With great power comes great responsibility…
One of my favorite parts of being an entrepreneur is the ability to work from home. During tax season I’m in the office almost daily, but for the other portion of the year I have the ability to work from home most of the week. With the strike of COVID, more and more people have the ability to work from home.
The power to work from home comes with some incredible perks, but as the famous quote goes, “With great power comes great responsibility”. If you are not careful, your “working” from home will turn into sleeping in and watching three straight hours of tv in your pajamas. With that being said, here are three tips for staying productive while working from home.
1. Create a schedule
The ability to set your own schedule is often listed as the best perceived benefit of owning your own business. Make no mistake, though, no matter who is setting the hours, the hours still need to be put in. I have found that I am much more productive if I create a daily schedule for myself. I determine ahead of time when I will wake up, when I will eat lunch and when I will stop working. Also setting a rough schedule of what projects I will work on during work hours helps. Create a schedule to make sure the work that needs to be done gets done, even when working at home.
2. Do not turn on the TV
Television seems to have the magic ability to suck you in at the worst time. One of the best habits you can form while working at home, is to NOT turn on the TV. When you are in the office, you are not watching tv, so when working from home you should treat it the same way. Maybe you have more willpower when it comes to television, but the social media or the internet is your weakness. Whatever it is that distracts you, keep it off until the workday is done.
3. Get dressed like you would for in-office work
When online colleges first became popular, they would do commercials bragging about how you could go to class in your pajamas. While it is great to wear whatever you want for the day, I have found I am significantly more productive when I take a shower and get dressed in something I would wear to the office. It does not have to be a suit and tie, but if you look professional you are more likely to feel professional. So brush your hair, put on some jeans and a nice shirt, and you might be surprised at how much more productive you are.
There certainly are people out there who can disregard all these tips and still be extremely productive. To them, keep up the great work! But for those struggling to find a sense of normalcy in the craziness of 2020, these tips are for you. Just give them a shot and see. If you see positive results from trying them out, give us a shout out on our social media pages and let us know!
Our Role:
We already know that being an entrepreneur who works from home can be isolating as it is. Combine that with staying at home even more due to COVID and that can really start taking a toll on your state of mind. We care about your mental health and well-being, so we are always here to bounce ideas off and give you tips on what you can do to stay productive and healthy. Keep your head up during these demanding times and, as always, reach out if you need anything at all!