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Dislocating The Distractions How To Take Controll Of Your Home Office And Time
One of the major issues with having your own home-based business
is distractions. It's easy to abandon work when the television is
just down the hall (or in the same room), or the laundry is calling
your name.
Ultimately YOU are responsible for your success or failure, and the
household duties and the freedom to postpone work can sometimes be
too enticing to pass up. To have a successful business, one must
exert control. Control over surroundings. Control over time. It
is important to stay focused on your business and not what's on the
TV. Here are a few ways to help minimize the distractions.
1. Location, Location, Location. Set up your office area as far away
from high-traffic areas as you can. Avoid kitchens, living rooms,
near the front door, etc. The best solution is to have a room solely
for your office. However, that's not always feasible.
When space is an issue, set up your area in a corner of a room,
and keep potential distractions out of view, or you will soon be
focusing on them instead. Try to create a barrier from the rest
of the room, which produces visual and psychological separation.
2. Organization, Organization, Organization. This will really make
or break some people. For starters, only keep things in the area
that are of use for your business. Sparse decorations are okay,
but keep the guitar out. Second, keeping supplies organized and
well-placed eliminates many future headaches.
For those with stacks of papers floating around, filing cabinets
and trash cans do wonders for eradicating messes. Also, keep often-
used supplies close at hand, whereas rarely touched items need to
be put out of the way. To save space, consider placing the phone
on the wall.
3. Plan, Plan, Plan. It's best to have a clear idea of what needs
to get done. Some people arrive at their desk, and kind of meander
their way through the day without any focus. That wastes time that
you don't have.
For maximum profits and efficiency, write down all the tasks ahead
of you. You might want to split them into two lists: priorities
and projects. List the most important tasks first, and work your
way down. Every evening pick which tasks need to get done the next
day. Work on the priorities first, and if there's extra time, tackle
a project.
These lists are not set in stone. Emergencies do come up, but
knowing what is ahead of you helps you stay focused. Also, crossing
off completed tasks creates a great sense of accomplishment, and
gives you something to look forward to.
These three easy steps will help you eliminate distractions and propel
your business into greater prosperity, but old habits die hard.
Commit yourself to making the most of your office and your time,
and your productivity and confidence will go up, while your amount
of stress goes down. An organized office and a good plan of attack
will keep you focused and sane.
Brian Roe
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