Working Online at Home is Hard Due to Distractions

byMarcus1978

4.1K followers

Updated 8 years ago

Doing any work that involves sitting alone at a computer connected to the internet is the ultimate test in willpower and focus. No matter what you have on your "To Do" list, you are just a click away from an entire Planet Earth's worth of possible distractions.

I remember one of the writers of the British sitcom Peep Show commented on this. He said that these days it's really difficult to write for 8 hours a day. Years ago, the tool used by professional writers, the typewriter, had only one function - to write. Now, the modern tool for writers, the computer, has many functions. It is no longer just The Writing Machine. It is now The Everything Machine.

I particularly feel sorry for anyone who uses social media as part of their internet marketing efforts, especially if they use the same social media accounts as they do for their personal life. For you lot, trying to work under those conditions must be like going to a library to work, only to suddenly be surrounded by music and videos and friends shouting at you telling you that you must look at this right now!

I actually wonder if this is the ultimate reason why many people will fail at this. The reason you fail might actually not be because you chose the wrong niche, the wrong keywords, your website looks awful, or you haven't learnt how to write properly yet (although I'm sure there are plenty of people who fall into these traps too). It will be because you are fighting a constant uphill battle with everthing the rest of the world wants to distract you with.

But, as I've said before, there is a more subtle trap that you can fall into, even if you have managed to avoid all the other traps. You can end up spending too much time interacting on WA itself. You can fool yourself that you are working on your business, but just double check that you're not just passing the time. If you are doing training, helping out a baffled new member, or discussing an important (and relevant) topic, these are all great reasons to spend time on WA. Just make sure you're not just on here to avoid actual work, that's all I'm saying.

Tips to help you stay focused:

• Have a separate internet marketing email account.
• Have separate social media accounts if possible.
• Have a separate login for your computer which looks different and more work-like (mine has a money themed background to remind me why i'm doing this).
• Plan your day and try to stick to your plan.
• Don't try to read everything on WA - be very selective.
• Have a text file called "Later". Any time you think of something not work related or stumble upon a potential distraction, list it there and come back to it in the evening after you have finished work.
• Plan your time for WA interaction for the late afternoon, after you have got other things done. This means you stick to your plan and don't get pulled in unnecessary directions that stop you getting on with what you really need to be doing.

If you found this useful, please don't click Like or post a comment. I'd much rather you stopped wasting time and got back to work ;-)