Your rent is past due, but you don’t have time to worry about this right now. You have an early meeting, and you are running late. You worked late last night, and you didn’t manage to do the laundry, so you’ll have to create an appropriate attire with the only clean clothes in your closet: a pencil skirt and your boyfriend’s shirt. You can’t find a taxi, and the Uber surge is 2.3, so you decide to take the subway. Of course, you miss the first train, and when the second one comes, you have to fight your way to get in. After a long ride in the hot, smelly subway car and a sprint from the station to your office, you finally make it to your morning meeting. Your heart is racing, you’re a bit sweaty, and you are tired already. It’s only 9 AM. The rest of your day is just as chaotic and frustrating. After a pointless meeting that wasted most of your morning, you’re finally able to get some work done. Or, at least, that’s what you hope. But, instead, you have to battle constant distractions and make an inhuman effort to stay focused. One of your colleagues needs your help with a project, another one is always on the phone talking loudly, and your boss bombards you with futile emails and follow-ups. At the end of the day, you can’t stop from imagining different ways you’d like to quit your job and give your annoying boss a piece of your mind. If this scenario hits a little too close to home, then maybe is time for a change. One possible solution to this problem – Work From Home (1)
It should go without saying that you should discuss any major decision, such as deciding to work from home, with your family. If you will be quitting your job, your family needs to prepare in advance for the changes that will come their way. Make sure you have their support and try to estimate the impact that your decision will have on them.
Don’t expect to earn a six-figure income from the onset of your work from home career. Be aware that you will probably have to accept a few low-paying projects in the beginning to build your portfolio. But, as you improve your skills and build your reputation, you can increase your rates and earn a satisfying income from the comfort of your home.
Deciding to quit your job and start working from home can be equally exciting and terrifying. Unless you have savings or a spouse that earns a solid income, then you need to prepare for every possible scenario. Consider what will happen if your work from home business doesn’t work and have a plan in place if that possibility ever becomes a reality.
We’ve promised that we won’t sell you lies, so here’s the hard truth: most small businesses don’t make it past the five-year mark. Understand that your dream of achieving financial independence will take a lot of hard work and that you’ll probably fail a couple of times before you can reach your goals.
A lot of people dream of becoming their own boss, but only a few consider the drawback. Here’s the thing: as exciting as it may seem, being in charge of your life can be quite stressful. You’ll need to make some hard choices and give up a relaxing evening with the family or a weekend trip to close a deal with a potential big client, for example. You’ll have to work more and harder than ever before, especially in the early stages of your work from home business. And, you’ll have to make a few sacrifices to achieve financial and time freedom.
It’s hard to avoid office drama when you put a large group of people into a small, confined space. All that negativity and gossiping can affect one’s focus and productivity and prevent them from reaching their goals. When you’re working from home, though, you can no longer waste time making pointless or courtesy conversation and can focus on what’s really important for you.
You’ll see a significant difference in your bank account now that you don’t have to commute to work every day and pay for regular Uber trips. And, because you can work in your sweatpants (or even your underwear if you choose so,) you won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars every month on expensive suits. You can also save a lot of money on food since you can now prepare your lunch and brew your coffee in the morning.
In the few moments it will take you to read this paragraph, your phone will ring, you will receive an email notification, and a colleague will pop into your office to ask you for something. The regular office environment is full of distractions and avoiding them can become a job in itself.
When you work from home, however, you are in full control of your setting and can keep distractions to a minimum. That can help you boost your productivity and get more work done than ever before.
Because you’re on your own now and you don’t have an entire team that you can rely on, you will have to develop a new set of skills to grow your work from home business. Sure, you can always hire help, but if you don’t have the funds to do so, you will find yourself more often than ever Googling how-to-guides and watching instructional videos. Sure, it can seem like a waste of time in the beginning, but all this hard work will eventually pay off when your skills will help you earn higher incomes.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of working from home is that you can do your job from virtually anywhere. You can set a desk in your apartment and create a working space that unleashes your creativity. Or you can set your office in your local coffee shop if you’re the kind of person who enjoys being surrounded by other people and subtle background noise. You can also mix traveling with working and explore the world without having to jeopardize your business or bank account. You can even build a business from your phone!
From the shortest commute ever (from your bed to your desk) to afternoon naps, a work from home job comes with an extensive list of perks. But, if you’re not careful, you can become the victim of distractions and procrastination. It’s easy to postpone your work and binge watch a TV series instead when you know you are in charge of your own schedule. Here’s how to stay productive and get your work done without the risk of falling into the pit of distractions:
What can be better than having breakfast and coffee in bed while answering your emails? But, as appealing as this image might be, try to avoid developing the habit of working from bed. If you begin to think of your bed as a working space, then you will have a difficult time getting the rest you need (and vice versa.) If the real estate gods have been good to you and you have a free room in your apartment, then you can convert it into an office space.
When your home is also your office, it can feel like you are always working. It’s easy to tell yourself that you’ll be answering just one email and three hours later you’re still in front of the computer working on a new project, communicating with clients or managing your team. As important as your home business is, it’s also vital to decompress yourself and recharge your batteries.Set a fixed schedule and try to stick to it. When you know you’ll have to finish everything on your to-do list by 8 PM, for example, you’ll become better at avoiding distractions and focusing on the task at hand.
Yes, your kitchen is just a few feet away, but every break you take will interrupt your workflow and affect your productivity. Keep a jug of water next to you, make sure you have some healthy snacks on your desk, and keep a warm sweater close by in case you get cold. That way, you won’t have to get up from your desk every time you need something and get distracted by your kids or your cat doing something adorable.
You’re in your comfy pants, snuggled under a blanket at your desk. It’s raining outside, and you have a million emails that you need to answer. You’ll go to the gym tomorrow. That’s the lie you’ve kept telling yourself for the last couple of weeks.
A work from home job can drastically reduce the number of calories you burn in a day. But, here’s the good news: you don’t have to get a gym membership to stay in shape. Invest in a yoga mat, some weights, a resistance band, and an exercise ball, and you can create your fitness studio in your apartment (6). Search for some Pilates videos and get moving – 30 minutes a day should be more than enough to keep both your body and our mind healthy and active.
If you find yourself checking your phone constantly to reward yourself for every new sentence you’ve written, then make sure to put it in a drawer while you’re working. Don’t fool yourself that if you’re muting your smartphone, then you won’t be distracted by it. Studies have shown that just the sight of it can divert people’s attention.
If it’s possible, then make sure to arrange your desk so that you’re facing out a window. Having a glimpse of the outside world can boost your creativity and productivity. Not to mention, it’s quite enjoyable to watch other people commute to work while you’re sipping your coffee dressed in your most comfortable clothes.
While most people are rushing through the door in the morning and are stuck in the office until 6 PM, you are home. Let us repeat that for you: while most people are miserable at work, you are in charge of your own time. Take advantage of that. Do your grocery shopping during off-peak hours, decide what schedule fits you best, and spend more time with your loved ones. Find out what you love most about your work from home status and take full advantage of it. Do more of the things you love, and your productivity is sure to reach new heights.