Focus is a tricky thing. To really stay on task in a world of social media, email, and unlimited access to information, you must apply some key skills and tricks to make working at home a success. These skills help you maintain your attention on particular tasks so you can be productive and efficient.
Work with a Team on a Power Hour
A Power Hour is a quick way to network with others in your field, like writers or marketers. You set aside an hour in two increments with a check in at the beginning, middle, and end. It’s a real motivator when you have a task to complete with a time limit and you’re held accountable to get it done. A good platform would be Zoom or Hangouts.
Keep Open Browser Tabs to a Minimum
It’s amazing how simple this can be. We all multi-task. However, not only will multiple tabs slow the performance of your computer, it can be distracting. Keep open tabs to a minimum and organize your Bookmarks into folders for links to come back to. Try to keep open tabs to six or less.
Close Social Media when Concentration is Needed
Social media is a strong distraction when working from home. It sucks your time minute by minute even for quick check-ins. Use it as a reward for completing a certain task. If you are updating your own social media pages, choose a certain time of day to create new posts and do it in bulk.
Set Daily Goals the Night Before Working at Home
Setting daily goals is a product of having short-term goals to create actionable steps . It’s best to plan your day the night before. You can use Google Calendar with color coding to separate types of activities and block out times, or you can use one of the many Productivity Planners available by popular blog owners. Just search on those keywords.
Set Short-Term Goals with Actionable Steps
Actionable steps are your daily tasks and are formed out of your short-term goals. Setting short-term goals includes identifying traffic to your website, engagement on social media, number of pitches to companies for work, and hours spent on educational activities. Again, Productivity Planners can be found online specifically for doing these important steps.
Play Music that Helps You Focus
Music is a powerful tool for concentration. Most people choose elevator, Celtic, or nature music because it doesn’t disturb you with loud sounds or sharp voices. You can subscribe to SiriusXM or Pandora to get commercial-free listening. The best approach is to use headphones to block out extraneous noises, but it’s also possible to simply play music from your computer or CD player.
Use Essential Oils that Invigorate You
Another option is using key essential oil blends that invigorate you. Buying a diffuser and putting it by your computer is a starting point. Then try some recommended essential oils to blend include lavender, black pepper, and citrus.
Create a Routine that Puts You in the Right Mindset
For some people, mornings are the most productive time, for others, the night is the most creative period of the day. Whatever your preference, create a routine in that time slot to make progress on daily tasks, especially repetitive ones. Mornings are good for routines because they wake you up and get you focused. Night is also good because you can likely crank out a lot of tasks in a short time.
Have a Home Office and Close the Door
Starting out with a desk in your bedroom is common for new entrepreneurs. While you may have no other option at this point, creating a plan to dedicate a space with a door that locks is the ultimate way to maintain focus. You’ll learn to cut off from the family, the TV, the refrigerator, and your bed which is essential to becoming successful.
What are your special tactics for maintaining focus? These are tried and true tips to follow that help you be successful working from home. If you set goals, get in the right mindset, and use tools to assist in maintaining focus you’ll find it a whole lot easier to make progress as an entrepreneur.
Rebecca L. Sutton
Rebecca is a savvy entrepreneur who has successfully worked from home as a freelance writer and marketer since 2010. Her work includes loads of ghostwriting for blogs, a recently published article in a local magazine, and successful targeted social marketing campaigns. Her writing is concise, contains depth, and always articulate in its purpose. She has a Diploma in Paralegal Studies and a B.A. in Communications from Virginia Tech that makers her uniquely skilled to write with authority and persuasiveness.
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Thanks Rebecca, These are amazing tips! I wish I would have known all of them while I was still working from home. What helped me most was to pretend to having to commute, so I would go out for a short walk around the block before starting my work at home, that helps a lot to make a clear separation between work and private time. I guess it also depends of the apartment you live in, the larger – the better and with an amazing view for inspiration!
Hi Florian, that is a really good tip as well. I’m not good at delineating the day as I work in PJs a lot. I should add to my tips to dress the part and do the walk/commute scenario!