Staying Motivated and Productive When Working At Home

Working at home offers many rewards. However, with the rewards there are always challenges. It's so easy to get distracted and find yourself at the end of the day frustrated with yourself for not accomplishing much.

1. One of the most important first steps is to make sure your family is on board with your new career.  Sit down and have a family board meeting to help your spouse and kids to understand what support you will need from them.  Talk about the sacrifices the family will be making as well as the rewards.  Assign jobs where the entire family pitches in and helps to keep things running smoothly.  Make it a family project by setting goals to gether and enjoying the rewards as a family.
   
2. Treat your new home career as a real business.  Create work hours and schedule your breaks, lunches, and exercise time.  Learn that when a friend calls for lunch and you have a deadline to meet or work to do you may need to say not today and set a date for later in the week.  There are times you will need to say "NO."  By doing this you not only will keep the consistency to your production but you will also teach other in your life to respect the fact that you "REALLY WORK AT HOME."
   
3. Know when to close up shop.  It's easy to find yourself working beyond what are reasonable hours for anyone.  Set your work hour and then close the door for the day, evening, or weekend.  Have a separate telephone line for your business.  This way you can take calls from the family and your friends after hours and ignore the business calls that come in on the weekend.  You have to have time off. 
   
4. Work with a plan that puts structure in your day.  Have a to-do list and prioritize the important things!
   
5. Take breaks and plan a walk or exercise into your day.  Don't skip lunch.  If you work with a laptop take your work to the patio when possible. 
   
6. Set achievable goals and keep tabs on your progress on a daily bases.  Share those goals with your family and ask them to hold you accountable and celebrate your success.
   
7. Learn to make your work fun and enjoy the journey.
   

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Diane Gardner has been an entrepreneur owning many successful businesses over the past 30 years. She currently owns several websites and generates over a million dollars in revenue each year from her internet ventures. Her biggest passion is to help other women succeed at home and in business. Visit her website at http://www.wahmhotline.com
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