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