Tag: home office

Time Management Tips for a Home Office

5 Time Management Tips for a Home Office

Does it seem that whenever you have a “quiet” day in your home office, when you think you’ve got lots of extra time to get things done….at the end of the day you realize you actually got LESS done than you would have on a time-crunched, hectic day?

It sometimes seems like the more time you have to complete a task, the longer it’s going to take to get it done.  Or as this quote points out:

 “The surest way to be late is to have plenty of time.” Leo Kennedy

Do we get into a relaxed state of mind on those quiet days and move at a slower pace? I find that I’m most productive on days when I’ve got too much on my To-Do list; it’s that sense of urgency that pushes me into serious action-mode.

So how can you keep that energetic, urgent pace alive every day in your home office? Here are 5 tips that may help:

Tip #1: Make a To-Do List by Priority

Start with the things that must be done (income-producing activities); then work on the less urgent tasks. It’s easy to fill up a To-Do list with things that won’t help you meet your business goals. You can spend a lot of time on “busy-work” that won’t mean much to the success of your business in the long run.

Tip #2: Set a Timer

Twenty minutes checking email or social media sites somehow turns into an hour before you know it; so set a definite time limit for those activities.

If you think you’ve got some extra time on a quiet day to work on a project around the house, set the timer – I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve lost on a “quick” project that should only take 30 minutes.

Are you as bad as I am on judging the time it takes to complete certain tasks?  If you think it only takes you 30 minutes to answer emails, set the timer – you might quickly discover that it really takes an hour.  Then you can adjust your schedule and set aside more time for that activity.

Tip #3: Keep Chore Time Separate from Office Time

This is a constant challenge with a home office, especially if you’ve got little ones at home. If you’ve set a timer and know how long it takes to complete a task, then you can schedule household tasks around your work time.

Do you know how long it takes to do a load of laundry? Or clean a bathroom? If you do, then you can set your schedule accordingly: for example, my schedule might be: 8-9am laundry and cleaning bathrooms; 9-12 office time.

If I can’t get the household tasks done in the time I’ve scheduled, I still stick to my office time (the laundry will always be there waiting for me or my kids to finish later).

Tip #4: Avoid Personal Phone Calls During Office Time

This sounds like a simple thing to do, but it can be a challenge to ignore phone calls from family and friends. Unless it’s an emergency, those phone calls can wait until after work hours. Of course if my kids are trying to reach me, I put everything on hold…that IS one of the perks of being my own boss 🙂 .

Tip #5: Reward Yourself When You’ve Done Your Job

Just like I tell my kids “no fun time until the homework is done”, if I follow that same advice, I feel a great sense of accomplishment in my home office and can then enjoy doing something fun in the evening.

Time management is a constant challenge in my home office, but following these tips helps to make my days – whether they start out as hectic or quiet – much more productive ones.

“Your greatest resource is your time.”
Brian Tracy

image courtesy of dave/Morguefile.com

Stress-Relieving Advice from a Favorite Bear

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” ~Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne

Although I don’t recall that Winnie the Pooh was well-known for wisdom, this quote offers some very good advice for relieving stress. It’s important to take time away from our busy schedule  just to do “nothing”.  No distractions, no cell phone, no email…taking a break from our daily routine can help keep a balance and reduce stress.

While Pooh’s favorite way to do nothing may amount to sitting under a tree with a honey pot, one of my favorite ways to do nothing is to visit the beach.  I’ve found that just being outside in general, whether it’s the beach or the backyard, puts all the things that are causing stress into the right perspective. I’m reminded of how “insignificant” most of my problems really are in the bigger world around me. 

How many of us take time out to do nothing, especially with today’s technology? As I watch my three children grow up, I wonder if their generation is losing the whole concept of “down” time.  Between cell phones and the internet…it’s become much harder to escape the demands of work, school, family, friends…and just find time to do nothing.  I’m not sure it’s such a great “advancement” to be accessible 24/7, from anywhere in the world – unless we consciously make an effort to take a break from it all and learn to balance the time we spend on our commitments to others and the commitment to ourselves. 

Having a home office creates the temptation to work 7 days a week and never really “stop” working. It can be difficult to leave the stress at the office when your office is located 3 feet from your bedroom.  For many of us who work at home, taking the time to do nothing sometimes means leaving the house to accomplish it.  I’m fortunate to have my favorite do-nothing place – the beach – only a few miles away. 

In fact, I’m making a promise to myself to visit the beach more in the next few months…to do nothing, listen to the things I can’t hear and not bother with the stress in my life during those moments. 

Who would think a “silly old bear” could give such great advice?

Managing Stress During the Holidays

5 Strategies for Managing Stress During the HolidaysStaying productive and keeping your home office running smoothly can be a challenge during the holiday season. It may be your favorite time of year, but balancing home and career requires a dedicated focus when most of us have a busier schedule and more family commitments.

Out of town guests or family may be staying with you and may even sleep in the room dedicated for your home office. Additional activities on the calendar can also result in you spending less time in your home office than you’d like.

But planning ahead and staying organized can keep that balance between your home office and your family commitments a happy one. And learning how to manage the stress in your life will help you be more productive any time of the year.

Managing stress really means that you are managing your reaction to events or situations. You have no control over the unexpected, so use strategies like the ones below to help create a more positive reaction to the increased demands on your time during the holidays.

Prepare for Stress by Staying Organized 

Put every upcoming holiday event on your calendar now. Get your spouse or family on-board when prioritizing holiday events. If you have kids, then expect the unexpected during the holiday season.  Last minute gifts, treats for the school party, costume emergencies for the holiday play…know that things will come up, schedules will get interrupted or your well-planned day may take a detour. But if you focus on your long-term business goals and getting the most important things done, you can address these family emergencies, stay productive and keep your sense of humor.

Find a Stress Reliever

When you feel stress building up, have a method ready to deal with it. Whether it’s meditation, blasting music and dancing around the house, reading a self-help book or taking a jog around the block…have something in place to turn to when you feel the physical symptoms of stress.

Change your Frame of Mind

Focusing on how overwhelmed you feel is not going to help you accomplish what needs to be done.  So instead, think about what you have accomplished already, the success you’ve had in other areas of your life and give yourself a “pat on the back”.  Give yourself the same positive advice that you’d offer a friend or family member who feels overwhelmed. Be your own cheerleader.

Help Someone Else 

No matter how stressed you are feeling, there is always someone out there with bigger problems than you.  The holiday season gives us even more chances to help others. Either through your church, local community or online community – step outside of your own circumstances and do something good for someone else. You’ll make a difference in someone’s life and get a better perspective on your own life (maybe your situation won’t seem so “stressful” now compared to the world around you).

Take Care of “You”

The holiday season can mean fast food dinners on the run or ordering more take-out, neither of which is healthy or cheap. Plan quick, healthy dinners now for the upcoming busy season: freeze dinners or keep “emergency meal” items on hand in the pantry so you can prepare a dinner with just a few ingredients when time is crunched.  Don’t stop your normal exercise routine. If you don’t exercise already, make time for it.  Just 30 minutes a day can make a big difference and keep you feeling better when things get stressful.

Prepare a few strategies now that will help when the stress of the holiday season inevitably occurs.  That way, you can enjoy the time with family and friends, knowing you are maintaining a good balance between your career and home.