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Successfully Working At Home

© Leslie Truex

There is no denying that working at home offers flexibility and freedom but its not without its sacrifices or woes. To be successful working at home you need to design your work, your schedule and your activities in a way that works not only for you but for your employer as well. Further, you need to learn to combat loneliness, a lack of motivation and the sense you don't know what is going on at the office.

ESTABLISHING A WORK ROUTINE

When people think about working at home, work is often the last thing that comes to mind. Sleeping in late, wearing pajamas all day, taking the kids to the park, and other perks of working at home are generally the first things that come to mind. But working at home is only successful if you work. To maximize your work performance as well as to take advantage of the perks of working at home, establishing a work routine is a must. Some things to consider include:

· What are your peak working hours? Are you most coherent in the morning and sluggish in the afternoon? Then set up your work schedule so that the most intensive work is completed in the morning.

· What motivates you? During those times when it's hard to get to work, what can help you get focused? Music? Coffee? Stretching? Thinking of the commute you will have if you don't work? Determine what can put you in the working frame of mind.

· Set realistic goals. Don't try to do an entire week's worth of work in one morning. Pace yourself keeping in mind your peak working hours.

· Set up your home office so that it works for you. Have good lighting, all your equipment and supplies available and a barrier from all possible distractions. · Take care of yourself. Be sure to eat and get plenty of rest. Don't skip meals or sacrifice too much sleep.

STAYING CONNECTED WITH THE OFFICE

Whether you ever worked at the main office or you have never been there, you need to set up a system for staying in touch with your boss. While your boss will want this to keep abreast of your work, it's not just about having a watchdog over your shoulder. By contacting your main office daily, weekly or however you set it up, you can not only keep up with what is happening there (i.e. raises or promotions) but also you can have semi-human contact to help break up the isolation of a home office. Establish a regular time to be in touch with your boss or a colleague just to check in and get any important information.

The copyright of the article Successfully Working At Home in Telecommuting is owned by Leslie Truex. Permission to republish Successfully Working At Home in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.