I’ve been working from home now for over 10 years and to be honest, it’s still a work in progress. Being organized and staying on top of deadlines is not only a task but it requires constant tweaking from time to time and a reassessment of where I need to be in relation to my goals.

Being organized and working from home can sound like an oxymoron. And some days it can feel like one too! When you work from home, no doubt you have other responsibilities that cry (literally) for your attention and attempt to zap any remaining energy that you have left. Not to sound negative, but to be realistic, and that is to be completely honest with you and tell you what to expect and how you can work around that thing called “Life.”

Here’s how:

1. Plan your days the night before. Sit down and make a list of the things you need to accomplish for the next day. Be specific and be general. List any emails you need to return, calls you need to initiate and any work that needs to be completed. Write it down! If it’s in front of you, you are likelier to get it done and concentrate more on what’s in front of you than anything else.
2. Focus, focus, focus. This is what I have on my desk right now as a reminder that everyday that I’m working, I must stay focused. Working from home is a challenge for some because of its lack of social interaction or other home distractions. It’s important to stay focused so that you can accomplish your daily goals and get the important things done. Even if you have to divide things up into chunks, it’s important to stay focused and driven on getting things done – - which brings me to the next item…
3. Work in chunks. That’s right. Take the big project that you have due and divide it up into workable chunks. The worst thing that you can do is to try and have a “work-a-thon” where you attempt to get it all done in one day. That’s a mistake waiting to happen! The body gets fatigued and so does the mind. If your project is not ‘chunk-able’ then pace yourself on getting it done by working on it 30 minute to one-hour increments.
4. Take frequent breaks. Pace yourself so you don’t get tired or bogged down in your work. Frequent breaks also help you to feel rejuvenated and help break the monotonous stress of long hours of work.

Since I have been following these simple, short bullets, I have found that my work production time has increased significantly. Staying focused, frequent breaks and chunking my work has helped me to gain more clients, produce more quality writing work and have an overall sense of accomplishment. Introducing these things into your work lifestyle can be a significant help for you as well. Production increases as does quality and performance. Give it a try for a short period of time and see if it helps your work at home lifestyle as well!