The Reality of Working from Home

by Heather
(Florida)

It's true, working from home can be a great advantage, especially for those who are starting their own business. It allows you to choose your own hours, never miss what's happening with your family and work in an environment that is comfortable and familiar.

However, it is these same benefits that can be obstacles for a home worker. When I first started working at home I found that the amount of work I actually got done in a day was drastically reduced compared to what I was getting done at the office. The flexible hours I was so looking forward to gave me a bad habit of putting things off throughout the day (I kept saying I had time to do it later) and having my family around meant that I was constantly distracted. It didn't help, either, that the TV was always on, as it usually was in my house.

So I took the best parts of the office home with me:
Firstly, I set hours that were flexible for me, but gave me a definite time to get things done. I'd tell myself that I needed to start working around nine and get everything done before five - which gave me a goal to work towards throughout the day. Also, I replaced the noisy TV with a nice radio station, which kept my family happily entertained without distracting me. Most importantly, I made sure that everyone else in the house understood that I was "at work" regardless of the fact that I was sitting on the couch. Once everyone else understood that this was important to me, the constant interruptions ceased.

The best advice I can give is to treat your home less like a home, and more like an office.