by Athena Brady

Created on: November 08, 2009   Last Updated: November 16, 2009

There are many reasons people work from home, some of these reasons may include the following. Someone may work from home to enable them to be there for their children. Others may be writers/ freelance journalists or work on the Internet etc. Whatever the reason is is there are several simple rules you need to follow, in order to complete your work effectively and efficiently.

Firstly, you will need to decide what hours you would like to work, providing they are not already determined for you. So if you say you are going to work 9-5, you will need to structure breaks and lunch into these. To work effectively you also need time out, where you can gather your thoughts and feed your body, the fuel it needs to work productively. I know what you are thinking, one of the perks of working for yourself is being able to reschedule your time, at a moments notice. Think about this for a moment, if you stop every time your neighbour drops in for a coffee, you will not get much work done. That doesn't mean you cant go to that all important school play that your son/daughter is in; it just means that breaks in your routine are an exception to the rule, rather than the norm.

Another important factor is creating the work environment. If you are lucky enough to have a spare room, turn it into a office. You can do this quite cheaply, if you are on a budget an old table will suffice rather than a desk. Also you can make office utensils like pencil/pen holders out of cardboard cereal packets. When your business starts to make money you can treat yourself to shop brought equipment. Maybe you could even put a lock on the door which could serve two purposes. One it could keep others out, i.e. your cute 3 yr old with the lovely red pencil, who loves to be artistic on your walls etc. Two, symbolically when you open the door, you know your working day has begun.

Setting yourself goals is an important part of time management. If you prioritize tasks into what you simply must get done and then anything else you achieve, is a bonus. Set yourself manageable goals, that you know you can easily achieve. When you accomplish these it will have a ripple effect and spur you on to do the other less urgent tasks.

In conclusion, working from home can be a pleasurable and profitable experience. All that remains for you to do when you have that business idea or new job, is to think ahead. Be prepared for the possible pitfalls and plan for them. Decide when and where you are going to work, warn family and friends when you will and will not, be available. Take regular breaks and walk out into the garden/park to eat your lunch, the fresh air will revitalise you. Set yourself reasonable objectives but above all enjoy yourself, make money; all that remains now is to wish you good luck !

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