There’s no question about it, working at home has many great advantages. No more traffic chaos, no more rushing to get out the door and eating breakfast on the run. The weather forecast and road report are not a big concern for you because you no longer have to leave home at peak times to get to work. Not to mention the perks of being your own boss and setting your own schedule.

While working at home has its many advantages there are also a number of things that you need to watch out for if you want to become really successful. Making money may be your goal but remember that success is not all about how much money you can make. It doesn’t matter how much money you have if the means of making that money has attributed to ruining other areas of your life.

Working at home is going to mean different things to different people. There are those that have an office set up at home because they are providing a service for others such a writing, accounting, book keeping. Also internet marketing has a growing number of followers with many of them becoming very successful working for themselves in the affiliate marketing industry.

Obviously not everyone that works at home will be working at a desk all day. There are those that sew, bake, teach oil painting lessons or look after children, plus the host of other ways people make their income at home. While some of the tips here are more specific to those working at a desk all day there is certainly something for everyone.

• Our health should be a top priority to us all. However, when you change your routine and start to work at home a few things happen that can jeopardize this, especially if you sit at a desk all day. Unless you make physical activity a priority in your day you tend to get less exercise than you would by going out of the home to work. Let’s be honest you do not have to move very far for anything that you need when you are at home. Even those little walks you used to take to and from the parking lot and going out to get your coffee make a difference. Working at home can easily and quickly lead to weight gain of several pounds. This is not a good thing because it affects your health and fitness level. Be sure to make time for exercise. You want to be able to be healthy and fit enough to enjoy your financial success.
• Staying motivated is a big problem for many. Some people can get easily distracted and pulled away from what they should be doing. Try not to get side tracked by things that have nothing to do with what you are working on. If you have a problem with this, try setting up a timetable of the hours that you will work each day and add some milestones of what specifically you will achieve in that time. You will feel so much better when you achieve what you set out to do. Procrastination and excuses can become a habit preventing you from achieving your outcome. Once you have met your milestone then you can go do something else.
• Learn to take regular breaks. While some have an issue keeping on track others get so focused on what they are doing that they end up sitting at their computer for long periods without moving, taking any breaks or even eating. This is not good for you either. Set up a plan of what you hope to achieve that day. Work when you are supposed to be working but do take proper breaks and eat properly and regularly.
• Working at home is no excuse for becoming a slob. If you look and feel sloppy that will not inspire you to do your best work. You don’t have to dress up but be respectable and don’t work in your pyjamas or underwear all day.
• Find out what is the best working environment for you. What inspires you? Some people find background noise annoying while others find certain types of music actually helps. What about lighting? Adequate lighting is important especially as you get older and find yourself struggling to read the small print. Are you stuck in a corner looking at a wall when you could be near a window? Do you work better in the morning, afternoon or at night? Think about it, there could be a few minor adjustments that you need to make that could make a big difference to your productivity.
• Stay organized. It is easy to become disorganized and waste time trying to find something that you need. You could be working in a confined space so it’s even more important to have a system in place that works for you. De-clutter, get rid of things that you no longer need. It’s common to become overwhelmed when surrounded by clutter.
• It’s so easy to become isolated when you work at home. There are those that spend all day and night in their homes and may not see a soul. Make a point of getting outside to see other people. Make sure that you have some other interests. Take a day off and phone a friend to play a game of golf or go practice your swing with a medicus golf trainer. Meet a friend for lunch. Visit your family. Make an effort to stay in contact with others.
• Separate your work life from your personal life. As excited as you may be about what you are doing you also have another side to your life. Don’t neglect what’s really important to you. Spend time with your family and friends. Take care of yourself. Have some hobbies and interests and add some fun too. Balance is Key!
• Setting attainable goals. Set goals that are attainable but that are still a bit of a stretch for you. If your goals are too small you may feel they are not really worth going for and if they are too big you will feel they are impossible to reach and not even try.

About the Author

Shirley Price lives in Beautiful BC. Shirley is trained in Life coaching, NLP, Solution Focused Counselling, as well as being a workshop facilitator. Shirley has written a number of articles on retirement and is the publisher of a website for the over the 50s. www.lifebydesignover50.com

Working at home can become an empty whole if you do net set goals, time limits, and a little bit of structure on yourself. We are all humans and if we are going to do something, it’s always best to have a plan especially when it comes to finances and working. The better you make use of your time the more money you’re essentially going to make. What better way to plan then using goals and motivation to set guidelines?

A goal can best be described as the light at the end of the tunnel, what I mean to say is; a goal is a checkpoint, a mental note that says this is where I am working to be. If there are no checkpoints, you’re kind of just running around in circles. For instance, there are small goals built into our minds like woodwork, why is it that we brush our teeth? Why do we put forth that effort? Well we put forth effort because our goal is to reach a point of having healthy and appealing teeth. So setting goals for work is the same basic function, you want to have four pages of your work done at the end of the day, that’s your goal. With that goal in mind you build a structural guideline to make it happen, knowing that it’s the best outcome.

Time to Start a Plan

Once you have figured out your goal it is best to start a plan, if you know you can do one page an hour and want to have four pages finished before the end of your work day schedule it to make it happen in the most efficient way possible, perhaps two pages then a lunch break then two pages and you decide there if you want to set another goal or call it a day. Working at home is all about coming up with ways to keep yourself focused so that you’re working in the most efficient ways possible.

Motivation is one way to assure you’re going to stick to your plans for instance if a job is paying you one hundred dollars a day to finish a project make a mental note that you will put aside ten dollars each day for yourself and if you accomplish your goals you can go out and spend that weeks worth of “you money” on whatever it is that makes you happy whether that be a movie, manicure, a new outfit, whatever.

Just remember that by setting goals and motivating yourself with rewards and “checkpoints” you are building a more disciplined and more efficient you.

The decision to work at home can definitely be a good one if you’re a pretty structured person. A lot of people wonder – is this something I should be doing? Well, we’re going to find out right now.  Since it is a hard decision to make and you probably need to make it as soon as possible. This is going to be a quick overview of the benefits, road-blocks, disadvantages, tips, reasons, and everything else you need to know to find out if working at home is for you.

People who work at home have got to be able to focus on their job since there are many distractions at home, but if you can schedule everything right and plan your day accurately, you should be able to handle it. For instance, you’ve got the pets, which can be distracting and you have entertainment (television, radio, IM), and you even have the phone, which can be a blessing, but on the other hand a burden. It is your job to make the conscious decision not to pay attention to those things and turn your brain off to distractions, which requires strong discipline and self control.

A Simple Test

If you have an office or study, sit down sometime and see if you can research something online and write a page about it without allowing yourself to be distracted by anything. The time and difficulty it takes you to complete this little test should give you a good idea of how you’ll do.

Qualities Needed

If you are patient and motivated, then working at home is definitely something that you should look into. You have to work through your tasks one by one by setting goals and accomplishing them. This job is not one that should be done by someone who is easily distracted, impatient, or otherwise incapable of sitting and doing one set task for a long period of time. However, if the person just described is you and you still want to give it a go, find your talents and your weaknesses. Pick a job that will expose your talents and diminish your weaknesses. If your weakness is the phone, turn it off. If your weakness is the baby; don’t fire the babysitter, have her work around you. The bottom line is can you trust yourself to get stuff done in an efficient manner. If you can, is it more productive and more of an opportunity then doing so in an office? If you’ve answered yes, then I strongly suggest you try it out.