As a seasoned work from home mom of 2, I’ve learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to setting boundaries and sticking to your goals when working from home.
It’s hard to keep yourself motivated and productive when you’re the one in charge of everything, so I thought I’d share 7 tips for working from home for those of you who may be new to it or just need more structure in your day.
01. Get dressed every day
Getting myself ready every day makes a HUGE difference in my productivity levels working from home. It may only be a pair of cute joggers and a comfy top, but getting out of my PJs is key. Even doing my hair and putting on a little makeup (bronzer, a little blush and mascara over here!) helps me feel more productive and makes it easier to shift into work mode.
02. Set office hours
This is an important tip for working from home. Having around the clock hours and/or inconsistent hours during your work week can hurt your business. I always suggest having set business hours whether you work every single weekday or you only work a couple days a week. Whatever it looks like for you, having a set schedule and communicating it to those that it affects will improve your productivity all around.
03. Find the right business tools
Over the years, I’ve tried, tested and discovered many great tools that I use in all aspects of my business working from home. From client management, to bookkeeping, to social media scheduling. Some of my favorites that have been essential to not only our client experience, but also my overall productivity are:
- Honeybook – my go-to CRM that has allowed me to automate the entire client experience with templates, workflows, online payments and electronic contracts.
- Flodesk – building my email list has been huge for the growth of my business. I love this platform for creating beautiful emails, workflows and automation.
- Quickbooks – our easy-to-use accounting software that helps me track every incoming and outgoing dollar for my business so I can rest assured all will be accounted for come tax time. It even integrates with Honeybook, which makes my job a breeze.
04. Block scheduling
Implementing block scheduling into my work week has been instrumental for my business while working from home. Block scheduling is kind of like batching your days, or creating themes for the day if you will. I try to batch similar things together (like client meetings) so that my days are more productive, rather than scheduling intermittently throughout the week.
Here’s what a typical work week looks like for me:
- Mondays – off with kids
- Tuesdays – client work + client meetings
- Wednesday – client work + client meetings
- Thursdays – coaching calls + content creation
- Fridays – admin tasks + overflow of anything pressing
05. Set goals for the day
First thing I do every morning before I check email is to set my goals for the day. I look at my to-do list and select the top three tasks that MUST get done and write them down on a sticky note. That’s the key – WRITING THEM DOWN. Writing out my goals for the day and putting it right next to my computer, acts as a simple reminder of what’s most important and doing so has truly helped me stay more productive while working from home.
06. Eliminate Distractions
Whatever it is that can distract you when working from home – TURN IT OFF. Turn off notifications. Put your phone in the other room. Turn off Netflix. Close your email. Go to an area of your house where you won’t be distracted. Or shut the door to your office and be clear about not being disturbed.
Most days I prefer to work in silence, but I know a lot of people can’t. Some days I grab my wireless speaker and listen to a Spotify list or put on my white noise app (I love listening to the sounds of thunderstorms or waves crashing at the beach). Doing so gives me some sort of background noise without the risk of distraction.
07. Give yourself grace
In the words of Emily Ley, give yourself GRACE. Working from home (especially if you have little ones running around) can be challenging. It’s easy to feel pulled in multiple directions at any given moment, and only you know where your priorities should lie. So give yourself grace and know when to bend and when to be firm with boundaries when working from home.
Xo,
Jess
Image by SC Stockshop
Related resources
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