by Natalia Jones

Created on: September 01, 2009

The freedom of working from home can transform even the most dedicated and organized person into a frenzied mess. Productive days can slowly disintegrate into whirlwinds of chaos if not properly managed. To avoid slipping into this downward spiral, check out the time management tips below.

1. Plan, plan, oh and did we mention, plan? Needless to say planning is fundamental to time management. In order to get the most out of your day, you should sit with your daily organizer or notepad either at the end of the day or the first thing in the morning and create a hit list for the day.

2. Prioritize. All the items on your list are not likely to have the same level of importance or some may have more pressing deadline than others. This is where prioritizing comes in. You should separate your list into things that are imperative, those that are important but not necessarily imperative and those that it would be nice if you could complete but can easily be put off until tomorrow. This gives some precedence for how you are going to set about getting things done.

3. Identify your busy periods. Home businesses, just like main street businesses have peak periods. You may tend to get more calls or emails in the morning or your phone may start ringing after lunch. Find your rhythm and then work around it.

4. Schedule tasks for down-time. There is no point trying to complete attention intensive tasks while your phone is ringing off the hook. Put off time-consuming activities for the part of the day that you usually get a break. This way you will be more productive and you may end up taking less time that you envisioned to complete the job.

5. Don't multi-task. This goes against some popular advice, but multi-tasking can actually have an adverse effect on your ability to manage your time. Trying to tackle too many things at once can result in the necessity for re-work and push back already tight schedules. It is much better to focus on one thing at a time and do it right the first time.

6. Manage distractions. Whether your distractions are screaming children, brooding pets or friends and family that unexpectedly drop-by because you are 'at home' you need to find a way to handle them. Make it clear to everyone that you are working around strict hours, so even though you are physically 'at home' you are not able to entertain. Give your children and pets some attention during the day so you can focus guilt free when you settle back down to work.

7. Use technology wisely.

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