Working at home is a wonderful opportunity. You’ll have freedom, extra time, and blah, blah, blah. Once you’re over the joy-high of telecommuting, you realize the truth: working from home can be a real bitch. No one respects your “office hours,” your furniture is not that comfortable, and you don’t get that “just clocked out” rush at the end of the day. However, there’s no reason to let such a sweet gig get you down. Instead, stay focused on the positive and try the following steps:
1. Maintain consistent hours. Even though flex time can be one of the perks of telecommuting, it can also come back to bite you. Once you dely the start of the work day by so much as 15 minutes, it’s a slippery slope from there. Start at the same time every day (except in rare cases when it would be a burden). Establishing consistent hours keeps you on-target and more motivated. Any procrastination will mean that you’ll get off later, a serious drag that you’ll stay focused to avoid.
2. Find a wake-up treat. Even early risers can have a hard time dragging up, especially when no one’s looking over their shoulders. The fact is that you’ve got to find a way to motivate yourself. Find a treat that you love (like buttered bagels or International Foods coffee–yum!) and only let yourself have it if you get up at a certain hour. Better yet, find a TV show or radio program that’s only on early and get up in time to watch it while you enjoy coffee and breakfast before work. (This is what finally worked for me.)
3. Jot down off-task thoughts for later reference. Non work-related thoughts are bound to pop in your head throughout the day. These can range from, “Oh crap, I have to do the laundry tonight,” to, “I wonder how that head scarf on the laundry pile would look as a window valance in the kitchen.” Don’t try to force the thoughts out of your mind, but don’t let them derail you either. Instead, keep either a Notepad file or an actual notepad open. Jot down those thoughts that you’ll want to remember later and then refocus your attention on the task at hand. Your mind is now free and clear for work.
4. Don’t take outside communications. Seriously. Don’t answer the phone, even if it’s your best friend and you feel guilty. Even if it’s your mom and you feel really guilty.* Don’t respond to non-work emails and don’t reply to non-work IMs. Then, when you’re done with work or on a break, respond to only those things that are urgent or that you’re actually interested in. When you respond, let the person know, “I haven’t been able to respond because I’ve been working” so they won’t feel flat-out ignored, but don’t apologize. Eventually, they’ll get the hint that your work hours are as serious as those of everyone else and you won’t have so many outside distractions preventing you from focusing.
*You can always come up with a code for emergencies. For example, if Mom calls twice in a row, answer it–it’s an emergency. Just make sure you don’t use this technique with people who think, “My hair appointment was cancelled” is an emergency.
5. Find an isolated spot to work from, if possible. This is one is less about handling problems and more about heading them off at the pass. After all, even if you can focus amid distractions, your husband/wife/best friend/roommate/child may not be able to resist talking to you if you’re nearby. Make it easy on everyone and avoid hurt feelings–don’t tempt them! If possible, work in a room with a door that can be shut. Let everyone know that when the door is shut, you’re working hard and can’t be disturbed. (It’s also a great way to let others know that it’s not a good time to expect you to answer the door, take calls, or let the dog out. Let them handle it–you’re busy!) If you have to work in an open space, try to position yourself out of the line of sight of others; if you can’t see it, you can’t be expected to deal with it.
While being a successful telecommuter is largely about self-motivation, these relatively simple fixes have helped me change from a procrastinating bitch and moaner to a relatively productive work at home alpha female. Give it a while and let me know how it goes!