When You Work From Home

Proven Tips and Techniques from a Stay-At-Home Entrepreneur

How can you stay sane when you work from home?

Friends and colleagues ask me time and time again, “How do you stay disciplined?” Their initial query is often followed by one or more bold statements like, “I could never do that,” or “You’re so lucky you can do that,” or “I’m not focused enough.”

Nonetheless, they all remind me of how fortunate I am to have the luxury to plan my day from the comfort of my dining room or wherever I choose to be. No commute continues to be one of the perks I enjoy most. In theory, when I travel on assignments and spend long hours on the road, I am commuting. However, I don’t travel every day and taking off on an assignment for a few days is also a freelancer’s benefit. Travel is a diversion and not a distraction.

Is Your Life A Pendulum?

What happens when you experience the seesaw days when your energy level and moods are up and down?

More than likely, you need to balance the time you spend at work and in front of your computer with exercise and mindfulness. When you take a daily walk or find a YouTube exercise video you can follow at home, you are giving yourself a much-needed break. Enroll in a class or learn a new hobby to find the optimal balance in your life.

TIP 1: When I’m home for weeks at a time, I sign up for a ballet class and I fly fish in the spring, summer, and fall. Planning my day is what I love most about being my own boss.

Get in the Groove

TIP 2: The truth is I’ve had 26 years, to be exact, to establish a schedule that allows me to devote time to my family and businesses. To be well-rounded, develop strategies that will allow you to stay connected to the world around you.

Scroll down to the guidelines I’ve mapped out for you.

Benefits of A Home Office

Focus!

Regardless of where you work, you will have disruptions and ultimately, it’s your job to work around those situations before they throw you off-track. You won’t have the same type of distractions working from home as you would if your cubicle or office were surrounded by co-worker drama, endless cell phone conversations, chatter, and gossip. That spells mayhem for many employees. But make no mistake, it’s your choice whether you get back on task or flounder the rest of your day.

How Does Diligence Play a Role in Your Success?

Consider your current work ethic and habits. Take a moment to read the following questions and jot your answers in a notebook or leave a comment on my Facebook travel page.

The mere fact that you have a business plan on paper is a step in the right direction. If you don’t, it’s time to get your plan together, even if you’re already working from home.

Forge Your Own Path

1. Do you have a clear business vision and a plan?
2. Do you know your strengths and weaknesses?
3. Why do you want to work from home?
4. What skills do you have that will propel you and your business?
5. What are your expectations?
6. Does your product, service, or skill stand the test of time?

TIP: Produce content, write articles, and interact on social media media every day. Not sure which social media platforms you should use? Get started with the Big Five: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. You’ll soon discover how different they are and which one will work best for your business. Contact me with your questions.

9 Tips to Stay on Track From the Get-Go

Strategies for the Entrepreneur

Once you leave your job, or after you’ve already transitioned,

1. Stay in touch with friends in your former workplace.
2. Establish a network of friends who work from home. Set up frequent masterminds. Don’t have time for a weekend getaway? Meet for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner to discuss your successes and failures.
3. Make it your business to stay in touch with key people in your community — virtually and locally. We tend to focus only on the bigger picture but remember there’s always something happening in your town.
4. Take frequent breaks during your workday that might include a walk or lunch with a friend.
5. Get outdoors. Fresh air IS INVIGORATING. Nature rules!
6. Focus 80 percent of your efforts on marketing and 20 percent on content creation. Selling yourself is more important to your business than creating content.
7. Take an online course often to refresh your approach and find out if you’re on the right track.
8. Hire a virtual or marketing assistant to banish overwhelm and shed new light on your work. Working with someone who knows more than you about content creation, social media, website management, and digital marketing can be the best way to test the waters and your ideas.
9. Resolve to give equal attention to the can-do ideas and the more challenging issues.

Summary:

Create a goal today to stay motivated, happy, peaceful, and engaged with the world around you. To do that, surround yourself with the people and comforts that relax and motivate you.

What are your thoughts about a work-from-home life? Send your questions and comments to joanimead@gmail.com.

Learn more about my travel writing courses and membership group here.