You give yourself the best possible chance of success in homeworking if you understand your personality and how you are likely to respond to the challenges of working from home. You will also make the best possible use of your time if you understand what may seem like insignificant personal quirks, such as which tasks you enjoy the most, the kind of clothes that make you feel businesslike as well as comfortable, and the time of day you are most able to concentrate and produce quality work.
In order to think about your habits a little more objectively, ask yourself the questions listed below. It might help to write down your answers in a notebook and add more as you think of them. You are building up a picture of the best working pattern for you and it might take a little while to complete. Here are the questions.
Do you wake up in the morning raring to go, or do you need several cups of coffee to ease you gently into the day, only hitting your stride by mid-morning? You might be one of those people who doesn’t get creative until the evening, when the distractions of the day are over. Or do you have to be as productive as possible when the children are out at nursery? When have you recently been pleased with your work – was the time of a day a contributing factor?
One of the most liberating aspects of working from home is that you no longer have to conform to a dress code and you may well save money by no longer having to buy and dry clean ‘office clothes’.
In theory you can now slop around in your pyjamas and dressing gown all day, although I’ve never met a homeworker who does, perhaps because they quickly realise that clothes have a profound effect on your mood and hence your productivity. Neil is a financial adviser who sometimes works from home. He finds that he needs to put on his suit, just as he would if he was going to the office or to visit a client, if he is to get into a businesslike frame of mind.
Don’t underestimate the power of clothes – notice and record how different styles make you feel. You might need to rethink your wardrobe as a homeworker, and maybe you’ll need to buy some new outfits.
Do you need as much quiet as possible, or do you like to have the radio or a CD playing in the background to help you concentrate? Robin, a writer, starts off by working in silence but puts some rousing music on to boost his energy levels when he feels he is slowing down.
Write down your own preferences. Are you one of those people who can’t work when there’s a discussion going on or when the songs have lyrics? Or do you just like the radio playing quietly so you don’t feel entirely alone? Bear in mind that your preferences may change over time, or for different types of activity.
When Liam started freelance writing at home, he put in earplugs to help him ‘get in the zone’. After a while, he began to put on classical music as well as using the earplugs. He doesn’t really understand the habit, just that it works for him.
According to American motivational speaker, Brian Tracy, to be most effective, you need to ‘eat that frog’ first thing in the morning! In other words, if straightaway you can do the thing you find the most objectionable, the rest of the day will be easy.
Which jobs are you always putting off? Try making a list of your tasks in reverse order of preference. If you can get into the habit of doing the ones at the top of your list before everything else and without too much agonising, you have the rest of the day to enjoy the remaining jobs. Use your list when creating a structure for your day.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
Note: This article was sent to us by: Matt Erningston at 05252010
1. Think about what motivates you to succeed with your home business
All articles are property of their respective authors. Please read our Privacy Policy!
© 2009 ArticleInput.com.
Partners: Damenmode