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Home » The Famous Blog » How To Stay FOCUSED When Working From Home

How To Stay FOCUSED When Working From Home

April 25, 2010 - Last Modified: April 25, 2010 by Welly Mulia 1,194

Stay Focus while working at home

Working from the comforts of our own home seems like the DREAM for a lot of people. This is why so many people want to learn about building an internet business – so that they too can start working from home instead of going to the dreaded office for their mundane 9 – 5 job.

However, everyone is only talking about how great working from home is. While that is true for us internet marketers and bloggers, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are A LOT of distractions. Far more distractions than if you were to work in an office environment.

So What Kind Of Distractions Are We Talking About?

For starters, there is the TV in your room. Instead of working on your business conscientiously and seriously, you watch the TV every 30 minutes. Even if you only spend 10 minutes watching it every time, it’s still a big hindrance and time-waster.

Then there is the bed beside you. Can you resist the temptation not to take a short nap? You might answer yes now because you’re on high spirits at the thought of working from home. But when the time comes to actually WORK on your business, your high energy would have wavered.

What about your kids? They will surely distract you when they talk and play with you. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t communicate and spend valuable time with your kids – you should. Bu there is another time for that.

Now let’s talk about your family members (parents, spouse, and siblings). They most likely won’t understand why you’re not working at a 9 – 5 corporate job. They don’t believe in what you’re doing and they’ll discourage you saying that earning money online is just a scam and that you’ll just be another victim. They want you to wake up from your dream and go find a job.

All these conversation means that instead of spending quality time working on your business, you spent time explaining your decision to work from home.

If you were to work in an office just like everyone else, you’re not going to face any of the distractions above.

Here’s What You Can Do To Reduce (And Possibly Eliminate) These Distractions:

  1. Remove the TV from your room so that you won’t waste time watching it.
  2. If you have an unused room, use it as your work room instead of working from your bedroom. This means there is no bed beside you.
  3. Isolate yourself in your room and lock the door to work seriously on your business. Take a 5-minute break every hour. Do not come out of the room if it’s not time for a break.

Additional Tips To Help You Stay Focused

Because there is no one to supervise you when you’re working from home, it’s also easy to get distracted by other stuff like chatting via instant messengers, participating in social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, browsing in forums for ages, and checking your email every 10 minutes.

You may argue that you need to spend time doing these stuff because they are all work related. But be honest with yourself. Are they really work related? Even if they are – is it worth spending all that time just to see what people are saying on the forums or social sites?

You would be better off spending your time on other much more important tasks in your business.

How Do You Determine Which Are The Most Important Tasks?

Every night before you go to bed, spend 10 minutes planning what you’re going to do the next day.

Ask yourself questions like:

  • What is the ONE important thing that I know if I do it will make the greatest impact (in terms of profits) on my business?
  • If I could only work for 2 hours tomorrow, what task or tasks will I work on?

Essentially, you want to identify the 20% of the work that will result in 80% of the sales (Pareto Principle). Remember, not all tasks are created equal. Some tasks are MUCH MORE important than others and should be done first.

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Filed Under: Money, Online Business

About Welly Mulia

Welly Mulia's FREE Cheat Sheet "REPLACE Your Job On The Internet" Is Finally Available For The Average Beginner. Click Here Now To INSTANTLY Claim Your FREE Cheat Sheet And Learn How To Make Money On The Internet With Zero Hype.

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{ 34 Responses }

  1. anneCurtis says:
    While I think that these tips are fantastic when it comes to being productive. The one reason that I decided that I wanted to work from home is because I wanted to be at home all day with my wife (and child that is on the way!). By locking myself away in a room and closing the door, it is no different then going to work at 9 and coming home at 5.
  2. Michael Aulia says:
    I'm still working full time so I can only blog at home.. temptations are games and sleep mostly :P There are times where I just get so lazy to write anything, even simple posts.... and there are times where I'm on fire
  3. Jason Jumat says:
    I agree with you on this one full Megan. Most of the time bloggers would most likely tend to feel that working from home is a time waster. I was going through this and it feels frustrating. Luckily when you're getting to learn more and more each day, you find tools that can do a lot of things that spare a lot of your time - and you become a smart blogger.
  4. Megan says:
    Working from home can be the most time useful resource, or the biggest time waster. I have worked from home for eleven years, and have struggled with some of these myself. I finally had to just make my to do list. Place it in front of my computer, and make sure I didn't get up and take a break until certain task were done. I even have gone so far to set the timer for a 15 minute break. When that timer goes off it can be so easy to say a few more minutes, but I haven't allowed that luxury. But I wasn't the biggest hinderances as much as well meaning friends. I work from home must mean I have no life... lol. I became a source for everyones problems. I now have let my "friends" no my work time and have made no apologies. I may not have a boss over my head but I do have to answer to my earnings.
  5. Karan Singhal says:
    Thanks for the tips - I'm easily distracted when I'm writing content, whether it's for my blog or as a guest post. I think my biggest distraction is the computer right in front of me. There are so much other things to do on a computer than write content. That's why I installed an app to eliminate every window in Windows except the one I'm using for writing. .-= NEW from Karan Singhal @ Trafficke SEO Consulting Firm´s last blog ..The Power Of Guest Posting =-.
  6. Murlu says:
    One tip I can give you is to find a post that feels right for you. A lot of people will just set up their office in a side room or on the kitchen table but after the first day or so, it becomes boring or you can't find inspiration. Try to put your office in an area where you won't be distracted but you also feel excited every time you enter the room. If you use a laptop, try sitting outside and working, take in the air and scenery. .-= NEW from Murlu´s last blog ..How To Make Money Online With ArticleMe =-.
  7. designfollow says:
    thank you very much for the great article. .-= NEW from designfollow´s last blog ..How to Draw a Photorealistic Coffee Cup =-.
  8. Karen says:
    My main distraction is always other people in the house, it's so annoying when I'm trying to concentrate on either my blog or on my music work with Remergence and all I get is questions, constant questions like, "What's for tea tonight?", "Are you busy?", "Have you seen my car keys?" and the list goes on. AAAARRRRGGHHHH .-= NEW from Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Try Your Hand At Winning in The LeapFish $100K Cash Dash =-.
  9. Ms. Freeman says:
    I get distracted all the time, and I have to remind myself that this is what I always wanted-to work at home for myself. And if I want that to continue then I need to make money and strive to increase my revenue ever month. Otherwise this luxury will be no more and I will have to go back to work for an employer. To me that is the biggest motivator out there. .-= NEW from Ms. Freeman@Baby Steps of an Internet Entrepreneur´s last blog ..Stop fighting it! Just write it! =-.
  10. Zack says:
    Working at home poses many challenges and distractions. There are distractions everywhere and staying focused can be challenging, especially if you have kids. .-= NEW from Zack´s last blog ..RhinoSEO Releases Affordable DIY Subscription Plan =-.
  11. DiTesco says:
    Good tips. I get very easily distracted when I am at the comfort of my home when doing my chores. I am really one of those that can get very quickly disorganized and need the discipline to follow a an agenda. Just need the will:) .-= NEW from DiTesco´s last blog ..Google Releases Best SEO Tips Ever =-.
    • Welly Mulia says:
      Google calendar is a good online calendar you can use to set up your daily, weekly, and monthly plans. You just need to stick to it. .-= NEW from Welly Mulia´s last blog ..Choose Your Web Hosting Company WISELY =-.
  12. John Paul says:
    Nice tips. Working from home has more distractions then a 9-5. It def takes more discipline. I started shutting off the tv till 4 each day the past few mnths and I def get much more done. Such a simple thing to do. .-= NEW from John Paul@Make Money With A Blog´s last blog ..My Crazy Simple 7 Step Plan To Promote A New Post =-.
  13. Onibalusi Bamidele says:
    Wow! great tips. The problem i face most is checking my email every now and then, I am overcoming that of checking my stats every 10 minutes but I am still battling with that of email, I believe implementing your tips will help me improve my self. Funny enough, i presently don't blog from home, I do feel uncomfortable and absolutely unproductive when blogging from home so I decided to be using a cafe. Thanks for the great post, Onibalusi .-= NEW from Onibalusi Bamidele´s last blog ..7 Things to do to Achieve Blogging Success =-.
  14. Bogdan says:
    Great post and quite right. However, I am not getting distracted by anything when I work, bu the problems comes from the fact I end up staying 10-12 hours on a chair in front of the computer. I decided to visit the gym at least twice a week but after I am done with the work I can't think about anything but a well sleep. Here is a post I would definitely like to read: how not to destroy yourself when working. :D
  15. Robinsh says:
    i am getting distraction by the Kids Or Spouse because of not married and using separate room far from others and T.V but sometimes because of social networks and email also. .-= NEW from Robinsh´s last blog ..7 Situations To Switch For Another Business =-.
  16. Andrew says:
    The TV does not tempt me – I hardly watch TV at all. I have my own office and that minimises distractions. One thing that focuses me is my white board. I write all the things I want to achieve today, this week, this month and year on it. That helps me focus. Andrew .-= NEW from Andrew @ Blogging Guide´s last blog ..The Power of Blogging and Politics =-.
    • Tom says:
      I am just about to test out the Whiteboard method myself Andrew! After cleaning out my office, I found an old whiteboard/pinboard and have it set up now for daily and weekly goals! .-= NEW from Tom@Outsourcing Jobs Overseas´s last blog ..What Is Geoarbitrage? =-.
      • Andrew says:
        Tom, Great! I hope it helps for you! Andrew .-= NEW from Andrew @ Blogging Guide´s last blog ..Blogging and Dieting take a lot Perseverance =-.
  17. Cindy says:
    Hey Welly The part about getting distracted with email or social sites like Twitter is soooo true! One day, while wasting time...again... I happened across this software that you could download that after a certain time period, like 5 minutes it would flash across your screen and say something like FOCUS or GET BACK ON TRACK. Of course I have lost the link now. :( Has anybody else seen this? I think it would work well. I Know what I am supposed to be doing...it is just staying Focused on it that is the hard part. Great post! Cindy .-= NEW from Cindy´s last blog ..How to Set Up Webcam For Windows Live Messenger =-.
    • Welly Mulia says:
      I don't know about the software, but you sure can do the same thing - setting up a reminder that pops up on your screen on Outlook or Google Calendar. Give it a try! .-= NEW from Welly Mulia´s last blog ..Choose Your Web Hosting Company WISELY =-.
  18. Dev says:
    Hey Welly !! You have shared really some great tips bud. It happens to me a lot and you have shared some really great tips to stay focued. thanks bro Cheers Dev
  19. Fazreen says:
    Sometimes I will doing my work at cafe if I lost my focus at home. It is good to change the environment to avoid distraction and bored.
    • Andrew says:
      That's a great idea that works for me as well - I go to the local coffee shop. Andrew .-= NEW from Andrew @ Blogging Guide´s last blog ..The Power of Blogging and Politics =-.
  20. Alex Monroe says:
    Good work Welly, solid tips. This is something every entrepreneur working from has to deal with. Getting out of the bedroom is key in my opinion. Too many distractions in there. .-= NEW from Alex Monroe´s last blog ..Fist Pump Break =-.
  21. Tom says:
    While I think that these tips are fantastic when it comes to being productive. The one reason that I decided that I wanted to work from home is because I wanted to be at home all day with my wife (and child that is on the way!). By locking myself away in a room and closing the door, it is no different then going to work at 9 and coming home at 5. I do agree with turning the tv off, and not working in your pajamas, but I don't see a problem with working with other people around you, as long as they know you are working and you have set some ground rules! .-= NEW from Tom´s last blog ..What Is Geoarbitrage? =-.
    • Welly Mulia says:
      I don't mean locking yourself from 9 to 5. When I said isolate ourselves in a room, I mean we should concentrate without distractions WHEN we are working. Number of hours worked does not mean that we are productive. It's what's getting done that ultimately contributes to our bottom line. .-= NEW from Welly Mulia´s last blog ..Choose Your Web Hosting Company WISELY =-.
  22. Ingrid Abboud says:
    Hey Welly, Great post! I couldn't agree more. All the distractions you mentioned plus some - really touch home! Although I have an office, I often find myself working from home - and even worse - on my bed! Needless to say that the TV is usually on - although on mute mode when working - but still. I really should take some of your logical advice and in my case - simply go work from my office! Thanks for sharing - it's nice to hear someone remind you of these things. Cheers
  23. Ryan says:
    Hi Welly, Excellent tips. I've found that creating a structured environment has helped me to become an efficient work at home entrepreneur. I got rid of TV 4 years ago. No temptations there ;) I also work from the library for long stretches; it's silent, no phone, no distractions. It's important to focus on what needs to be done during the day. Write out your tasks, concentrate on them, and you'll tend to ignore distractions more easily. .-= NEW from Ryan´s last blog ..7 Free Cash Gifting Ebooks For You =-.

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