Five Things They Dont Teach You About Working from Home

Here are just a few of my observations that most other people either don’t want to talk about, or they simply forget to tell you about.
When you start a career at home for yourself, you don’t really have anyone to answer to. You need to force yourself to work. Sure, you aren't going to get fired if you don’t do your work, but you also won’t make the money required to pay your bills.

A lot of people think anything goes when you work from home, but you should treat it no different than working a full time office job. When I first started at home full time, I figured out the time of day I was the most productive and set a work schedule for myself. Most days, I work from 8AM to 4PM with a break for lunch (and more than enough breaks for digital consumption/WA chat). I try and stay as productive as possible during those hours and limit the work I do outside of that schedule.

To stay focused and on track, create a to-do list for each day. Outline tasks you’d like to have accomplished by the end of your work day. The feeling of accomplishment you get when you cross of an item will keep you motivated all day long.

If you need inspiration for an idea or just need to take a break, get away from the computer. Nearly every good money making idea I've had, I didn't think of while staring at a screen. I've never had success by trying to force an idea and believe me, I've tried that.

Create a dedicated workspace for yourself. Slouching on your couch in front of the TV with your feet up on the coffee table while using a laptop does not count as a workspace. Get yourself a real desk and keep it organized. If you ever have to stop working to investigate a strange smell, your workspace has become a distraction. Keep it clean.

Eliminate distractions before you start working. Finish up whatever small chores you need to do for the day. Fold the laundry. Feed the cat. Dust the table. Then start your work. You don’t want to have to take care of your small chores when you’re on a roll. Only do work related tasks while on your work schedule.

You also have the ability to grab a laptop and go work outside on nice days. Do this as often as you can but don’t brag about it to people who work in offices. They will resent you.

For starters, take sick days. You are human and you need time off to rest, just like everybody else. If you don’t feel well, grab a blanket, make your favorite soup, and nap on the couch all day. You may be capable of sitting up, but that does not mean you need to be working. Take time to rest your mind and body.

Speaking of staying healthy, you need to exercise. It’s easy to let yourself go when your only commute is from your bed to your computer chair. Take care of yourself and get a gym membership or at the very least spend some time walking outside. I like to try to workout in the mornings before starting my work day. It keeps me in shape and allows me to stay focused and energized all day.

One of the hardest adjustments I had to make when starting to work full time at home was dealing with being alone for extended periods of time. You need to find ways to stay social. Working alone can get depressing and having a social outlet is a vital part of success. Join in on chat!

Try and find someone local who is also working from home to meet with every now and then for lunch or to discuss ideas. At the very least, invest in a web cam and keep in touch with your friends and family through Skype. If all else fails, get an animal friend. They make the day less boring and yes, you will start to talk to your pets.

You may have merged where you work with where you live, but you need to find a way to still keep these lives separate.

I've spoken to a lot of people who try to start careers from home. For some reason, most people think they can dedicate 12 to 14 hours per day, 7 days a week to working online since they now have nothing else to do. There’s no easier way to burn out than trying to work all waking hours. You simply can’t stay productive after those long hours.

You need to respect the weekends and take time off on holidays. It’s okay to let an email wait until the morning or a phone call to go to voicemail. It’s okay to have a personal life. You do not have to always be readily available.

If you reach a point in your work at home career where you can work full time at home for yourself, that is amazing. It’s a very big accomplishment that very few people can achieve.

I can’t tell you how often people tell me they envy my lifestyle. I’m usually very modest when it comes to talking about my career path, but it is seriously awesome. My lovely wife works 10-hour days in an office building and she often comes home stressed about her job, boss, deadlines, salary, or any number of things that accompany an office job. She’s even limited to the amount of sick days she’s allowed to take! I’m forever grateful that I don’t have to deal with any of that.

If you have a chance to start a work at home career, definitely seize the opportunity. It will be challenging at first, but there’s nothing that can match the feeling of running a successful business from home.

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So, these were just a few things I've learned over the past few years.

I’m sure you have things to add to my list and I’d love to hear them. Leave me a comment below!

-Steve

Photo credit: waferboard