ArticlesBase.com - Free Articles Directory
Free Online Articles Directory
27.07.2008 Sign In Register Hello Guest
Email:
Password:
Remember Me 
forgot your password?


10 Ways To Stay Organized Working At Home

Author: Terence Young Author Ranking Gold | Posted: 22-10-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 172 | Rating:  (50) Article Popularity - Green (?) Got a Question? Ask.
Sign Up Now!

Working from home can be a hugely rewarding and liberating lifestyle choice. Many people in recent years have taken to creating a greater balance between work and their family life. As a result working from home has become a viable option for many people.

This has been especially embraced by stay at home mums who enjoy the freedom and flexibility of working from home and being close to their children. While working from home has many advantages you must also ensure that you are organized to make the most of your home business.

While the idea of not having to get dressed each morning and avoiding the hazardous peak hour traffic is great the stark reality is many who choose to work from home encounter many distractions and comforts that can drastically reduce their efficiency and productivity.

Here are some ideas to help you make working from home more enjoyable and productive.

1. Create a workspace that you can be happy to work in. After all you are going to spend countless hours at your desk working you might as well create a comfortable work situation for yourself. Ideally this would mean setting aside a designated work area which is blocked off from the rest of your house. If you have a spare bedroom you can convert to a home office that would be even better otherwise buy yourself some partitions which are inexpensive so that you can create a feel that there is a work area and a home area. This will help you to get into work mode that much quicker and will also ensure that you have less distractions.

2. Choose your hours. While working from home can afford you greater flexibility to work the hours that you like and will even enable you to work around your other commitments like children you still need to get a schedule. By creating a schedule you will at least know when you are in work mode and when you are in family mode. If you start to blur the lines you may find that you never afford the opportunity to switch off from work which you otherwise would have been able had you been working in a 9 to 5 office situation. You can simply allocate certain hours in the day that you set aside for work and you can set aside certain hours for your kids and family for instance when they get home from school or nap time. This way you will be focused on your work without distractions and will enable you to enjoy your family time without any guilt.

3. Get professional. While you don't necessarily have to get dressed into work clothes every morning unless you are meeting clients that day you still need to get professional. Consider installing a second line to your home designated for work so that you can separate your personal and business calls. This goes for all your other forms of communication. Just because you are working from home doesn't mean you can't try to look professional.

4. Get out and network. Working from home can feel a bit isolated and lonely sometimes. It is imperative that you get out there and meet other like minded people so that you don't feel like you are struggling alone. There are many great networking organizations that cater to work at home business people. You can also consider joining your industry associations and other business networking functions to grow your network and to keep up to date with what is happening in your industry. Being constantly challenged and inspired is a great way to create that spark into your business day and will enable you to get the most out of your home business.

5. Self discipline is the key. Working from home may likely mean that you no longer have a boss to report to so you are the boss of your time. You need therefore to maintain a certain level of self discipline because no one else is going to do it for you. Set yourself targets that you want to achieve either daily or weekly so that you can give yourself some accountability and also direction for your work days.

Rate this Article: Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/10-ways-to-stay-organized-working-at-home-65943.html

Print this Article Print article   Email to a Friend Send to friend   Publish this Article on your Website Publish this Article   Send Author Feedback Author feedback  
About the Author:
For more information on online paid surveys visit: http://greatestpaidsurveys.com/
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Comment on this article Comment on this article
Your Name
Your Email:
Comment Body
Enter Validation Code: Captcha


Related Articles

Get Rich Quick? I Think Not... Why People Fail on the Internet
By: Leighton James | 01/01/2008 | Internet
To all the new people on the internet whether you be work at home moms, or internet marketing or web entrepreneurs, making money online will seem like a daunting task at first. There is SO much information out there. And to be honest many people making money online found there own way to success, and they'll be damned if they tell you exactly what they did. In the words of wisdom : "There are 2 key principles to success"

How to Beat the Waiting Game?
By: Tracey Crockett | 31/03/2006 | Home Improvement
Although statistics vary on the subject, it is reasonable to assume that the average person spends about 2 days a year just waiting for an errand to be completed. However, if one delegate's these tasks to an organized person - or better still, a lifestyle management company- then this time can certainly be gained back to do more meaningful tasks.

Are you Time Poverished?
By: Tracey Crockett | 31/03/2006 | Home Improvement
Karen is a working mother who managed to land an exciting, fulfilling job which requires international travel. She's seeing parts of the world that she never dreamed of visiting, and she has found her work for a non-profit organization is more rewarding than any other job she's had. And yet, while she wouldn't trade her position for any other job in the world, Karen has come to the realization that she is now hopelessly time poverished. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to talk with her daughter, touch base with her mom, pay bills, wait for the cable repair man--and the rest of the 101 things she needs to do each week. Mike has built an impressive career as the head of a statewide service organization. He has one child left at home and he wants to devote all the attention he can to her. Yet, he struggles each day balancing the demands of work and home. Mike is far from alone in his predicament. The average working parent now has to spend six and a half hours more on the job each week than the typical working parent did 30 years ago. Add it all up, and you might be working six weeks more each year than your parents did. In addition, a survey conducted by Jupiter Research found that the average consumer now spends about 14 hours a week online for shopping, bill paying, and other chores. Interestingly enough, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has concluded that the average 35 to 44-year-old American has only a little more than four hours a day for recreational activities. Much of the rest of his or her time is devoted to work and child care. Research indicates that both men and women are being affected by the 21st century time crunch. As a result, it wouldn't be at all surprising if you came to the conclusion that you are time-poor. If you're wondering whether you are just a little short on time or truly time poverished, ask yourself the following questions: o Do I feel as if I'm falling short when it comes to fulfilling my obligations to my family? Are my spouse and/or children being shortchanged? o Am I getting less than seven hours of sleep each night--even though I know I need as much sleep as I can get to be truly effective at my job? Do I feel as if I'm constantly on the verge of total exhaustion? o Do I continually eat my meals on the run--and gain weight as a result--because I simply don't have the time to cook a nutritious meal and sit down to enjoy it? o Do I have to overdose on caffeine each day in order to maintain my crazy schedule? Do I feel jittery as a result? If you answered "yes" to any of the preceding questions, you can consider yourself time poverished. Once you accept the idea that you are, indeed, woefully short on time, what can you do about it? Psychology experts say the key is to prioritize. Determine what you absolutely have to do yourself each day. Then, determine if there are certain things you can "farm out." For instance, it might be well worth your while to hire a lifestyle management company to handle some time-consuming professional duties, such as meeting and event planning, the relocation of your facilities, or research for your business' target market. Since lifestyle management companies are so much more than an errand service, they can provide you with the professional support necessary to help your business grow and thrive. Meanwhile, a lifestyle management company can ease your time crunch at home by waiting for the appliance repairman for you, connecting you to a pre-screened vendor, or house-sitting while awaiting a furniture delivery. You can use their services to connect with a landscaper, painter, insurance agent, and the like, relieving your stress level and saving you some precious time. It all comes down to this: instead of trying to be as busy as you can possibly be, think about the results of all of your activity. You may have heard of the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule. According to this principle, 80 percent of unfocused effort yields 20 percent of results. In contrast, 80 percent of results are accomplished with only 20 percent of focused effort. By focusing your time and energy, you should be able to achieve your goals--personally and professionally.

5 Stupid Things People Do Working From Home
By: Terence Young | 22/10/2006 | Business Opportunities
Thanks to technological advancements, people have decided to make lifestyle changes and have flocked by their thousands to start home based businesses.

How To Generate A Potentially Limitless Income
By: Matt Duke | 22/05/2008 | Home Business
Blogging is an area in which people are generating extra income on a daily basis. A web log, or blog, is an online diary. Some bloggers utilize their service for personal feelings or interests and some turn their blogs into professional areas for information or even education.

10 Things you Could Do If you Could Live An Errand-free Life
By: Tracey Crockett | 31/03/2006 | Home Improvement
We spend a significant portion of our weeks in our cars running errands. The exact amount of time, according to the Surface Transportation Policy Project, is 46 percent of our car trips. This time is spent shopping, chauffeuring and conducting other errands. If you didn't have to do these things, if you could hire someone else--oftentimes called a lifestyle management consultant or personal assistant--to do them for you, what could you do what all of that extra time? Following is ten suggestions: 1. Get more exercise. The National Women's Health Information Center says that maintaining an active lifestyle - that is doing more than 30 minutes of brisk exercise most days of the week - can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes. Exercise also keeps your bones, muscles and joints healthy and reduces anxiety and depression and improves your mood. 2. Walk your dog more. This is one way to get that 30+ minutes of exercise a day, and what is good for you is equally good for Fido to maintain his weight. 3. Spend more time with your kids. According to the Families and Work Institute, "67 percent of employed parents say they don't have enough time with their kids." If this is you, think of what fun things you could do with your kids in the time you usually run errands. 4. Plan a romantic weekly date with your significant other. Wouldn't they be excited if you reconnected one night each week without the kids, over a candlelit dinner, a walk in the park or a movie? 5. Learn a new hobby. Ever want to learn how to golf or to knit? Use your new free hours each week to take up something you've always wanted to try but could never find the time for before. 6. Start a new part-time business. Do you have a cool business idea or know of a product that needs to be created? Where would the world be if Bill Gates hadn't started Microsoft? Most businesses start small, often part time, before blossoming into something more. Use your new free time to come up with a good business plan or to create a new needed widget. Who knows, maybe you could be the next Bill Gates. 7. Volunteer with a local nonprofit organization or tutor at a local school. Nonprofit organizations are always looking for help, so whether you'd you like to save the whales or teach a child to read, a local organization probably needs you. 8. Get involved in your local government. Most people don't have any idea what is going on in their towns. What new businesses are moving in? What new zoning laws have passed? Will any decisions affect your taxes? Use your new free time to attend community meetings and learn about what decisions your elected officials are making that may affect your life. 9. Spend more time with friends. Everyone has friends he or she rarely sees but always promises to see more. Now you will be able to do that--go out for dinner or drinks or shopping more frequently and watch your friendship grow stronger. 10. Read more books, newspapers and magazines. According to a report by reading researchers Anderson, Wilson and Fielding, out-of-school reading habits of adults have shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose adults to more than a million words of text in a year. And numerous studies have shown that kids who grow up in households where parents read are more likely to become readers themselves. So set your kids up for a lifetime of reading by letting them see you read. All of these things, and more, are possible if you hire a lifestyle management company to run your errands each week. A lifestyle management company will do your grocery shopping, pick up your dry cleaning, wait for repair persons, get your automobile serviced, mail packages for you, coordinate a weekend getaway and much, much more. The time you spend doing these ten suggestions is worth so much more than that--and so is your mental health and family time.

Personal Development - Break Through Barriers and Achieve the Impossible
By: Bonita L Richter | 28/03/2008 | Business
Tired of the traditional approach to goal planning? Why not try an approach that just might help you achieve what you thought was impossible! Soar to greater heights of success by changing your mindeset.

Six Great Reasons to Start a Business From Home
By: Allen Cuzzone | 23/10/2006 | Home Business
Working from home is a wonderful opportunity which many individuals take advantage of these days. Personal reasons and professional reasons are largely the way in which a business from home gets started.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

Which side does the paper go when u fax it??
By: Dummie | 22-07-2008
which side does the paper go when u fax it??

What are the best free computer programs for ...
By: BILL1016 | 20-07-2008
What are the best free computer programs for removing/protecting computers from virus infections, spam, adware.

Second job
By: gus | 19-07-2008
Im looking for a home job processing for doctors

A system to recod recod speech directly on my ...
By: sswamiher | 19-07-2008
a system to recod recod speech directly on my computer

I have a film printer from Hyphen (Dash 72 eq ...
By: paulo | 19-07-2008
i have a film printer from Hyphen (Dash 72 eq) with the NT rip, i need the ppd to put the net of my XP with the NT rip but i can´t find nothing about the Hyphen ppd's, please if your people knows something help-me

What do i need to upgrade my computer, I have 448 ...
By: leshottest2003 | 18-07-2008
what do i need to upgrade my computer, I have 448 mhz 128 of ram what ever that means

Q&A Powered by:
Powered by Yedda 

Latest Home Business Articles

Yes, It Is Possible For A Home Business To Make Money
By: R.t. Markovsky | 26/07/2008
Now you can be ready to gain financial success and independence with a work-from-home business. All that is required is a strong, sound business plan and a solid work ethic.

Factors to Consider Before Starting Your Own Bokkeeping Business
By: Gary Goh | 26/07/2008
Starting your own bookkeeping business is one of the most profitable home based business. Not only that, you have the opportunity to turn your passion about bookkeeping into a full time business!

How Many Multiple Streams Of Income Do You Have
By: David Ogden | 26/07/2008
One thing appealing about making money on the Internet is the number of multiple streams of income you can create. Here are a few ideas about creating multiple streams of income.

Why Your Autoresponder Is Your Most Beloved Internet Tool
By: David Ogden | 26/07/2008
The real key to taking your Internet business to the next level is not to work harder or even longer, but rather the key is to be smarter about the work that you are doing. Let's look at how an autoresponder helps you do that.

4 Essential Article Marketing Strategies
By: David Ogden | 26/07/2008
Article marketing is no different than any other form of marketing on the Internet and that if you do it correctly you can be rewarded. Let's take a look at four essential article marketing strategies you must follow to get maximum benefit out of your articles.

How To Market Your Home Business Blogging
By: David Ogden | 26/07/2008
Do you currently have a blog of your own? If you don't, you should have because it can be a tremendous marketing tool for your home business! In this article, let's take a look at how you can use blogging to market your home business, and make money too!

4 Ways To Make Money With Forum Marketing
By: David Ogden | 26/07/2008
Discussion forums have been an actual way for home business owners to cultivate relationships and make money. In this article let's talk about four ways to make money with form marketing.

5 Ways To Market A Home Business
By: David Ogden | 26/07/2008
Marketing a home business on the Internet generally comes down to time and money. Depending on your situation, you may have more than one than you do in the other. Let's talk about three ways you can market your business online to maximize the shortages.

More from Terence Young

Checklist For Everything You Need To Do Before Your Trip
By: Terence Young | 06/09/2007 | Travel
There are a lot of considerations which need to be taken care of prior to going away on a trip. If it is a short trip you obviously need to worry less about your day to day affairs but for longer extended trips there is more that needs to be taken care off lest you return home to an eviction notice and unpaid bill reminders.

Tony Robbins: Unleash The Power Within - A Life Changing Experience
By: Terence Young | 01/09/2007 | Self Help
Tony is arguably one of the most renowned speakers in the world, millions of people from all over the globe have attended Anthony Robbins' live seminars. As one of America's most prominent self help gurus, during the year of '04 I had sparsely heard of him.

8 Money Secrets From Warren Buffett
By: Terence Young | 28/08/2007 | Finance
If you have never heard of Buffett, Forbes currently ranks him as the third richest man in the world and he is arguably the world's greatest investor. He has amassed his fortune by making astute investment decisions and investing in businesses. Here is what I have learnt from Buffett:

Top 5 Money Saving Tips To Build A Healthy Nest Egg
By: Terence Young | 24/08/2007 | Finance
Most people can appreciate the importance of having a good financial plan to build a healthy nest egg for retirement.

Slow Down And Get A Life
By: Terence Young | 13/08/2007 | Self Help
If you're feeling overwhelmed with your daily schedule, stressed with the impending deadlines and feeling drained from your hectic fast paced life, you're not alone. The secret to a happier life is not about trying to do more, or buying more high tech gadgets to help you with juggling your endless list of daily tasks.

How To Train Yourself To Be A Morning Person
By: Terence Young | 13/08/2007 | Self Help
Have you ever noticed that most successful people are early risers? It can't just be a coincidence. Like they say "The early bird gets the worm". The great thing is that to become an early riser is a habit that anyone can learn.

The Power of Goals: A Simple Way To Achieve More Out Of Life
By: Terence Young | 03/08/2007 | Goal Setting
Life is too short to go around miserable. You only get one life. When you're older, you're not going to wish you spent more time at the office. So if work is getting you down and you're looking to achieve more out of life then it's about time you got yourself some goals that you can aspire to that gives you a feeling of joy and fulfillment.

The Five Steps of Creating Your Vision Board
By: Terence Young | 28/07/2007 | Self Help
A vision board is typically a collage of images or words that you've assembled representing your deepest goals, dreams and desires. The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to live, or where you want to vacation, your life changes to match those images and those desires.

Article Categories






Give Feedback

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below