Episode 013 – Work at Home Secrets

Starting a small business from home has many benefits, including the flexibility to fill your day with your activities and ultimately doing business on your terms. But I have found this can also lead to not being a productive as you like. Often there are dishes to be done, washing to do, bills to pay and general life to attend to. The lines between work and life often get blurred and self discipline flies out the window! Oh I will get to that later, I just want to xyz, and later never comes. SO how do you ensure that you are successful working from home?

Firstly for me its about understanding that for you to stay home, you need to earn an income. Without said income then my dear you are heading back to a J, O, B quicker than you can imagine! That is enough to kick anyone in the pants and get them moving! But how can you become really successful working from home?

Routine

Every morning get up and act like you are leaving for work, have breakfast, make your bed and importantly get dressed! Staying in your PJs are allowed on some days, but by having a great morning routine means you are taking working from home seriously and sets you up for the day as if you were leaving to attend a workplace. We are taught from a young age when we are off to school the routine, its ingrained into us, so on a subconscious level we feel comfortable and understand through decades of programming that this is how we start the day. Not only that but its about discipline, for me another favourite saying is “how you do the small things is how you do everything”. Clearing your plate of life duties and completing them properly will only see you taking those traits into your business life. Ensuring everything is done properly, not neglecting certain elements or tasks, this is success in life and business.

Block your time

Blocking your time as if you were working outside your home is necessary. Productivity experts around the world talk about the necessity to block time to achieve success. This is because we can only operate at a high level for a certain amount of time. Respecting your cycles through the day of productivity, downtime, and waxing and waning of energy means that you are not 100% on point. Focusing on the 9 to 5 time slot feels more achievable in our brains because we know its not all day. You are instructing your brain that right between these hours we are working, and not allowing other factors to interrupt time later in the day that can be used on family and relaxation. There is a pay off for being focused through those hours at home, and I am sure as hell you wouldn’t want to give that up, I know I don’t!

Blocking your tasks for the day also helps, get the problematic or difficult tasks done first. This is when you have the most energy and it creates a great sense of achievement once its done. The guilt of not being productive enough does not enter your thoughts when you have kicked some serious business goals out of the park for the day!

Steer clear of social media and emails!

In this social world we live in, falling down the black hole of socials can be so easy! I do it all the time, think I will just take a quick break and consume some trash on socials next minute an hour has gone and you have fallen down the rabbit hole! Turn them off, and allocate when you will be on social to do your business posting and interacting. Emails are another death trap, yes we all have heaps of email to attend to from clients and prospective customers, silly sales emails from your favourite fashion brands and countless emails from everything else you can think of. For me I tend to my personal emails in my time, after 5pm or before 9am while I am eating breakfast. I can go through delete what I don’t want and respond to those that need my attention! Business emails are tended to after I have completed my first task for the day or around 10am. I refuse to answer emails all day and night, I work like so many other between 9am and 5pm, just because I work from home does not mean I am available whenever people think. Respect yourself and provide boundaries around when you can be contacted will ensure you do not end up burnt out and resentful towards your clients and working from home!

Dedicated working space

Do you have a dedicated workspace? Having this space means that you can effectively “go to work” where everything is setup and ready to go, or you can leave at night knowing that it will all be there in the morning? Having this space helps you to feel the work vibes and gets you into the mood to work. Setting up your space with your favourite work items is something I advocate! I love stationery so for me, I have pretty pens, folders and flowers! Girly I know but for me this is what I love, make sure that you are “youafying” your work space, injecting your personality into everything you do!

Commit to business networking.

Working from home can be really isolating, you are missing the ability to talk to other humans on a regular basis! Make a plan to not only network in person but also online. The world today gives us all the opportunity to take advantage of a borderless world where we can talk with anyone around the world. Many great personal relationships have been created by sending a DM to someone through socials and getting to know them. I know the great majority of you are uncomfortable with this. The world has changed, and we don’t always have the opportunity to do this face to face, so doing this through your socials is the new way of connecting. Take the plunge give it a go, and you never know where it could take you! Picking up the phone is also a great option instead of sending an email. This builds camaraderie and also shows you care enough to call rather than send an email all the time.

Friends who pop in!

Having friends pop in unexpectedly is always nice, but not when you work from home! Many don’t understand that you are committed to this way of doing business, and its just plain rude. In the beginning I had to turn friends away at the front door letting them know that I was on a zoom call with clients many times. Now they all know that I am busy during the day and they need to make an appointment if they want to see me during the day! I talk about work with them openly, about how important it is that I get the full time that I need to work to make sure I can hang out on the weekend with everyone!

Exercise

Schedule time in your day, everyday for movement and exercise! If you were working in a business environment you are moving around, lifting things and spending time outside. Working from home should be no different. Take multiple 10 min time slots to stretch, do some yoga, walk outside, or simply laydown in the sun. This helps keep you focused throughout the day by allowing time to rest. I talked earlier about blocking your schedule, and taking breaks is a must. There is so much research around today that by working solidly for 20min and taking a small break is optimal.

Boundaries and accountability are the two concepts that underly working for yourself. Ultimately you need to find what works for you and your situation, I hope that I have given you some great information to create your own successful work at home plan. Thanks for joining me and remember your smallest actions will create your greatest reality!

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Meet Your Host

Carol Lange 

From a young age I have been surrounded by business success. Having formally studied a Double Degree of Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Management, this led to many successful opportunities.

I have been an employee for large accounting firms and international companies. I have run two highly successful businesses, becoming sought after in my industry internationally.

I have spoken nationally on the topic of money management and loved having the quiet coffee making radical changes for my clients. I am not a limelight chaser, just a quiet achiever looking to make a difference in the world.

Thankyou for joining me on the podcast, my dream is to inspire you to take action that will create a difference in your life! Dream no more and live the life that you have always wanted.