Stay organized when you work from home

More and more businesses are allowing their workers to work from home at least one day per week. Others work from home all of the time. It’s hard to get the job done if you are not organized in your home office.

Set your hours

Time management is the most important aspect of working at home. If you don’t have a handle on your time, it will not be easy to accomplish your work goals. Map out your day ahead of time. Figure out how much time to spend on each task. Time yourself on breaks. 

Set up a to do list today for what you need to do tomorrow. Figure out blocks of time to make phone calls, read and respond to emails and do your regular work tasks as if they are appointments on your schedule.

Dedicated space

Find a space in your home that is just for work. Keep everything work-related in that area whether it’s a little desk in the corner of your guest room or an entire room dedicated to your work. Pick a quiet spot with few distractions. 

You will probably need a desk, chair, computer and some storage space. It might just be a little file box or could be a couple file cabinets. 

Decorate your space with a vision board or other images that inspire you. You are going to spend a lot of time there, you might as well make it pleasant.

Big or little tasks

Some people have the philosophy to do the little or easy tasks first to build momentum. You look like you are really accomplishing something when you can cross things off your to do list. Other people like to do the more tedious, harder or bigger jobs first. Then it goes downhill after that and gets easier. Whatever system works best for you is fine, just stick to it.

When is your best time of day?

Some people love working in the early morning, others not so much. Figure out when you are at your best and do the most difficult tasks at that time. When your focus is low it’s harder to work on big jobs.

Don’t go down the rabbit hole

A big stumbling block for working at home is keeping your focus and avoiding distractions. It’s very easy to let distractions get in your way and waste valuable time. Notice when it is happening and reel yourself back into your work.

Clean your desk

Avoid accumulating clutter by cleaning off your desk every day or at least at the end of your workweek. Make sure papers are filed away and drinking cups or bottles are removed. Wipe down your desk and clean off your computer screen. You’ll appreciate the decluttering in the morning when you start your next workday.

If you need help getting your home office ready for work, contact me. We can get your office put together so you can be productive working from home.