Working From Home - It's Not for Everyone

I've been working from home for many years; both as an employee of a company and as a business owner myself. So, if you've been asked to work from home, now's NOT the time to consider this a vacation. Your employer already doesn't like the idea of you working remotely, so don't let them down by not taking it seriously. Not everyone can work from home. It takes a lot of self-discipline and focus to get "work" done.

Below are a few tips to help you successfully pull off "working from home".

1. Identify Your Needs - Let your employer know what you'll need to work from home. This is not the time to be prideful. Keep in mind your bandwidth too.
2. Get Dressed - DON'T, work in your pajamas!
3. Maintain Regular Hours - Stick to a planned schedule.
4. Dedicated Office Space - Find a secluded area to setup up shop and make this your office. Ensure that all family members understand this.
5. Set Ground Rules With Family at Home - Set some ground rules. such as, please don't come in here while daddy is working.
6. Stick to Your Morning Routine - If that involves having coffee at your desk, then continue that.
7. Daily To-Do List - Identify what you want to get accomplished each day and hold yourself accountable.
8. Stay Connected to the Office - Check in regularly with colleagues, to stay informed and in the loop.
9. Schedule Time for Short Breaks - Take your 15 minute breaks at the regular times. It's important to get up and walk around a bit.
10. Get Out of the House - Just like at an office, you get tired of staring at the same 4 walls. If possible, eat out (or pick something up) once or twice a week. It breaks up the monotony of the day/week.
11. No Multi-tasking - This is one of the hardest impulses to fight. Fight the urge to do laundry, or clean the garage, or run errands. 
12. No Social Media - Well maybe not "no social media" but limit it, as if you are at the office. Moderation is key!
13. Quitting Time - Set a daily quit time. 

In short, try to keep your daily work routine as close to the actual office setting, as possible. Like I mentioned before, working from home is not for everyone, but for the folks that can stick to a routine, working from home is pretty awesome and you might just find that you actually get more done from home!