Working from home can present challenges with structure and discipline especially for the person without a supervisor. Business entrepreneurs, attorneys, accountants, financial advisors and others have found having a virtual office works well for them, especially when they are able to stay focused and productive. Here are some tips to help you “get in the zone.”

Know Yourself

The human body and mind operate on a 24-hour internal clock called “circadian rhythm”. It affects (and is affected by) your sleep pattern and it causes you to be either an early bird or night owl. It also affects how focused and energetic you are at different times of the day.
Schedule your most important tasks during your best time for focus and energy and do other tasks when you are less focused.

Make a List

Written lists seem outdated considering all the electronic tools at our fingertips, however; those electronic tools also tempt us to look at time wasters. Social media, email, games, etc. are more tempting when your cell phone is in your hands. Create a written list with three columns based on priority. The first column contains the most important tasks and reminders. The second is important but not as important as the first column. The third column is for tasks and reminders that need to be accomplished but not with any urgency.

Having all three levels of tasks at a single glance frees your mind to focus on the work at hand. If you’re using your brain to keep track of tasks and meetings, you are robbing yourself of the ability to be totally focused on the work in front of you. When your work day is finished, take a few minutes to update your list for the next day. It’s satisfying to see how much you’ve accomplished that day and helps you the next day with your tasks already prioritized.

Create a Physical and Environmental Structure

Setting up a home office is highly recommended but if you don’t have the space, create a dedicated workspace. Working from your dedicated space signals the brain that it’s time to work. A sofa, lounge chair or bed are not recommended because they signal your brain to rest, relax or sleep.

Your environmental structure includes establishing regular work hours – including breaks. Whether your breaks occur after a task is accomplished or is at a specific time, it’s important to get up, move around and refresh your body and brain for the next task to accomplish.

Communicate to friends and family that, although you are working from home, you are not available except for when you take a break. It’s difficult to set and keep boundaries but if you put your phone on silent and only check it during breaks, you’ll find it easier to maintain boundaries. Interruptions break your focus which negatively impacts your productivity.

Adapted from “How to Stay Focused When Working At Home” on flexjobs.com.

Finding focus can be difficult. You may want to consider being a virtual client at Summit Executive Suites. From answering your phone calls to having administrative assistance available, you’ll be able to be more focused on your business.

If the structure of a physical office would help you be more productive you may want to consider Summit Executive Suites. We offer a variety of services so you can be more focused on your business.

You can find more information about virtual and physical offices at Summit Executive Suites.

Focus on Growth, We’ll Handle the Rest!

For additional information contact:
Janet Luesing, CPM
502.802.2928