If you are the only person managing your own business at home, time management should be high on your list. But then again, there may be some things that can put a clog into getting your work done. What are some of the possible distractions that may hit you when working from home? And more importantly, how can you overcome them?
1. TV Distractions - TV can be a major distraction, especially if you have a TV in your office or workspace. Maybe you even set time aside every day to watch that special show. Here are some suggestions for solving this problem: 1) Remove the TV from the room; 2) TIVO or record the show and watch it later; 3) Watch the show, but work an hour longer to make up for it. (Personally, I find this difficult. Not so much working longer, but the fact that once I'm in the middle of working on a project and then I stop, it's difficult to re-engage at the same intensity.)
2. Internet Distractions - What is your favorite Internet distraction? Is it reading your favorite forum, watching videos on YouTube, or hitting the social media circuit - Twitter, Facebook, etc? Though the interaction is fun, it can also absorb you into some major distractions that can last for hours. If you're hitting the forums to advance your website or blog, you still need to place this "To-Do" part of your job at the end of your typical daily work.
3. Playing computer games. This is a major "losing focus" moment. In fact, I once claimed to my husband that it was helping me to think through a problem. It wasn't, I just lost focus. This is a hard one to pull away from because there is an element of boredom that sets in and distractions such as games are easy to drift into at that point. In this case, you need to take a 15-minute break to refresh your mind.
All in all, losing focus is a human trait that we all have to find ways to overcome. And for anyone that works alone, it must be the recognized elephant in the room. If you do not control your distractions, your to-do list can get inadvertently long. This in turn, can cause some people to give up on their dream of having an Internet business or a home business. So be prepared for the distractions and devise your own solutions that will keep you on track for success in your home business.
