How to Boost Productivity While Working from Home

Solopreneurs most especially those who have a service-based business normally don’t work in a

traditional office. We run our businesses from our home office. We don’t have to commute every

day just to get to work. Even though it’s very convenient to take control of our day-to-day

operations as solopreneurs, distractions would sneak up pretty quickly—watching TV while

working, attending to your kids, or doing some household chores. Have you given up trying to

juggle everything all at once?

Most solopreneurs experience a tough balance between personal life and professional time. It is

also quite difficult to discipline oneself from lounging around and becoming overly worked. So

what is the trick to this? How do you become productive at home? Below are some ideas on

how to achieve productivity without sacrificing personal life when working from home.

Create a work schedule and set working hours. I find that having a schedule and

sticking to it works well for me. I have created my daily schedule—from checking emails

early in the morning, to when work officially starts, to lunch breaks, everything is set on

my calendar.

Set a working space. You just can’t have your office anywhere around the house. Most

solopreneurs who start out with their business work on the kitchen table, bedroom, or in

front of the TV. I know because I used to do this because it was very convenient. What

you can do is use a separate room in the house as your home office, or set one corner in

the house as your working space.

Don’t stay in your pajamas. You are your own boss so why would anyone tell you that

you can’t wear your pajamas while working? You can pretty much wear whatever you

want, but if you are seeing clients on Skype through video, at least dress appropriately.

This helps you set the tone and condition the mind for the work ahead. It boosts your

confidence as well.

Set deadlines for yourself. Create tasks for yourself and set deadlines. Do you have an

upcoming VIP Day with a client? Set a deadline for yourself on when you should finish

preparing the worksheets, or have them prepared by your virtual assistant.

Set your break time. Since there is no bell to signal the break, you should set your own

breaks. Give yourself an hour to have lunch, or perhaps 30 minutes in the afternoon for

snacks. Do not try to work for long periods of hours without taking breaks in between.

You will sacrifice your health if you do that.

Remove distractions. This means not bringing your laptop to the living room and

watching TV while you’re working. Bringing your laptop to the kitchen so you could cook

while working isn’t a good idea either.

Instruct people to set an appointment with you if they want to talk. You have set

your schedule so stick to it. If there is a need for people to discuss with you, ask them to

schedule an appointment in your calendar. Online appointment scheduling tools are very

helpful for scheduling meetings.

Know when to focus working on your business and when to do chores around the house.

Multitasking just isn’t the way to go. If you think you are very productive by doing several things

all at once, think again. By following these tips, you will be able to dedicate time for your family,

and efficiently work from your home office.

Now it’s your turn to share. How do you make yourself more productive every day while working

from home?

Karen May Dy is a social media marketing specialist and wants you to

build your authentic social brand, create a powerful online presence, and

ultimately step up your social media game. With a passion in taking

overwhelm about social media and online marketing, Karen teaches and

serves women service-based solopreneurs in using online tools and the

internet to grow their business. To grab your F.R.E.E. copy of Karen’s social

media kit (with social media management video series + action guide,

social media workbook with planning sheets + checklists) through email and to receive exclusive weekly

social media coaching straight to your inbox every Tuesday, visit http://socialmediamarketinggirl.com/