Image 1: http://imgarcade.com/1/working-from-home-meme/
We've all had that experience of ambitious planning the night before, but when the day arrives you're simply not able to get any work done. There are so many distractions. You may find yourself sleeping in bed, catching up on your favourite shows, raiding the kitchen, or continuously checking your social media accounts.
My placement with the Mississauga Sports Council involves a lot of working from home. Throughout my undergrad years I've spent a lot of time working and studying at home, and after a couple years of struggling, I think I've finally figured out how to work from home and actually get work done.
Here are some tips to help you work efficiently from home:
1. Set a Realistic Goal
In many cases, people can be their own worst enemy, and this can certainly be the case when working from home. Setting an unrealistic goal does more harm than good, and usually sets you up for failure. If your goal is too ambitious, it may be easy to get discouraged because it feels like you’ve accomplished so little, even though in reality you’ve actually got a lot of work done. For example, in my research I am currently searching through an old newspaper, The Port Credit Weekly, year-by-year to find relevant information related to softball. It would be unrealistic for me to try and go through ten years of the paper in one day because it takes me at least one hour to get through a year, usually more. Instead, I set a more realistic goal of going through two to three years a day.
2. Write Down Your Goals
Not only is it important to set realistic goals, but it’s also extremely important to write down these goals. This doesn’t need to be anything fancy, a few scribbles on a sticky note will do. Writing down the things you wish to accomplish allows you to visualize the tasks better and that means you can’t run away from them or forget about them because they are right there in front of you. The best part of writing down your goals is crossing them off one by one as you complete them, giving you a sense of accomplishment, even if it’s just minor. (Just like in grade school when you received an A+ on your test.)
Image 2: http://aurorasblog.com/2012/page/2/
3. Make a Schedule
First know what your goals are, how long you think it will take you to achieve them, and how long you want to work for. Once you have the answers to these questions, make yourself a little schedule on that sticky note of yours and try your absolute best to stick to it. A schedule will help give you some direction and structure in what may be a very unstructured working environment.
4. Give Yourself a Break
Don’t plan to work all day because that’s not realistic! Be sure to give yourself some time for a lunch break and some coffee or tea breaks. And while you’re working, get up every hour or so and stretch out your legs for a few minutes to help get the blood flowing, so you don’t feel like you’re glued to your chair.
Use these tips and you’ll be able to prove your critics wrong.
