-->
The saying I want to “work from home” is most peoples dream. Yep to escape that daily drudge of the commute, either stuck in traffic or with people on the train you don’t particularly want to be with. Sound familiar well it is brilliant to be able to work from home but you have to be prepared for the different challenges this life change will present.
If you want your new career working from home to work you have to understand that the same amount of commitment and structure is required as if you were still working in an office. There are definite challenges and they need to addressed before you take the plunge.
Before you decide which type of business you wish to run from home think long and hard about the impact it will have on your living environment and family. You don’t want to start a business that practically makes it impossible to get in through your own front door - ie; lots of stock or boxes all over the place, or delivery vans arriving three times a day. You probably will have neighbors and this will be a major area of contention.
Once you have decided which business you wish to run you need to sit down and arrange a schedule for your day. Yep I know you read about people falling out of bed, having a coffee and working in their dressing gown. Well this does not work. You have to make sure your up at the same time every day, get dressed and run your business like a business and not a hobby.
Focus is the key to your work from home program. You must, must set your office hours so that family, friends and relatives realize this is a serious business and they can’t just keep popping in for coffee, or expecting you to do the shopping, or washing. So many people fail because they have too many distractions. You have got to set the rules at the outset. This is a business not a game.
When you make your list of tasks for the day you really have to stick to them. You have to detach yourself mentally from any other chaos that might be present in the house. For example if you had a dinner party the night before just because you work from home it does not mean you can spend half your day clearing up. If, or rather when you are tempted to do this remember in your old job this would not be possible…. You can hardly say to your boss your just popping home to bond with your hoover. You would be sacked.
A great way to stay committed, organized, focused and out of the washing basket is to set goals. Make your goals realistic and reward yourself when your on target.
One point that most people who work from home are guilty of is not knowing when to stop. Yep you do have to work extremely hard at the beginning of any new business but you have to draw a line and get the balance between work and family life correct. Just because you work from home does not mean that you should keep popping back into your office during family time. Make sure you commit yourself to a full days work then stop. If you don’t then you will start to suffer burnout and stress.
About the Author:
