Dealing With Distractions
Working from a home office? It can be distracting…
By Kelley Robertson
In today’s business world it’s not uncommon for sales people or consultants to work from a home office. At first this may seem like a great opportunity, however, it does create some unique challenges. One of the biggest obstacles is the number of distractions that can take us away from our work and prevent us from achieving our objectives.
When you work from a home office it is easy to get distracted from work, especially if it’s work that you do not particularly enjoy. Watering the plants, running errands or even doing laundry can be a welcome change from the daily drudgery of selling. And, if you have young children, the number of distractions increases dramatically.
I, too, work from a home office and have had to deal with this challenge. Here are a few ideas that can help manage these distractions and improve your productivity.
Create an office.
When I first began working from home, I used to work at my dining room table. Unfortunately, this put me in the middle of our household action. As a result, it was often difficult to focus on my work. Now I have an office and do the majority of my work there. If you don’t have space to create an office, find somewhere in your house that has the least amount of traffic and opportunities for distractions.
Set specific “business” hours
This is particularly important if you have young children. It can be very difficult for children to understand that they can’t disturb us while we’re working. If you have an office, close your door and place a do not disturb sign on it. This is particularly important if you are making client calls because it prevents family members from inadvertently barging in on you during a critical call.
Use a “to-do” list – everyday.
Having a list of what you need to accomplish each day can help you stay focused; otherwise, it becomes too easy to do other things.
Set deadlines for the projects you’re working on.
Although I don’t have anyone holding me accountable to these deadlines, I find this approach can help keep me on track. You can also share these deadlines with other people to help keep yourself focused.
Give yourself permission to relax from time-to-time.
It’s okay to allow yourself to get distracted once in a while. However, if your relaxation time overtakes your work time, then you need to reconsider your priorities.
Share your goals with a mentor or advisor.
This type of accountability works well for many people because they know they will have to report their progress on specific projects. Recognize that the results you achieve are a direct result of the effort you put in.
Do it now!
When you find yourself procrastinating on a particular task or project, repeat the following three words to yourself over and over. “Do it now.” This can be a great way to prevent yourself from getting distracted by other things.
Distractions are sometimes positive. A break from work can clear your mind, give you the opportunity to refresh yourself and increase your energy level. However, it’s important to remember that you have a responsibility to yourself and your business to limit these distractions.
Kelley Robertson is a business consultant & author. For more information contact www.robertsonTrainingGroup.com or call 905.633.7750.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
