Procrastinate Does Not Profit Make

So you work from home, maybe you now telecommute, you run your home based business or you work from home for someone else or do contract work.  When people ask me where I go to work and I tell them from a ‘home office’ the look of envy gushes over their face as they extol the virtues of how great working from home must be.  True working from a home office has some really terrific advantages on the other side there are some really cataclysmic downfalls to it.

It can get really lonely- who do you share your fabulous weekend stories with?  Who do you show the new puppy photos to?  When do you get to share the happy snap shots of you burnt to a crisp on some exotic island hideaway beach?  It is a bit hard to find a co-worker when you step from your kitchen ten paces to your home office – no water cooler talk in this office.

As a home based worker it is important to adopt a plan to ensure the isolation does not get the better of you.  Joining network groups is an ideal way to keep in touch with other business owners and employees who find themselves in a similar situation.  I myself have branched out from here and have a regular catch up with a few different business owners for a regular coffee.  At these get togethers you can share your puppy shots, burnt crisp shots and weekend stories along with work related discussions.  I always look forward to the tab in my diary that indicates my coffee date.

Ok, now you’re not so isolated but who do you answer to?  Who is stopping you from spending one more hour in bed, that extra cup of coffee over the morning newspaper, hanging that load of washing out?  Surfing the net for ‘brainstorming ideas’ etc.  The list of procrastination tools can become longer than the task list itself  if you let it.

Make a Plan and stick to it:

Simply writing a to do list at the end of each day for the next day can assist you any set up a schedule for yourself that you can focus on throughout the course of the day.  Writing the to do list at then end of the day also allows you to relax after your work day ends, you can let go of the ‘oh, I need to do this tomorrow’  as you know it is already in your to do list for the following work day.

Keep organized:

Use files, trays or a system like Windows One Note to file your work and keep on top of your projects and client requests.  Keeping organized allows you to determine how much work you have for any given day or week.

Get Going and just do it:

Now you have your list and you are organized so what are you waiting for?  Just making a start on your first to do task can catapult  you out of procrastination and into profit generating activities.  Starting is the hardest step to take, so pop down that cup of coffee and briskly walk into your home office and get going.

Answer to Somebody:

Being accountable to somebody even if it is your life partner, accountant, book keeper or better still a mentor can help you focus on the tasks at hand and the desired outcomes.  Use your accountability partner  or a service like Action Traction Coaching to discuss your weekly to do list, you can report back at then end of the week and you are now accountable to someone or somebody.  You will be amazed at how an accountability partner can make all the difference between procrastination and profit!