Ask the Readers: Best Tips for Working From Home

Working Girl Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:07 pm

Hey, where are the tips? We need tips!

The only one I can think of right now: I find I get more done when I am “decently” dressed. It makes me feel more official.

Urge Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:11 pm

Define your spaces; separate work from home. Not only is this required for most tax purposes, it is absolutely essential for maintaining your sanity. As well as ensuring you don’t end up eating bon-bons on the sofa watching Oprah all day.

DilliDalli Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:13 pm

Set regular hours, and stick to the schedule.

Patti Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:14 pm

Congratulations on your new employment status. Love Zen Habits.

For me the telephone is a distraction - I have the luxury of being able to turn it off - no children or SO will be trying to reach to me.

It’s taken a bit of discipline, but I feel sooo much better when I resist picking it up just to have a chat w/a friend.

The more I focused on the work at hand and let that serve as a distraction from picking up the telephone - the easier it got to keep my priorities in order.

Skunkie Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:18 pm

My habits are a lot less orthodox. I find I work better at night since my internal clock is timed more for being nocturnal naturally than the normal 6-10 (based on a 9-5 work schedule and 8 hours of sleep).

I know you have a family Leo, but finding your natural timing instead of a forced one really helps productivity.

If you are worried about wasting time, you should definitely look into time management application. So you can set a goal of how much you would like to work during the day and achieve it using said app.

I would say it is actually easy at first to keep on a schedule and work since you know your bank account depends on it, but after you start reaching your financial goals is where the slacking comes in.

Hope this little tidbit helped. I by no means represent the majority of the techno geeks able to work at home. I just know what works for me.

Charles Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:22 pm

Yeah, don’t stay unshaved in pijama for instance. Instead, have breakfast, have a shower, get dressed. Then make a list of sensible tasks for the day and get started. Take breaks during the day.

Shaun Andrews Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:22 pm

When I was working out of my house I had a completely separate office. When I was working I was in the office, when I wasn’t working, I didn’t even look in the office.

Its important to have the separation between home and work. In the end, I found that renting some space outside of my home was the best solution. I found myself actually missing the drive to and from the office. Now I get to wind up on my way to work and wind down on my way home. Its perfect. It also gave me a chance to make a completely new and amazing space to work in, without having to worry about a spouse or significant other wanted to use the space along side me.

Johannes Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:23 pm

I would suggest that you try to make a room some kind of “office”. Then you will make that place/room a place dedicated for work and nothing else. When you are there, you should work. Of course you can take breaks and watch TV, but don’t do it in the same room.

sir jorge Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:26 pm

have a schedule, going at it without a schedule means no work gets done at all.

David Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:27 pm

Sound Canceling Headphones. Seriously. I have a 3 year old and a baby and I swear by it.

Zeppelin Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:31 pm

Throw your TV out, it’s boring anyway :)

Coop Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:32 pm

I’ve found that the hardest thing to do is to get off the computer. I could go on and on at night, but my time with family is very important.

Since I’m in the fitness biz, I make time for exercise too.

Best,
Coop

Jason Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:36 pm

here are my rules for working from home:
1. No turning on the computer for a quick email check or to do 1 little thing until you’ve gotten “ready for work” as mentioned above. The nuance is if you have nowhere to be, that 1 little thing leads to showering at 2 in the afternoon with a splitting headache because you’ve forgotten to eat etc.
2. Don’t be afraid of the V-chip… shark attack week on the Discovery Channel is bad for productivity. I finally canceled cable altogether and just rent shows on DVD

Suzie Cheel Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:41 pm

Follow the principles outlined in ZDT, especially MITs :)

I am still finding it a challenge to just sit at the computer and not get distracted by emails, google reader etc .

Summer Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:42 pm

Schedule, if possible, around your natural schedule. My hours are weird, because I wake up at 9 am. So I never make appointments earlier then 10am (though I try to wait till 11 when possible).

I work all sorts of weird hours at home - I usually do all my sewing in the evening after the sun goes down, do all my house cleaning before it does, and I find I get a lot more done if I leave the house. Coffee/tea shop/bars have been a blessing. I can go get a drink and a snack and work for hours without distraction. At home there is the phone, but once I made it clear to all my friends that just because I don’t have a “normal” job doesn’t mean I can just drop everything and go get coffee at 2pm, it doesn’t ring so much during the day.

Pants are a must. Put on pants. I used to be apart of a group that had several entrepreneurs in it, and we had a theory about pants=work.

Just remember not to let your work hours over take your family time, or your family time take over your work time. I don’t have a “desk space” though I have all my sewing, tea, and supplies in an office space, but often do my work on the bed or in a chair when I’m home.

And if possible use the internet ONLY for work. My computer time is 98% work, and 2% - if that - personal so I don’t end up drifting all over the internet.

Good luck.

Fabiana Morris Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:44 pm

Yes! Get pretty first thing in the morning, just as if you were going somewhere. Look great, feel great. And then take 15-20 minutes just for yourself. I do a quiet time(devotional time), whatever you’d like to call it. It sets you up and gets you focused. Then do the thing you’re fearing the most that day, FIRST. Like making a phone call you’ve been dreading. When your done with that you’ll definitely have an energy boost that will help you get through the day:) …. oh, if possible,don’t check your email until like lunchtime, it always sets you off on all kinds of bunny trails that can eat away at your day.

J. Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:44 pm

I think it is important to set boundaries for those around you as well. Schedule your work time and make sure the kids and spouse know that you are unavailable for playing, chores, etc. during this time.

wnelson Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:47 pm

Decide the night before, if possible, what you are going to do the next day. Also, set a time when you will “be at work” and discipline yourself to keep that schedule.

Also, know _when_ to “shut it down” at the end of the day. Since the work is always there staring you in the face, and since work = $, sometimes that’s the hardest part.

Jayme Davis Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:49 pm

Bad TV. Yep, that’s the secret. If you watch good TV, you will turn around from your desk and watch. Same with good music… you will pay attention to the music. Bad TV and Bad music make you work harder. Bad TV is any variation of judge shows or jerry springer in the background. (I like noise)

I also kiss my wife goodbye in the morning on my way to the office… she works from home as well in the other room, but getting in to a work attitude helps a lot.

Jayme

Thomas Herold Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:50 pm

Simply do what you love to do and forget about the rest.

Cheers

Thomas Herold
CEO Dream Manifesto

Jay F.H. Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:51 pm

“Throw away your television
Take the noose off your ambition
Reinvent your intuition now
Its a repeat of a story told
Its a repeat and its getting old”

- Red Hot Chili Peppers

William Says:

January 17th, 2008, 22:55 pm

Here’s what I do:

Search a few days ahead in the TV schedule, write down the shows you would like to watch and when the time comes, go ahead and watch them (but, only those shows). If you have Tivo, so much the better because you can watch them at a scheduled time every day.

I find I get more work done when I’m not wondering if there’s something I’m missing on TV.

Jeff Pickett Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:03 pm

Some people can get a lot done in short time. Others take longer. Determine what you will get done in a week and break it down by the day. Experiment. Create a reward system and if daily goals are met you allow yourself a walk outside, TV time or exploring a new hobby.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that we’re all different and only through exploration and trial can you come to what works best for you.
PS I work best with the TV on - I need visual stimulation!

beaneboper Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:09 pm

Set work hours and breaks. Dedicate one room to be your work area and don’t be tempted to spill out into other rooms. Make sure your family also respects the office as off limits until work hours are over (except of emergencies).

But also treat yourself too. Depending on how you work and the level of concentration involved, perhaps you can also listen to an audiobook while working on some tasks. I used to listen to fiction or nothing serious that involved a lot of thinking and attention while I worked. You can multitask in ways that aren’t always permissible at work. Of course, the secondary stuff has to be something that wouldn’t distract you or divert your attention from your work.

sharon Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:19 pm

Remove line of sight to the tv, electronic games etc. (cover them during your work time if required - like putting the parrot to bed). Never entertain the notion of even brushing past these distractions during work time (even if you think you hear them calling you)
Explore sensory cue’s/triggers for work time - work time smells, work time music or background noise or lack of, the feel of your work desk and resources. Emotional/motivation cues, write a note or an email template to yourself about why your doing this and what you hope for as a result - grab it (or hit send) when you feel the urge to wander off the path.

faizal Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:24 pm

make negative comment for your decision as your spirit to move.

Lorraine Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:40 pm

Leo: Congratulations on your new freedom. So happy for you.

I agree with Suzie Cheel: Continue to follow your own good advice and habits you’ll be fine.

Your blog has helped me tremendously, but my habits aren’t as well-formed as yours. I have to check myself several times a day and ask if I’m “inventing things to do to avoid the important”–to paraphrase Tim Ferris.

During work hours I force myself to ignore non work-related phone calls, household mess and routine chores. When I’m on deadline I don’t do anything but write–I walk past unmade beds, unwashed dishes and crumb-bestrewed counters.

It’s sooo tempting to put in just one load of laundry. The next thing you know the kids are home from school, you’re behind schedule and facing a wee-hour date with your shimmering computer screen.

Pain.

Andrew Weaver Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:49 pm

Congratulations on the new job situation! I read your post on how you had finally taken the plunge while sitting at my desk at work, thinking that would just be a wonderful feeling to have! Then I promptly got back to work for the man. ha!

I really have very little advice, since I have never had the opportunity to work from home. I would think that making a separate room would be one of the most helpful for me. Otherwise, I’d find so many other things I could be doing around the house!

Love the blog! Keep it up. It is very helpful.

Ryan Allen Says:

January 17th, 2008, 23:53 pm

Pay attention and crunch numbers with your accounts regularly. You are less inclined to watch television when you realise how much it can cost you to mess around.

Additionally if you mess around and try to make up later you’ll feel like you have no time or you’re wasting your time. Hanging out with the family is put off because during the day when they were at school / work you weren’t getting your work done, and now you’ve wasted your day and either have to a) not make any money or b) miss out on spending time with your family.

Discipline. That’s all you need :)

banji Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:00 am

A quick brainstorm on the subject (of course in addition to all the above :) )

1) Put a reminder that “work NOT done = no money”
2) Physically remove distraction ~ give tv remote priviledge to wife
3) Always remind yourself that you’re the boss of a company. It may end up with you giving yourself a warning letter
4) Report your progress ~ to a virtual boss
5) Reward your mini-milestone, ~ ice cream

I am however not working from home, but that is exactly what motivates me when working for someone else :)

All the best to you Leo

LessonInLife.com

Askar Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:00 am

I’ve worked quite a bit from home and the main distraction or the lack of motivation is working with not a proper attire. I would recommend get dressed as if you are going to the office, isolate a space where you can pretend as if you are in the office, surround yourself with stuff that makes you feel you are in the office and be committed to your goals for the day and you should be fine. It’s an interesting topic.

Amanda Kendle Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:01 am

Beware of the kitchen. I put on weight when I started working from home. My co-workers suddenly weren’t there to notice how often I went to the fridge or pulled snacks out of the cupboard.

As for the discipline and schedule that everybody’s talked about, I wish I knew how to stick to that, and am still trying every day to do that better!

Rob Raux Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:06 am

A few thoughts from someone who has done this for the past year successfully:

1. Set online times. You don’t always need to be accessible for chit chat. This may be more applicable to telecommuters than the self-employed.

2. Track your time. I use a simple program called gtimelog. You enter what you’ve done when you’ve completed it. It’s very simple and stays out of your way. At the end of the day, week, you can see a summary. It also allows you to break out work time vs. fun time in a simple manner.
Check it out:
http://mg.pov.lt/gtimelog/

I’m sure I can think of many others, but I hope these few help someone.

Robert Besaw Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:07 am

I work from home now and what I do is follow a routine first. Don’t treat it differently. Yes you’ll be able to do the dishes or laundry, but those are breaks.
Plan your week. Then plan your day. Then make lists of what needs to get done. As long as you revisit every day or at the least every week it’s a great way to work.

Melissa Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:11 am

My best tips for working from home:

1. The television, radio or other distractions do NOT come on until after my work hours are over. Since my schedule is erratic, that can be quite late.

2. Schedule, schedule, schedule. I use Google’s calendar feature and put every single task into the calendar.

For example, I know that 1099s must go out by Jan. 31. When I finished my 1099s last year, I put the required steps on the calendar, on succeeding days. If I don’t complete the task on the scheduled day (see note about erratic schedule above), then I don’t delete the email reminder about that task until it is complete.

3. I designate certain days for certain work: I file everything on Friday afternoon, no later than Saturday morning. This allows me to walk out of my office for my “weekend” without feeling like I left work unfinished.

4. I keep a list of that day only phone calls, emails to return, etc on my desk. As I complete them, I cross these tasks off. If I’m delaying returning a phone call to the next day or next week, it goes on my calendar.

5. I always write down the phone number next to the name of the person I need to call, whether it is in paper or electronic form!

6. Don’t allow work to consume your life…easier said than done when working from home. Make sure you set limits for the amount of time you will work. Even with an erratic schedule, I try to limit my daily non-customer contact work to under 3 hours.

7. Keep EXCELLENT records. If you’re not sure what should be kept, hire someone to help you. Keeping this part of your business maintained will save you tons of time, especially during tax season.

Charles Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:19 am

The biggest challenge I have is my friends and family seem to think that just because I don’t go to a REAL JOB any more I’m not really doing anything important. So they feel free to impose, distract and interrupt any time they feel like it. I’ve had to practically get mean sometimes to get them to understand that I’m really at work and they are interrupting my day with things that should wait until I’m OFF WORK.

Jenn Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:27 am

Get dressed. :)

Warren Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:31 am

I bought a TV that also serves as my monitor in my office. This makes it literally impossible to watch TV when working. And it is set to turn on to Monitor mode when I press ON.

Also, the normal steps of getting ready in the morning help. Alarm clock, shower, dress to go out (though you are staying in), plan the day, work at a desk. It is amazing how anti-motivating it can be to dress comfortably and work from a couch.

corporate uhmerica Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:33 am

Get dressed.

Cancel your cable. less channels = less opportunity for distraction.

Schedule everything.

Schedule ‘lunch time’ outside of the house at the library, run errands, go to a park, a cafe, etc.

Lynn O'Connor Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:33 am

Everyone is passing on good ideas, and here’s a few more for the mix.

I moved my office home a few years ago. It helps that I have hard-edge appointment hours sporadically through most days, either clients or students. I suggest you take on a few of us, do consultation, giving you some hard-edged calendar appointment times. So getting dressed is mandatory most of the time.

I give myself leeway to have hard working days and then screw around days. I’m a researcher/science type part of the time, and this is how it goes anyway. Sometimes its very busy when me and my statistician get the motivation bug, and its slow when we have too many other things to do, or we’re into being lazy.

I was much more disorganized before I fell into GTD a few years ago. It took me over a year to try to implement, and my implementation took almost six months and three huge dumpsters. You are already there I suspect. Then, being at home, I needed a CEO and I started using Seah’s forms: http://davidseah.com/blog/the-printable-ceo-series/
I settled in mainly with the Emergent Task Planner. It actually helps me figure out what I’m doing in a given day, since I’m my own boss. I’ve used this for over a year now (I think). I archive yesterday’s sheet each day, so I have a record, should I need it.

Like I said, some days I’m lazy. I didn’t know about TV until I discovered downloading programs from I-Tunes, then that became a problem. Now I limit that until a few evenings a week, nothing more. I’m into Tibetan Buddhist meditation every day, and Kundalini Yoga most days and these help get me calm enough to function.

You will be a terrific at home worker, don’t worry about it.

Lynn

Miss Gisele from myBeautyMatch.com Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:40 am

Leo,

When I’m dying to know which Christian Louboutin shoes (expensive French shoes with the trademark red sole) Oprah is wearing, I tell myself…she’d already got her millions (ok, billions) and I have to work at making mine and watching the telly for too long won’t do it…even if it’s to look at gorgeous shoes.

I have my lunch time 30 minutes and my evening 60 minutes of telly and that’s it.

The telly is great, but unless it’s your job, it won’t bring in any income.

Eventually, you’ll get into a smooth routine and will not even notice the telly anymore.

Best of luck my friend and if you feel weak…just write a HELP message and all of your loyal readers will come to the rescue!!!

Gisele ;-))

Leigh Ann Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:42 am

I set hard deadlines for myself, usually verbally to my customers, because that’s one of the rules I won’t break - disappointing my customers.

World Fitness Network Says:

January 18th, 2008, 0:53 am

I’ve started working from home as well. It’s tough, and I really struggle to keep on task sometimes. I’ve taken some measures to keep myself on track. These are what’s helped the most.

1. I cut off the cable service. I thought I’d miss it, but I don’t.

2. I actually unplug the internet wireless router in my house before I turn on the computer, and I write my post and study programming before I turn the Internet on.

Those 2 things have made all the difference in the world for me.

Congrats on becoming self employed!

Andre Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:05 am

I find that one of the best things to do for me is to actually work outside of the house. I find a coffee house nearby, plug in my noise cancelling headphones and get to work.

Even if I am distracted, because I tend to be where most of my readers/customers are, I’m actually getting more work done than I would if I were home battling with the cats for desk space.

I do find it hard to shut down at the end of the day though, because I know that the more work I put into the site the better chance I will have to make money. I’m finding myself shutting down everything and forcing myself to relax or get away so I can focus when I return. A good run or hike normally does the trick.

Ayamanatara Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:13 am

I made a dedicated space, which helps.

I try to keep a schedule. Mind you, for me, that sometimes means scheduling in downtime as opposed to work time, because I enjoy what I do enough to forget to do things like eat…

Prioritize! Everything. It really helps, because my to do list gets really long sometimes.

*shrug* I’ve been working for myself on and off since sometime in the 90s…

Sonia Simone Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:19 am

It’s all about boundaries for me. I have to have rather artificial and very strict rules about when I can do fun online activities, etc.

My friend Barbara, a novelist, taught me about putting 90-minute blocks into my calendar. Guard them zealously and when you’re in a block, put your head down and crank. Every working writer I know has some variant on this–they know the time of day when they’re really at their best, and they block it off with virtually no exceptions.

Also, write every day. The words get cranky when you go a day without taking them for a walk. :)

Kellie Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:32 am

I used to make myself a deal that I would do my work, as quickly and efficiently as possible, and THEN I could watch TV, sleep… whatever my little heart desired.

CPJC Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:38 am

Sometimes EVERYTHING is a distraction. TV, Radio, Laptop hooked up to WIFI. What usually works for me is to work with pen and paper for a while on several tasks…jotting ideas down, planning on paper, etcetera. Sometimes the TV can still be on, or I can listen to the radio - but no internet surfing while working with pen and paper!

Once I have written notes going on several projects or most important tasks, I usually feel like I’m ready to share them with a colleague via email. In the writing of the email, I find I polish up the ideas. On days I work at home, I also commit to completing tasks by a deadline for people/colleagues in emails…then I hold myself to the deadlines since I’ve made the public commitment.

becca Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:41 am

I read somewhere about a “not-to-do List” and it’s worked fabulously for me:

as “pressing” things pop up during your work day (who sings this song? what would it cost to get my ceiling painted? what types of ceiling paint are available? could I put wood on my ceiling? is their lead in my lipstick?) write them down immediately.

Do NOT do them. Take the time to write them down. At the end of your day (or when you’ve completed your MITs) and you’re ready to spend some QT with your kids/wife/take a walk, look at your list and see which ones are really THAT important. If they are, file them into your to-do list (yes, the to-do list you write about “constantly simplifying”).

Also, if you can, make your work into a 3-4 day work week. Tim Ferriss would be proud ;)

Stephan Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:43 am

Hi Leo,

For me the worst thing is distraction from the television, and living in a one living room/ office apartment makes it difficult just to through out the tv or muting it. My little trick is my mp3 player. Loaded with all the music that give me inspiration, and set not too load, just so I don’t hear the tv or the people in the room. The rest is just go with it, no set times yet, but then again, only just beginning :)

All the best and a wonderful day!!

Tess Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:44 am

‘Do things when you have enthusiasm for them’. I swtiched from full-time to freelance so I had the option to work on something when I felt inspired to do so - rather than between certain office hours.

It means that I’m bringing my best frame of mind to the task, rather than rushing to finish before 5pm so I can leave on time. Or, I can take a walk or do something else ’til that inspiration arrives.

May not be such a good tip for people wanting strict ‘work’ hours/days at home, but good for those who aren’t phased mixing some work time and some play time (and some nap time!) into every day.

esvl Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:46 am

My tip: Try to survive. Take a break sometimes.

Squasher98 Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:50 am

Invest in a good chair. You’re back will thank you later

http://www.leveragingideas.com

MoonCave Crystals Says:

January 18th, 2008, 1:58 am

As a self employed ecommerce shop owner and only employee, for me it is simple–I make a list of what I want to accomplish each day and no matter how long it takes? I get it done. I do not watch tv any more, never turn the thing on and actually enjoy the silence–all in the comfort of my pink puppy dog pj’s thank you very much :)

It is all about how passionate you are at what you do I suppose. I eat, sleep and drink MoonCave Crystals. Someone recently pointed out to me that I am a work-a-holic (the nerve!!).

It is all about balance. Finding the right balance is key. When I find it, I will let you know :)

Eric Böhnisch-Volkmann Says:

January 18th, 2008, 2:11 am

Basically, fix work hours for you and stick to then. Create a work space for you and invest in quality tools — a cool computer, a good paper notebook (yes, I love my Moleskine), a nice pen. Stuff that you *want* to use, because then, you *will* use them. Often also for work :-)

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

January 18th, 2008, 2:16 am

Treat it like a real job. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, work, coffee, work, lunch, work, coffee, and punch out. You need to take it “seriously”.

Benoit Says:

January 18th, 2008, 2:30 am

First thing first, I don’t own a TV. TV=BAD for your brain. Get that thing out of your head. Netflix and company do a much better job. If you aren’t in the US then torrent is your friend. Find alternative entertainment, it’s very 2008. ;-)

Second advice, I wake up at the crack of dawn and usually by the time everyone is on lunch break, I have my work day pretty much done except that I am a workaholic so I keep going until late evening. I am teaching two days a week which disrupt my work schedule but most of the time I can just keep hacking away my To-Do list. Bottom line, I like my job so I “work” all the time. Pity me.

Jan Derksen Says:

January 18th, 2008, 2:46 am

About watching TV: I’m always watching music video’s (MTV brand new) when I’m working at home. At lunchtime I watch the news for about 15 minutes.

Jan Derksen
The Netherlands

Sandy Says:

January 18th, 2008, 3:24 am

Get up and get dressed in the morning as if you were getting ready to go to your day job.

Brush your hair and teeth, put on some shoes. You work much better from home in your shoes than you do in your slippers!!

And, like many said before me, stick to a schedule!!

Good luck!

Oliver Says:

January 18th, 2008, 3:28 am

When I am working at home, I am very good in focussing on my work at my desk. I can tell I am quite disciplined and am not tempted to watch TV or run around in my house, distracing me from my work or procrastinating. But I would like to stress one thing, beaneboper said: The hardest part for me was to settle the thought of “the working dad” in the heads of my family.

It took some time until they learned that it is necessary to not disturb me. The dad “available next door” was quite difficult for my son and daughter (and even my wife) to accept. Over the years I established the habit to work in “dashes”: Putting off my phone, email and IM for a certain amount of time to really focus on my work. This habit improved quality and quantity of my results and - not to forget - I was back with my beloved ones quite quickly.

But working at home was putting this to a test, since even my wife was entering my office, telling: “You see, I do not like to disturb you, but there’s this uncommon situation and… this … that…”. Even I (overhearing some things going on in the house) was often thinking to myself: “Could I be of help now? Would it be more important to help out my family? Should I stop working now?”

There was nothing - even not a set of rules - that was improving the situation, so my work time was often frustrating - which is the worst for getting things done - you sure know. So I found a place in the company of a friend, where I could go to. Using a notebook and all kind of mobile devices it wasn’t a problem at all. So, for now, I am leaving the house for 4 or 5 hours focussed work, then coming back and work more, but at this time my focussed work was done and getting disturbed was not bad at all by far.

I learned from following your posts that there seems to be a very good relationshop and a lot of love in you family, so maybe you can start working at home differently. But I suggest to clear the “working dad at home”-status right in the beginning. I wish you all the luck for the future!

Tony Jansen Says:

January 18th, 2008, 3:29 am

Communicate your “office” hours with your family and close the door of your working room during those hours.

Robert Burdock Says:

January 18th, 2008, 3:29 am

Hi Leo,
Congratulations on turning to full-time blogging. You’ve worked hard for this break so I hope it all turns out OK for you. Ok working from home tips:

*The best tip I’ve heard of in recent years comes from tireless author Stephen King in his book On Writing. As many replies have already suggested, Stephen strongly advocates the need for an office with a door that can be shut AND a daily writing goal (his suggestion is for 1000 words). The office should contain no distractions i.e. phone, tv etc and when you enter it each day and shut the door you resolve not to leave again for any reason until you have completed your word goal.

*In a similar vein I also love the use of ‘time pods’ (as described in Your Writing Coach - Jurgen Wolff pg. 170-171). Here you set aside pre-determined ‘pods’ of time (typically an hour) in which you have clearly defined writing goals i.e. I will write 500 words for my next post etc. You then set an alarm or buzzer for that amount of time and get the work done. This works as it givs you a clear focus for that period of time.

That two ‘top tips’ that I use to get me writing my dissertation so I hope they’ll be of some use to you and other readers.
Good Luck
Robert

The Foot Says:

January 18th, 2008, 3:54 am

Get yourself a pedometer so you don’t become a slob! Seriously (btw I don’t sell them!). When you’re working from home, it’s easy to get lazy and to have no idea as to whether you’ve been getting enough exercise and movement-when you work in an office, you’d be surprised how much walking you actually do sometimes (not all the time though!).

Try to aim for 10000 steps a day and you’ll probably feel good for it. Pedometers are recognised by the NHS in the UK as being proven motivators for keeping fit. I’ve done some research into this on my blog.

I use a little pedometer and it makes me go for extra walks to make sure I get enough daylight and movement -it forces me out of the house and off the computer :-)

Good luck!

The Foot

metroknow Says:

January 18th, 2008, 4:03 am

Showering straight away sets my frame of mind for positivity and productivity. If I don’t shower in the morning (trying to fit it in somewhere later in the day), I find that I’m a little “off my game”, and not entirely pleasant company.

Wizbit Says:

January 18th, 2008, 4:07 am

You’ve probably already had this one but I find if I’m working I try to compartmentalise my time, cut it into small bite-sized pieces and then take a break from the work at the end of each slot.

Not being that long out of education, I’m still hooked into my school/university time-tables so 40-50 minutes works for me as a slot length. Then the rest of the hour is a break to stand, go for a walk, make some tea, day-dream and get the mind ready for the next piece of work you’re setting for yourself.

Toby Graham Says:

January 18th, 2008, 4:09 am

having a dedicated work space is really key, my office was in the living room and it never really worked. Also having a nice daily routine….shower, tea, pc always worked for me!

Getting sat down at the PC is always the first step once your there it should be no problem. Working Girl says being decently dressed helps but to be honest I loved working in my dressing gown all morning, my collegues obviously couldn’t see me so it wasn’t an issue (if it was I’d buy one of those webcam half suits !!!!)

Matt Gibson Says:

January 18th, 2008, 4:10 am

Consider a completely separate computer (in a different space) for work. On that computer, get rid of every distraction you can think of. Turn on the parental control, block internet time-wasting sites, don’t configure a mail client if you can avoid it, dump any instant message software. Basically, trim it down to the absolute minimum you need to do work and not do play, and then only _ever_ work on that computer. This will block an awful lot of temptation, and it will also associate sitting down at _that_ desk with work and not play, and every time you sit down there you’ll reinforce that association.

steveb Says:

January 18th, 2008, 4:33 am

I work at home in a room designated as my office. One of the key points I keep in mind, and have to continually tell myself, is: when I finish my work for the day, my mind should be 100% devoted to my wife and kids.

I do not think of work at all. Any planning for how much I want to get done the next day is decided and committed to before I go downstairs to the “living” room.

Setting this clear mental partition even makes me more productive during my work hours. Most important, it allows me to maintain a healthy family life and be 100% present when I am with them.

Wyatt S. Says:

January 18th, 2008, 4:51 am

There’s so much great advise from everyone already, I think you are the type who well manage your time and set your priorities.

One only I’d add would be focus on your sense of purpose, develope everything else around that.

Since I quit my 9-5 last year, every minute becomes so precious as they are filled with purpose. I never had the concern if time will be unproductive, I don’t think you would either, as everything you do simply contribute towards reach your own goals, not for anyone else, that’s tempting enough to make wanting to leap out of bed each morning.

Whatever your new endavour is, wish you great success!

Vinod Ponmanadiyil Says:

January 18th, 2008, 5:05 am

First and foremost - , Shut the door!

Matt Rutherford Says:

January 18th, 2008, 5:50 am

For me - some things that have worked

1. Define a space, an office with space for the tasks you intend to perform at home. For me, its a desk with good PC equipment and space to work. Clearly delineate that this is your space for work, no games consoles, TV’s etc - unless thats your work of course. Don’t forget task lighting and good temperature control.

2. Define a time - as many people have said, get up, get washed, get dressed for work. It is very tempting to work in shorts or pyjamas, but how you are dressed contributes a lot to your state of mind.

3. Take regular breaks - as you would in the office, grab refreshment regularly, keep it healthy and light but take 5 minutes away from the screen when you need it. Take a sensible lunch break, its always tempting to work straight through - but I take a 30/40 minute break and eat something sensible, to keep my energy levels up and enssure that I don’t snack up.

4. Stock up on the essentials - picture the supply room at the office, and replicate some of that at home. Some companies will let you stock your home office (within reason), but make sure you have supplies necessary.

5. Plan, Plan, Plan - make sure you don’t give yourself time to procrastinate, even easier to do at home. I do this by blocking out time to read sites, read RSS etc - and then plan the rest of my time productively. Reward a good burst of concentration and effort with a ten minute surf through personal mail or reading lists.

These tips work for me.

Phil Palmieri Says:

January 18th, 2008, 5:53 am

First, like others have said - get dressed, don’t work in PJ’s
Second: a bit more drastic, but really worked for me. Go run errands in the morning, even just go out for coffee.. that routine tricks your body into breaking your at home time and start of work time.
Third: Make sure you separate home time to spend with family - and make sure your wife/kids know you arnt really home - you are at work and you arnt available to fix this, open that, help me with this.. .that breaks the concentration and breaks the im at work mode.

Stefan Says:

January 18th, 2008, 6:30 am

My 2 cents:

1. Make sure everyone who might go into or call you at your home understands you’re working (this is the hardest one for me)

2. on’t get too confortable, working naked or on you bed or anything of the sorts is good for brainstorming if at all, otherwise get dressed and sit straight up in front of a net desk.

3. Realize what a waste of time TV really is, you can get this done in one afternoon, just zap a bit and make mental notes of the sort of stuff tht shows up, it’s unbelievable !!!

ThomasQ Says:

January 18th, 2008, 6:42 am

It seems to me, that all comments I’ve read are expressing the fear of losing any kind of structure. So, create your structure or a scaffold: Define a space, set your goals, your deadlines, stay focused at the purpose of your work. And last but not least: Don’t just dream it - do it!

michael Says:

January 18th, 2008, 6:42 am

At the start of every day write down a timeline of what you are going to do and when. You can schedule in breaks and even TV watching time if you like but try to stick to this otherwise you’ll end up missing all of your main goals.

Take your lunch at the time you said you would too.

Oh and put the TV remote in another room.

Unfortunately it’s about discipline.

How To Give Head College Says:

January 18th, 2008, 6:53 am

No substitute for ’self-control’ and having your eye trained on the prize. Simple.

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Kim Says:

January 18th, 2008, 6:56 am

I love the days I work from home; I actually get more done than I do at the office. What works for me is building in a reward system. If I work for a good, solid 7-8 hours or so (usually starting early in the morning) then I treat myself to a hot bath before going to get the kids at the babysitter’s house.

Works every time!

Lauren Says:

January 18th, 2008, 7:29 am

I don’t work at home, but following on from others’ ideas about structure and keeping work and home separate, I thought I’d add a tip I read somewhere (I thought was quite cunning). The person suggested “walking to work” each morning: shower, eat, dress, etc, then say goodbye to everyone, go out your door, walk around the block, and then go into your home office to work. At the end of your working day, go out the door again, walk around the block in the other direction, and then arrive home to greet family etc. No idea if it works (the person who suggested it reckoned it did), but it would at least get you some fresh air and create a bit of an ‘edge’ to the working day if that’s what you’re after.

Good luck!

Slawomir Fryska Says:

January 18th, 2008, 7:55 am

If your job is your passion, your hobby, you don’t need to separate it from the rest of your life. Keep the computer on, don’t keep regular hours, write when you have the inspiration (even at 2 am), go for a walk when you don’t (even at 10 am).

Don’t over-analyze this, be happy with your freedom, accept distractions, you know they will happen. Keep notes, then you’ll be able to go back to your thoughts after that diaper is changed and the baby is fed. Most of all, have fun and soon you will fall into a comfortable routine that’s uniquely yours.

Lorissa Says:

January 18th, 2008, 7:59 am

I think everyone has touched on the tips I would have given. They are all great suggestions. I’ve been working from home for a few years now, along with my husband. The only thing I can add is this (which isn’t really a tip, but anyway): expect to take some time finding what works for you. Some folks work better at night, some like to get up early. Since you are now your own boss, it doesn’t mean you have to work the usual 9 to 5 either (one of the joys of being self-employed is being able to set your own rules). Give yourself some time to get used to your new situation, get out of the typical workday mindset, and find what works best for you. Just giving yourself permission to figure out the best plan can make a world of difference. Knowing you, you’ll get into it pretty easily and soon have some great posts with suggestions for the rest of us.

Candis Says:

January 18th, 2008, 8:17 am

I work as a freelance court reporter, so half of my time is out in the field (taking depositions) and the other half is at home editing them. All the other advice is wonderful. Definitely define your “office hours” and try not to stray from them (although I have to do that sometimes b/c attorneys want transcripts fast). Make sure you allocate family time in the evening and no matter what happens, don’t go back to your computer/office during that time. About the TV, you would think that could be a distraction, but for me it never has been. Sometimes when I’m doing a mindless task, I’ll turn on the TV in the background and listen to CNN or FoxNews (something that doesn’t pull my attention, like a great movie). If there’s something you really want to see, take time out to watch it. Early in my career, I would always take time out to watch an hour of TV during the day. If you want to score major points with your wife, when you’re taking a break, go do the laundry, empty the dishwasher, or even make a casserole or something easy in the oven. :-) That’s the beauty of being a freelancer: You can do things during the day (rather than being tied to an office) and you can adjust your schedule to fit your needs (and still be productive at the same time). I do all my grocery shopping early in the morning (when the store is basically empty). I have really gotten spoiled to that “perk” of my job. Most of all, enjoy your newfound freedom!

Mark Says:

January 18th, 2008, 8:44 am

I worked from home for several years. My best tips:
1. stick to a schedule. I used to do 7- 3.
2. Also, get out of the house. I used to go to the public library and to coffee shops with my laptop to work uninterrupted.
3. Have your wife or family call you on your cell phone if they need something. This prevents them from interrupting you whenever they want.

David Zemens - 1955 Design Says:

January 18th, 2008, 8:55 am

I hate to sound repetitive, but I think getting up, getting dressed, and following a routine is the most important thing for me.

It’s far to easy to sit around in pajamas, but the work suffers when I do. Once you get wet, clean, dryed and dressed it just puts you in a better frame of mind for serious work.

Forcing yourself to only check email at pre-defined times is also a good idea. Constantly checking new emails detracts from whatever project or idea you were working on. It’s just not very efficient.

Keith D Says:

January 18th, 2008, 8:59 am

Most comments echo my experience. I speand a lot of time out of the office. When I’m here doing paperwork and proposals I have to get cleaned up, shaved, fed and dressed most of the time. I shoot for 8AM start. I try to get e-mail, blog checks and news surfing done before then. Even schedule/MITs set and out of the way. Thanks fro the MIT idea, BTW. I listen to internet radio. No TV, My accountant listens to music on cable at her home office (TV blank). It’s easy to get distracted and end the day wondering what got done. That is where MITs have helped. As mentioned, no work, no pay. My computer guy, also a home worker, mentioned the biblical saw that if a man does not work he doesn’t eat. He tries to get his billing out before he eats dinner. I am inspired by writers, even though I’m not one. Pullman, who wrote the Golden Compass books set a goal of 1000 words a day on his main project. It might take 2 hours it might take 8. He only goes on to research and secondary projects when it’s done.

OOPS, 8:00. I’m open for business. Bye.

Kathryn Says:

January 18th, 2008, 9:19 am

In my experience, the amount of time I devote to work as a freelancer expands and contracts in fairly direct relationship to the amount of work I am committed to doing. (This works for me because I have very concrete deadlines set by my clients for each project–the cartoon on Freelance Switch about trading one boss at the office for twenty who are your clients is so true!)

So, the “trick” is to commit to enough work so that you can’t possibly waste entire days watching TV and get it all done; but conversely, not to commit so much that you find yourself often sitting on the couch next to your spouse in the evenings while he’s watching TV and you’ve got your laptop open doing work.

Becky Says:

January 18th, 2008, 9:21 am

Find your own Zen Habits.

I’ve been self employed and working from home for 2 years now, and it took a while to find a rhythm that works for me. Having a schedule is good (and I follow one loosely), but forcing yourself to work when your mind is elsewhere, or when you’ve become frustrated and unproductive, eliminates one of the best things about being self employed: Making Every Moment Count.

So find your own rhythm. Make your work productivity-based, not hours-based (you can probably do more in 4-6 focused hours than most people do in 8 typical hours). Schedule the goals in all parts of your life based on their importance, not whether they’re “work” or “personal.”

This is also a great time to take a leap and begin pursuing something you’ve only thought about doing before, and build it into your new lifestyle. For me that something is cycling.

Chris Carpinello Says:

January 18th, 2008, 9:27 am

As a software engineer I typically work from home two days a week. Regardless if I’m at home or at the office, I stay focused by creating a list of the top three goals to meet during my workday. Even if I only complete one of the goals, then I still feel like I’ve accomplished something that day. By following this goal setting method, maintaining an uncluttered workspace and listening to lyricless dance/trance music, I remain in a flow-like state which makes it easy to ignore distractions like the television, surfing the web, etc.

Dominic Says:

January 18th, 2008, 9:40 am

The greatest problem I’ve found when working at home is the people around me. I love them to little bits, but they don’t seem to understand the concept of “I’m working”, and think it’s OK to interrupt at any time with requests for trips to the store, conversations about a sale at Quik-E-Mart, and demands for juice.
Don’t be afraid to be an a-hole, within the boundaries of your own conscience. Make it clear from the outset that work time is Work Time and shall remain sacrosanct. Make it black and white early and it won’t be grey later.
I generally keep my studio doors closed when I don’t want to be disturbed, and that at least slows them down enough to knock before they barge in. It may seem pedantic, but for keeping your workflow going, it’s necessary.

Andrew Merryweather Says:

January 18th, 2008, 10:15 am

Matt Gibson above gives the excellent advice of using one computer for work, another for play.

I don’t have the luxury of having a dedicated work place - or room, or desk - in my house. So I create the separation by working from a laptop (my company gave it to me - I’m a software designer) and playing from my home pc.

One desk, with one monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer. But at the start of a workday I plug my laptop into that gear and switch on - and leave the home pc off. The laptop has essential work apps on it ONLY. No “fun” links in the browser, no personal email, no games etc.

When the clock ticks over to 5.30pm (on a good day), the laptop goes away in the bag and the home pc clicks on. Same desk, same screen, but the screen’s now full of shortcuts to all the funstuff, and none of the work.

MaxLag Says:

January 18th, 2008, 10:21 am

It’s snowing outside :
I remember one morning, in front of my computer, alone, trying to figure out what I was about to do that day…it was snowing outside, friday, before a 3 days week-end…no real motivation inside…and I saw that pencil and that sheet of paper on my desk, I tought, “Perhaps I could give a try at defining mini-steps, so mini, that they would be easy to do”.(So it could be easy to start) So I did that, I defined mini-steps, but also, I decided to do them one at the time in order to avoid confusion. After each steps completed, I was proud, simply.
When I got distracted, I came back to my mini-steps to stay focused.
I finished this Friday playing in the snow, and almost all mini-steps completed. Most importantly, I gave my best to do one clearly defined step at the time, and, with the least distractions: no TV, decluttered desk, and all my head.

Scott Watermasysk Says:

January 18th, 2008, 10:31 am

My tip is the opposite.

When you work from home and do work you really love, the problem is not how do you get your work done. It really becomes how to do I keep myself from not working too much.

I have been working from home for about 4 years now. Friends and family always say it is great that you never have to leave for work, but the problem is if you are not careful, you never get to leave work either.

Thanks,
Scott

Brian Purkiss Says:

January 18th, 2008, 10:52 am

Everyone has their own little tips that work best for themselves.

The two things that keep me going are stickie notes and doing my work first.

Write your ideas down, and get them done. You won’t make any money if you don’t show up.

Good luck!

Christian Y. Says:

January 18th, 2008, 11:00 am

Here are a couple things I do:

Wake up shower and get ready for work. This is important an important routine that sets you up for work. When I first started working from home my home time and work time blended together and I realized that I needed to add defined routines to segment my day.

Get out of the house and take part in a fitness routine. It is amazing how easy to become efficient and physically lazy at the same time. I can get more done at home work-wise but I realized I needed to leave the house more for my physical sanity.
Sometimes I will even take my laptop and take advantage of some of the wifi spots around town. The change of scenery was like a mental detox.

Explain to love ones and partners just because you are home it doesn’t mean you are not working. I have a problem with friends that just pop in and my gf thinking that because I answer to myself that my day is not hard.

The email monkey…..Don’t become an email addict. I would sit there and answer every email as they came in and I realized that I spent 4 hours straight just having email conversations. Schedule email time.

Good luck……

~C4Chaos Says:

January 18th, 2008, 11:14 am

nice. as someone who works from “home” (i.e. i’m posting this from Ireland right now) and passionate and happy on my job, let me tell you that one of your biggest challenges is to know when to stop working, especially if you get into the flow of things. this is my biggest problem right now and i still don’t have a solution for it. yeah, yeah, i know all the GTD stuff, but in practice, “flow” is like crack!

that said, here are some quick tips i’ve learned from working from “home.”

– unplug, or kill your TV

– use Gmail colored tabs and filters to organize your inbox stuff.

– working from home gives you more time and opportunity to meditate and reflect on what you’re doing. use that time wisely.

– it’s tempting to slack in the hygiene department when you work from home. but resist it, my friend. resist the temptation!

– invest in a good chair. it will save your ass and back. if you could afford it, get this: http://www.hermanmiller.com/aeron/

– drink Red Bull at your own risk

– there would be times when you’ll get claustrophobic (within the walls of your home office) and believe me, you’ll yearn for human company. when you feel this basic evolutionary urge, go out and do your work on coffee shops with wi-fi access. the lattes and hot people will keep you awake too :)

– switch to a MacBook Air if you can afford it. it would save you from back aches if you lug your laptop around coffee shops. it would make you look cool too.

that’s all for now. and congratulations again for doing what you do best, at home. i know the feeling ;)

keep it flowing…

~C