Well, COVID has certainly taught us a lot over thee past few months. One thing for sure, is how to master to art of working from home.
As a Realtor, working anywhere really is an art: the bedroom, kitchen, your car, local cafes. We have learned to adapt to being able to serve our clients from anywhere throughout the years that being able to work from home is nothing new.
But, when you can’t really go to a café or clients have scaled back from viewing homes and prefer virtual viewings, working from home is the best option. For most of us, working from home is like a dream job. You can work when you want, how you want and wherever you want. Personally, I love it. I can balance my time between my client’s needs and my son. But I still rely on a routine and boundaries while working from home. But it can be hard to keep up with a routine when you’re your own boss. Having so much freedom can actually hurt your business and your personal life if you don’t stick to a routine.
Here are some of the things I do in order to keep my work life separate from my personal life - all while working from home under one roof.
Plan Out Your Week
Having a plan will ensure you stick to a routine when working from home. Loosely plan out your morning, afternoon and evening for each weekday. Working from home makes it so easy to become distracted and try to work on ten things at once, while never completing anything. I’m a pen and paper kind of girl. I need to write everything down and then schedule it during the week so I don’t overwhelm myself with using one huge list. I keep two planners: one for personal and one for my business. I lie! I actually have a third planner I use strictly for my social media content and blog posts planning. This way, when I am working on my business, the planner I am working with has everything I need and seeing personal things to do in the same list or page doesn’t distract me.
Don’t Overwork Yourself
It’s easy to overdo it when you don’t have set work hours. In the beginning days of Real Estate In Stilettos & Coaching In Stilettos I was working from before sunrise to after midnight. I totally overdid it and it was taking a toll on my personal life. Make sure you aren’t working too hard and avoid working around the clock. Make sure you are making plans for self care plans, even it’s with yourself for dinner and a movie.
Start Work Early
Getting an early start is a really great way to be productive, especially for work at home mom’s. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs wake up before sunrise to sneak in an hour or two of work before their family wakes up and the circus begins. I’ve never been an early riser, but when I started my business I needed to find some extra time to get in some work. I soon found that I LOVED the quiet time in the morning and got my best work done.
Turn Off Distractions
Whatever it is that can distract you from work – TURN IT OFF! Some people are distracted by TV, noises outside, cellphones or other people in the house. Put your cellphone in another room, go to an area of your house where you won’t be distracted, or shut the door to your office and be clear about not being disturbed. Be aware of what it is that often stops you from working and do your best to avoid it.
Create A Workspace
Having your own workspace is one of the most important parts of setting a routine when you work from home. Even if it’s a corner in the living room or a guest room, you need a defined space that’s yours. I use the den as my office in my home, but guess what? I often work in the kitchen or bedroom. When I’m in serious editing mode I NEED to be in the office because it’s peaceful and away from the TV and other distractions. Decorating your office space also helps to make you feel more connected and more comfortable in your space.
Set Work Hours
This is a really important tip. Having round the clock hours and inconsistency during your work week can hurt your business. I like to have set business hours and I generally work every weekday. Having a set schedule keeps me consistent, in touch with my clients and friends on social media. Another benefit to having set hours is knowing when to stop working.
Get Outside
Getting out of the house is really important, whether it’s stepping out to run errands or going to a quiet place to work. Taking a break from your workspace allows you to recharge and refresh. I like to get outside every day for a walk just clear my mind and take a step back from the computer.
Develop Healthy Habits
It’s easy to develop bad habits when working from home, like not getting up from your desk for hours, snacking too much and not drinking enough water. Use a reminder to get up and walk around the house after you’ve been sitting for an hour. Try to keep healthy snacks nearby like a canister of nuts on your desk and a pitcher of lemon water. To keep your eyes healthy from looking at a computer screen all day, try the 20/20/20 rule. Look away from your screen every 20 minutes, 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Over the years, I’ve found that by putting little routines into place has enabled me to be more productive while working from home. It didn’t come overnight and I struggled a lot in the beginning. But doing different things and finding what works for you can have the best long term results. Don’t give up if at first you don’t succeed. Like everything we do in life, practice and trial and error makes it perfect.
With Love | Nikki xo