Tips for Working from a Home Office

Working from a home office sounds great. Who wouldn't want to roll out of bed, not have to deal with a commute and get your work day started. Sounds great, but being productive can be very challenging. Here are few tips from working from home that I've learned after successfully doing it for 20+ years.

Feel free to add your own tips in the comments.

1. Get dressed as if you are going to work every day. May not need to wear a coat and tie, but definitely get out of the pajamas. It will give you a feeling of purpose.
2. Schedule a meeting with your manager at least once a week just to update on current status and to ensure that you are marching in the right direction.
3. From that meeting, make 2 lists: Long term goals tied to the company goals. For each of these goals... Make a short-term list of items that you can accomplish in day. Break down the items in a way that you can check them off during the day. This short-term list is important so that you can see accomplishments on a daily basis, which helps for focus, and to show anyone that asks that you are making progress on the big goals.
4. It’s very easy to be distracted. Be disciplined by working on the list you have created. Its so easy to start doing home projects, and non-work related projects. The good news is that since you don’t have to commute, you can use your commute time to tackle these projects before or after your workday.
5. About once per hour, get up and walk around the house (inside or out) for about 5-10 minutes. Its very easy to get lost in work with no interruptions. Of course, sitting and getting work done is productive, but not healthy over the long term. Keep the blood flowing throughout the day. A little break every hour will keep you fresh, awake and productive.
6. Don’t eat lunch at your desk. Your at home, so eat in the kitchen or outside. This will help with getting away from the desk for a few minutes so your day doesn't drag.
7. If you have a family at home with you, explain to your family that when you are in your office (computer on), that you are at work and may not be available at their call like you may be on the weekend. Explain what qualifies as a "real" emergency. Explain to them that if it is a "real" emergency, that you will be there for them no matter what.
8. Finally, make sure you turn on/off your computer AND your phone about the same time every day. If you like what you do, it’s very easy to work 12 hour days without even trying. Just as you are disciplined in working on your list, be disciplined in turning on and off your computer. It also will cut down on your electric bill.

If you are manager, and you and your team are now working from home, consider reading my LinkedIn article on Focus for Success. This article is based on managing a distributed team while I worked from home. Basing your team's plan on clearly defined numbered targets is a great way to keep everyone focused while they work from home.

As mentioned, these are the basics that work for me. Feel free to add to the comments items that work for you.

Stay safe and healthy!