You may not be aware of this, but I’ve been living the work from home life for over twelve years now.
My youngest daughter, who is eighteen came up to me yesterday and said, “Mom, you should start sharing tips on how to work from home effectively, ‘cuz you’ve been doing it for practically my whole life and you’re running like a legit business.”
First, I am grateful that she recognizes that I’m running a legit business. 😂 Second, she is right; I do have some insight on how to successfully work from home, be productive, and actually have a successful home business.
So, here are some work from home productivity tips from a work from home ninja who has built a successful destination wedding business to the degree of retiring her husband from being a teacher to work our business full time.
(Yes, we both work from home… together… all the time… in the same office space… day in and day out… but let’s save those work from home survival tips for another blog post! #madskills 😂)
Whether you are looking to start a home-based business or simply need to learn the ropes of the new normal you’re finding yourself in, read on…
Here are 5 tips for working from home effectively....
1. Establish a routine
Your routine is key to your success and requires discipline. Whether you feel like it or not, you have to act as if you are physically going to work. Get up early, workout, shower, get dressed, be at your office by a certain time. 💪
2. Determine your high energy times and use them wisely
Everyone has times where they are more focused, alert, and able to get things done. Mine is the morning. I can get at least twice as much done in the morning vs. the afternoon, so I need to plan my day according to my high energy times. 🌞
For example, if I have a big project I’m working on that requires me to be really focused and make big progress, I plan time to work on this in the morning and then I use my afternoon time to do things like respond to emails, attend meetings, call clients, etc.
3. Use a planner
I use a planner daily and I fill this out in the early morning before I start my workday. Some people fill out their planner in the evening as this will help them leave work fulfilled and mentally done with work for that day. Plus, knowing exactly what you need to work on the next day gives peace and clarity. You do you. ✍️
- On your planner you will write out the three most important things to do that day.
- You will also schedule your day just like you would at a traditional workplace. Schedule meetings for yourself like exercise, a mental break where you may go for a quick walk, as well as miscellaneous time because you never know what could come up. In other words, don’t over schedule!
- Determine your start time and end time. Working to the clock will help you be more productive and it also ensures you have a healthy work/life balance. Having a mindset that you’ll make up for it later is a recipe for burn out and bitterness.
4. Get your mindset right
What I mean by this is really self-talk where you determine in advance what you want out of the day and the type of person you will be. For me, I always write in my planner that I will “Lead. Love and Live ____”. Some words I use to fill in that last blank are intentionally, joyfully, with focus, in harmony, etc. 🙌
5. Determine when you will open your inbox but don’t do it first thing!
Depending on your job responsibilities and how communication happens within your company, I do not advise opening your inbox first thing. You must establish the three most important things to do and start working on those first. Schedule your inbox times on your planner. 👍
In my opinion, even in today’s climate, a travel business is one of the most successful home-based businesses available that will give you wealth, flexibility, and awesome travel perks! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to travel for pennies on the dollar and enjoy the fruits of their labor in all the beautiful places around our world?! 😍
If you found this information helpful, love travel and helping others, and are curious about starting your own home-based wedding travel business, I would like to invite you to sign up for my next masterclass! 👇
