The home based business dilemma.
Imagine – no commute, having time to read the newspaper, coffee brewed just as strong as you like it. Sounds nice, right? Then reality sets it – laundry, dirty kitchen, dog, kids, and so it goes. Working from home often presents a bitter-sweet dilemma. Here are three aspects to consider when working from home.
Control: The double edged sword…
When things are great in your home based office, it’s probably because you’re in control. However, when things aren’t getting done, it’s probably because you’re in control. The key is to recognize what makes for a productive day, and what hampers it. Control your whole day as if you were in the office, only making exceptions when you must.
Accountability: The best defense is a…
Because a five minute Facebook break can easily turn into 45 minutes, the best way to keep yourself on task it to report back to your boss – YOU. At an interval that suits your schedule (every hour, half hour, ten minutes) log what you have completed. This will achieve two things, you will become more aware of how you are spending your time and you will have a greater sense of accomplishment.
Flexibility: With great power comes…
But isn’t the whole point of working from home being able to do what you want? Yes! But work still needs to be done. Because there is only so much time in the day, if another must-do task creeps up, set aside a specific time to do what has been postponed. Instead of the typical 8:00am – 5:00pm work day, see the whole day, 6:00am – 10:00pm as your work day. Why cram it all into eight hours when you have sixteen?
While work is necessary, a lot of joy can be found when you take charge of your day. Recognizing that you control what happens, staying accountable to yourself, and maintaining the flexibility you desire can help make a home based business successful.