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The 7 Ways to Stay Motivated While Working at Home

kim — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:41:03 +0000

Working from home has been a dream come true for me because I get to set my own hours, be my own boss, and got rid of those business suits for good. However, it’s hard to stay disciplined and motivated, especially when the laundry’s calling my name and since I’m my own boss, I get to set the deadlines – and can extend deadlines too. Here are seven things I’ve learned to keep me motivated while working from home and living the dream.

Get into work mode

While it is tempting to laze around in pajamas all day, taking a shower, putting on my make-up, and changing into work clothes puts me into work mode and a professional frame of mind. This will increase your motivation and desire to achieve your work goals for the day.

Set appointments with friends and family

My friends and family know that between certain hours of the day, I am “at work”. That means, no dropping by or calling during that time. I ask them to treat my house like a regular business and be respectful of business hours. If I do get a personal call, I try to return their call during a scheduled break so I don’t disrupt my work flow. It’s tempting to pick up the phone to find out the latest gossip, but a ten minute interruption can actually set you back almost an hour because it takes time to move back into the work frame of mind. If there is an important personal matter that can’t wait, ask your friends and family to set an appointment so you have a beginning and most importantly, end time. It’s extremely hard to work with a child at home, but sometimes necessity outweighs convenience. Try to set a designated time to speak to your children or do household chores. This will do wonders for your sanity and workload.

Get organized

I’m fanatical about organization, especially when it comes to my work and home office. I remove my son’s toys that mysteriously got tracked into my office and any other things that do not pertain to work to ensure my office looks professional. Imagine if you were at a real office, you wouldn’t have Elmo hiding under your desk. Additionally, create a ‘To Do List’ to help prioritize daily tasks and help you plan for the week ahead. Schedule all important meetings and conference calls on your calendar. Google has many free tools like Google Calendar, a task list, and Google Reader to help you stay organized. Stay on top of organization and you will be surprised at how much time you save.

Take regular breaks

It’s important to stick to a schedule but just as important to take regular breaks. I find it all to easy to get sucked into what I’m doing and forget to eat lunch, which is not healthy – mentally and physically. A typical schedule would include two 15 minute breaks and about an hour for lunch. If you are your own boss, I won’t tell if you decide that one and a half hours for lunch is more your style. Studies show that taking breaks in a workplace actually makes employees happier, more productive, decreases stress levels and helps avoid injuries like eye strain and repetitive strain injury (RSI). [ find good exercises ]

Decrease social isolation

One of the toughest things I had to overcome with my work-at-home career is the feeling of social isolation. Take your laptop to your local library, a nearby coffee shop or park for a change of pace and mingle with the locals. Schedule lunch meetings at nearby cafes or restaurants or even a happy hour after work. Also, call your work colleagues, clients and external suppliers instead of emailing or instant messaging. One of the quickest tricks that helped me is turning on the radio. You can also increase your social circles by meeting friends online, joining your industry association, getting a gym membership or starting a new hobby such as learning a new language, how to cook, or running club.

Avoid distractions

Without a boss to look over your shoulder, it’s easy to fall into the habit of checking your Facebook or Twitter account, answering personal emails or chatting with friends via instant messenger. Similarly, it may also be tempting to watch your favourite show or get a few household chores done during the day. Try to get into the habit of working set hours with scheduled breaks. During the break, go ahead and update that Facebook status and answer personal emails.

Work standard hours

Where bosses may fear that employees are not working hard enough at home, the sad reality is that many employees who have the luxury of working from home typically work more than the standard 40 hours a week. Don’t fall into the trap of checking your work email every time you walk past your computer and keep work and home life separate. Stick to your set hours and complete your work within the time allocated. If you have a separate home office, close the door once the day is over. If you don’t have that luxury and have set up camp on the breakfast table, try to put away your papers and computer so you’re not tempted. Long hours can quickly lead to burn-out and a loss of motivation.

A successful career at home can be extremely fulfilling. There’s no doubt that it takes a lot of hard work, long hours, and staying motivated is the key. I hope these seven tips will help you work better and more efficiently.

Tips for Moms Re-Entering the Workforce

kim — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:01:39 +0000

I saw a segment about Moms Re-Entering the Workforce on the Today Show and thought it had a few valid points.

1. Having a career builds self-esteem.
2. It also keeps your resume and skills up to date.
3. Working allows you to keep one foot in the [workforce] door too.
4. Most importantly, never apologize to your kids for working.

The mom featured started working again after her husband lost his job through and found her job through Mom Corps. Their selection of work at home jobs is pretty limited, but you may find one you like.

The 8 Tips in Dealing with the Work-at-Home Blues

kim — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:15:02 +0000

One of the hardest things I had to deal with when I first started working-at-home was what I call the work-at-home blues.

For over 10 years, I worked in the corporate world where I was constantly surrounded by people. I had a boss and I was a boss myself, so upper management and my direct reports were always seeking me out for one thing or another. I remember how I dreaded coming back from a vacation to an inbox with a hundred emails, numerous urgent voicemails, and IMs popping up as soon as I turned on my computer.

All that slowed down a lot once I went part-time and started telecommuting in my last trimester. After I had my son and started my own business, the constant interruptions from my boss, coworker, vendors, and employees that used to drive me crazy, were what I craved. In fact, the lack of it gave me the work-at-home blues. That feeling of being needed gave me a sense of accomplishment and frankly, power. With post-partum hormones raging, a new baby, new city, and new business, I felt so isolated. I wished I had that work friend to grab lunch with or colleague to bounce ideas off of, but I joined the ranks of many out there working-from-home – alone.

I finally told myself that there are so many advantages to working from home and these work-at-home blues were not going to get the best of me. Here’s what I did to overcome them:

1. Join a gym or workout group – I did both. In addition to helping me work off the baby weight, I met a bunch of good people whom have become friends.

2. There’s a reason why they call it Happy hour — Happy hour does not have to end because you work by yourself. Meet some friends online, join a MeetUp group, and call your friends and neighbors and invite them to a happy hour.

3. Shower everyday – You laugh, but I’m serious. Treat your work-at-home career as a real job. Whether you’re doing it part-time or full-time, make sure you take time every morning to shower, get ready, and “report” into work at a set time.

4. Establish a structure and schedule for your day – Write down a to-do list at the end of the previous day. These 15 minutes spent the day before while the information was fresh saved me about an hour the next morning.

5. Reach out and network – When creating your schedule and writing your to-do list, make sure to include two things every day that require you to interact with a real person.

6. Take advantage of technology and make friends online.

7. Team up with other home-based businesses in a referral partnership – You will see in this win-win relationship that you send additional business each other’s way through referrals while establishing professional relationships.

8. Turn on the radio. One of the easiest things I did to help combat the work-at-home blues was turn on the radio. I like hip-hop and top 40, but had to be careful not to turn it on too loud for two reasons: 1) so I would not wake my son up and 2) wind up jamming to it instead of working.

The transition from corporate life to working-at-home was not an overnight process. It took me a couple of months to realize that the work-at-home blues had taken a hold on me causing me to dread “going” to work the next day. I remember I would get so sad when my husband left for work leaving at home with a baby, empty house, and new business I wanted to start. I did everything I could to avoid going into my office and realized I wasn’t getting anything done.

Once I sat down and decided to do something about it and did everything I mentioned above, my attitude changed and work became something I looked forward to. Remember, it takes times to transition into this new work environment. As you can see, there are many things you can do to stay connected and you do not have to do it alone. Contact me via my groups or contact page below.

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Exercise Wards Off Those Work-at-Home Blues

kim — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:02:51 +0000

After a couple of months of working-from-home, I diagnosed myself with the work-at-home blues. My home office located in a spare bedroom in my house felt miles away. In fact, it became one of the toughest commutes I ever had and all I had to do was walk across my house. The isolation of being alone really took its toll on me. So, what did I do? I started exercising.

In addition to helping me work off the baby weight, I met a bunch of good people whom have become friends.

First of all, I joined a group called StrollerFit where you workout with your baby. Not only did my son meet some kids his age, I got the benefit of working out and meeting other moms. We shared advice, laughter, and spit-up stories while working off those muffin tops.

Secondly, since I needed all the physical and emotional boost I could get, I also joined a gym. I was going at the same time everyday and started running into the same people. Pretty soon, we’d start looking for each other in class.

And remember, exercise produces endorphins – and who couldn’t use more of those?

There’s a Reason Why It’s Called Happy Hour

kim — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:58:59 +0000

I was a frequenter of the after-work happy hour in my corporate days. Not because I liked drinking, in fact I would rarely partake, but because I wanted to hang out with coworkers outside of work. That’s when you really get to know someone and see the fun side of them.

It’s also a great opportunity to network and even pitch an idea in a more relaxed environment. And honestly, they’re just fun.

Happy hour does not have to end because you work by yourself. Meet some friends online, join a MeetUp group, and call your friends and neighbors – and invite them to a happy hour. It doesn’t have to be anything formal; just a quick email or post with a time, date, and location. Humans are social creatures and we love feeling included.

Why You Should Establish a Referral Partnership Today

kim — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:47:18 +0000

Starting a business can be tough and working at it all alone can be tougher.

As you network with other businesses, keep your eyes out for those that offer complementary services to yours and ask if they would like to create a referral partnership. You will see in this win-win relationship that you send additional business each other’s way through referrals while establishing professional relationships.

Is Networking on Your To-Do List?

kim — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:00:13 +0000

If networking is not on your daily to-do list, it better be.

When creating your schedule and writing your to-do list, make sure to include two things every day that require you to interact with a real person. Not only will it fulfill your need for interaction with another adult, you’ll be establishing business and social contacts that can add value to your business.

Networking is a vital skill that needs to be honed so join a professional group or club, attend seminars and trade shows relevant to your business. These are great ways to meet new people who have similar interests or challenges. Also, don’t forget to bring a good supply of business cards with you.

CEO Shares Benefits of Having Work-at-Home Employees

kim — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:24:18 +0000

After talking with Philip Artt, President and CEO of HomeCity Real Estate, a residential real estate company based in Austin and Dallas, Texas with 95% of its employees off-site, I learned there are many benefits of having employees work from home.

What are the advantages of having your team work-at-home?

1. There is very little to no overhead. We can lease a smaller office, buy fewer desks, and reduce the amount of office supplies needed and in turn, use that money to grow our business.

2. Most are 1099 or independent contractors, which reduce many expenses such as employer taxes, health insurance coverage, and other types of insurance.

3. Many of our employees work harder and put in longer hours because they are not drained from sitting in a car for 45 minutes fighting traffic to and from work. Instead of driving, they are working.

4. We can offer our clients extended hour coverage, not just the standard 8 AM to 5 PM. This is a win-win for us and our customer service reps (CSR), who work entirely from home. Those CSRs who cannot work the normal 8 AM-5 PM Central Standard Time shift have the flexibility to cover the phones early in the morning or after hours to support our East or West Coast clients. We offer our clients the extended business hours they need while providing our CSRs a flexible schedule.

5. Because we are not limiting ourselves to just those who can work in the office, we get to work with people we wouldn’t normally. Most of our staff is local, but we’ve had others on board who live in Colorado and California.

6. The best advantage is having happy employees because they can stay with their kids and make money all at once.

What are the disadvantages of having team members work-at-home?

1. The advantages for the employee and employer far outweigh the disadvantages, but sometimes employees can be hard to reach. I am sure the employee feels the same way at times. Due to their flexible hours, it can sometimes be difficult for our schedules to sync up for live discussions. This is why being responsive to email and voicemail is an important factor for success.

2. It is hard to find good employees who are self-motivated. Once we hire one, we do what we can to keep them.

3. It is difficult to coordinate team meetings with these remote employees, therefore we have to make a conscious effort to keep the individuals apprised of new ideas, best of practices and policies by leveraging email and conference calls.

The internet, broadband, and teleconferencing have created a new candidate pool for employers — the stay-at-home segment. HomeCity succesfully tapped into this market and found themselves and their employees in a situation that benefits all.

How to Structure and Schedule Your Day

kim — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:35:59 +0000

Creating a structure and scheduling my day was something I carried over from my corporate days. At the end of the previous work day, I’d sit down to write a to-do list for the next day. No matter how exhausted I was, I still did it and since it only took 15 minutes, it wasn’t that big of a deal. These 15 minutes spent the day before while the information was fresh saved me about an hour the next morning when I was distracted with new emails and trying to figure out what fire I needed to fight first.

Today, working from home, that list gets me excited to know I have important things to do and gives me a real sense of accomplishment when I get to cross them off. Without my list, it would feel like I had too much time on my hands, leaving too much room for the work-at-home blues to creep in.

Another great thing you should try is writing out a schedule. For example:

8:30 – 9:30 AM – Go to the gym
9:30 – 10:00 AM — Catch up on current events, check Google Reader, read up on competitors
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM– Work on items on your to-do list
12:00 – 1:00 PM – Eat lunch (with your kids)
1:00 – 2:00 PM – Reach out and network
2:00 – 6:15 PM – Work on items on your to-do list or new items
6:15 – 6:30 PM – Write tomorrow’s to-do list
6:30 PM – Quitting time
6:30 – 9:00 PM – Prepare and eat dinner/family time

Of course, this is only an example. The beauty of working-from-home is flexibility. For those of you with children at home, you may need to schedule in some snack time and play time to ensure their needs are being met. It is imperative to make the best use of their naps when you’ll have uninterrupted time to concentrate on work.

Don’t Forget to Shower

kim — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:31:36 +0000

That’s right, don’t forget to shower. You laugh, but I’m serious. In my early days of working-at-home, I’d start working and realize around 2:30 PM that I hadn’t showered yet. It was too late by then to shower, so I’d just continue working and figured I’d do it the next day.

Well, not only did my husband suffer the olfactory consequences, I started feeling like the workday just went on and on. The problem: I had no beginning and no end to my office hours. Home life and work life overlapped, causing me to feel rundown because my hours seemed to start the second I woke up to the minute I fell asleep. The lesson: treat your work-at-home career as a real job.

Whether you’re working part-time or full-time, make sure you take time every morning to shower and get ready. Change out of your pajamas and into something you’d want a colleague to see you in. Set a specific time to report into work, eat lunch at a consistent time (which is good for your metabolism as well), and stop working at the end of the day (no earlier, no later – make this a rule, not an exception).