Sunday, January 23, 2011

Staying Focused And Avoiding Procrastination With A Home Business

Running a home business can be fantastic. You have the flexibility to set your own hours, freedom to make your own schedule and you get to be your own boss. Unfortunately, sometimes it's hard to stay focused. Your mind can wander, tasks can fall by the wayside, the kids are calling, procrastination sets in and suddenly, you're “working” 12-hour days.

Here are five great tips for staying focused while running your own home business:

1.Wake up earlier. Some of our best work is done in the morning, without the distractions of daily tasks. If you have children, getting up even just an hour before them can produce amazing results when you have a big task to tackle.

2.Turn off distractions, including email. If you like to check your email or social networking sites, set aside an hour of uninterrupted and focused work time where you will only work on the project at hand. Force yourself to not check email and concentrate on that one task for even just one hour. You'll be amazed at the results.

3.Get out of the house. Go for a walk or take your laptop down the street to a local coffee shop. Sometimes, getting out of your space is not only good for you physically and mentally, but it can also help reinvigorate your ideas. Next time you're struggling over a problem or facing a creative block, try a change of scenery.

4.Plan your day. Get an agenda and set aside blocks of time for each task or project. Not only will this help you stay focused, it will also help you track exactly how much time you really are spending on each client.

5.Set boundaries. Let your family know that the office is out-of-bounds and let yourself know that the work day is done at 6pm. By setting rules and boundaries for yourself, you're adding valuable structure into your business and preserving your separation of home and work.

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