The ultimate dream of any office drone would be to work from their mattress and send emails while eating Cheetos and watching “The Price is Right”. What most employees do not realize though is that working from home still requires that you put forth your best behavior and exercise a diligent set of rules that keeps you productive while remaining comfortable. Successful business owners that start their own company from their homes and revolutionize their industry are far and few in between. While you, the drone, are playing Tetris and reading daily blog posts on Mashable, guys like Pat Maser are making millions from just being productive.
The ultimate dream of any office drone would be to work from their mattress and send emails while eating Cheetos and watching “The Price is Right”. What most employees do not realize though is that working from home still requires that you put forth your best behavior and exercise a diligent set of rules that keeps you productive while remaining comfortable. Successful business owners that start their own company from their homes and revolutionize their industry are far and few in between. While you, the drone, are playing Tetris and reading daily blog posts on Mashable, guys like Pat Maser are making millions from just being productive.
So how do you get your rear into gear and work from home efficiently? Here are some tips that just might help you become that much more awesome at your job:
1. Understand and Exceed your Employer’s expectations
Having a clear understanding of what your employer expects from you can make the difference in your success. While punching away at the keyboard, ask yourself:
- Do I have all of my tasks for the day?
- Have I set priorities that I will stick to?
- Have I allowed myself enough time for breaks and errors?
- Do I have everything to meet my goals?
Have a plan before going to work. Not only will you get your work done you can leave enough time to either take on other tasks or leave enough time for cutting out early.
2. Set Goals You can Meet and Monitor Your Progress
By setting realistic goals and keeping tabs on your daily progression you can get your work done and still manage to watch the first season of Game of Thrones.
- Create a spread sheet or a task list of things that need to get done versus non priority
Tracking your work will help you manage your work load and prevent any slip ups or possibly forgetting an assignment. This can help manage your day and create goals that are achievable.
- Set realistic goals
Goals that are too high can cause more problems than anticipated. Setting the bar too high could actually discourage you from finishing work and allow procrastination to settle in.
- Assess your progress each week
By giving yourself a grade each week you can range your productivity and reward yourself when you think you deserve it. Reaching a goal is an accomplishment and should be rewarded.
3. Treat your Home/Work Space like the Office
Chances are your office won’t run out of toner or paper or allow your kids to run around naked and neither should you while you are at home (if you can help the nudity of course).
- Keep your at-home office well stocked
Keep your at-home office well stocked with supplies. Having plenty of paper and ink will prevent you from having to shoot down to Staples for last minute project paper. Designate time to run to the store for the last minute shopping.
- Maintain a work/home boundary.
Keep the office work in the office and the fun stuff with the kids. If you didn’t finish a task but it can wait till tomorrow, let it wait. Your family time or simply your personal time is more important when it can be enjoyed without having to work. Keep in mind also that Facebook, or any social media site, can take away a lot of valuable time that could be used to get your work done. Try to designate the Facebook or Twitter time to a specific time frame (like your lunch break) to avoid any loss in productivity.
By managing your work space within your home you are on the road to self-sufficiency. If you can manage to run your professional life from home for an employer, there is no reason why you cannot manage your own business from your couch.
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