At some point at an office job one realizes that being tied to a desk for 8 hours doesn’t equate with 8 hours of productivity. So you make a switch. Most women who work from home do so to achieve a work life balance. Isn’t it ideal if you could:
A. Get Paid;
B. Work
C. And stay home.
Once you have decided what you want to do and have a plan you can start. But if you are not careful the hidden costs of working from home start raising theirs heads like little monsters competing for your time and attention. A lot depends on your ability to schedule, plan, mono task or multi task and more.
Here are a few pointers to help you out with your work from home career:
1. Time management: When working from home it is easy to get in over your head. It helps to set out a few hours of your day specifically for your work. If you are a morning person, then maybe you can rise before your family does, or maybe allocate some time when the kids are in school. This way when you are working you are working and the rest of the time you are free to fulfill your other responsibilities.
2. Stay focused and have goals: When navigating through the work from home space it is easy to get lost. Having specific periodic goals set out will help you stay focused and productive. After all you cannot go very far if you do not know where you are going.
3. Be flexible: We all know that when it comes to matters of the home there are often big/small emergencies that demand our attention. When something really urgent requires your attention give yourself the leeway to look after it without feeling guilty. Remember, sometimes we can’t have it all, and that is ok.
4. Support system: Recognizing your weaknesses is more important than knowing your strengths. To this end it helps to be understand your support system, especially if you have younger children. Knowing where you stand in this regard will help you make realistic commitments that you can keep and thereby build your credibility.
5. Network: Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, you need to get out there. Social Media is the best way for you to keep you up to speed and get noticed. So don’t shy away from creating your Social Media persona. Social Media marketing is harder than one expects. To make it easier concentrating on those platforms you know and understand and grow your presence on others slowly.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Please feel free to add to the list. We could all learn from each other’s experiences.