if you’re like most people married to their business at home. During this time, do whatever you want. Just make sure you’re not working, dealing with work, or dealing with family. You’re just having You time.
You could read. You could swim. Walk. Go outside and just breathe. You’re going to love it.
If you give yourself 30 minutes of productive work and 30 minutes of play or free time, your productivity for the rest of the day will go up anyway.
The Results
These are the three changes that I found to be extremely effective for me. Once you’ve implemented these tips, you’ll feel the difference in your work and your mind. You’ll feel so good about your life and yourself just by taking half an hour for yourself every day for intense work and play. You’ll feel great in the space you’ve created.
Tell me what you think. Does any of this ring true for you? Even if you’re not a business owner, how productive do you actually feel in relation to how much energy you put into your work? Moreover, do you allow yourself time for play every day? Whatever your situation, share your experiences with us!
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Good advice I enjoyed reading this thank you.
I’ve never sectioned off my time this way. I have pets so it’s a routine for me to tend to them each morning / evening. Get the coffee going (yes). I agree it’s challenging. What can and will distracts me. I guess I’ve set up my days with routine where things get done at certain times. Routine gets boring too. Going to implement your 3 steps and see how it works for me!! Thanks! I appreciate this!
I love your ideas! Thank you!!
It is great to take that time to deal with my domestic or personal needs for those 30 minutes..
Hallo….:-)
das ist eine wunderbare Idee und ich beginne ab Morgen.
Mein Bericht und meine Erfahrungen werde ich Ihnen übermitteln.
Ich wünsche Ihnen eine herrliche Zeit.
Herzliche Grüsse Isolde Kühn
¡Excelente!
I have had my own law practice for 23 years. I decided about 19 years ago that I wanted to be able to work from home whenever I wanted, although I also have a brick and mortar office. I am extremely productive at it – even moreso than at the office, because I can avoid interruptions – because I knew when I started it that I would have to TRAIN myself to do it.
Setting aside a particular space was initially the most important thing to do for me, while I was training myself. When I walk in the home office, I am at work, period. It doesn’t matter if there are dishes in the sink, laundry to do, etc. It just doesn’t matter. It’s like flipping a light switch. I’m at work.
Nowadays, I can work anywhere at all. At the marina restaurant, on my boat, at the kitchen counter, on vacation in foreign countries, in a restaurant, etc. It all comes from the focus that I taught myself when I decided I wanted to be able to work at home 19 years ago. Discipline, and focus.
I know myself well enough to be aware that I need more than 30 minutes of “me” time every day.
If I have periods of any less, I start to get symptoms of stress. And I’ve been far too long that hole too many times, and I’m not going back there for anything.
So in the mornings, I have about 1 hour for my morning ritual, and 1 hour for exercise. And in the evening, I have 1 hour for watching an episode of something, and 1 hour for reading before bed time.
On 8 hours of sleep, this still leaves me 12 hours of work time every day. That means 60 hours a week, plus those 2-4 hours I work on the weekends.
That might not be enough for other aspiring entrepreneurs. But it’s what I can do, so I do it.