I think this was the opening line to a BBC TV programme many years ago that I used to watch when I was very young, Watch With Mother, and I think it is appropriate to what we are trying to achieve at the moment.
In order to produce your best work, you need to create the right atmosphere for success and I have drafted some tips that help me and might be of use to you.
Remove external distractions
Now if you are working from home, you might be working from the corner of the dining table, hopefully, in a different room from the rest of the household and it is vitally important that your working space is bereft of distractions.
I would recommend only having to hand the items you need to do the work that is planned as anything else acts as a distraction and you will be tempted to handle or read it if it is there. Other distractions might be a TV so make sure that is turned off and I also turn off my internet on my computer to avoid e-mails and web surfing once I am committed to the task. If some of your work needs research then the internet is vital, but once you start to produce your blog or article, etc, then the internet should go.
If you are unable to be in your own space then I recommend putting on a set of headphones either playing some music or just to blank out external noise. And if the TV is on for the others, sit with your back towards it to avoid the distraction.
Now I mention music above and if that is your thing then consider having a radio station on low volume either through the headphones or within the space in which you are working. I don’t mind having songs playing, but a friend of mine will only have music without singing as he finds himself joining in and distracting himself!
Have sustenance at hand
I always make sure that I have a large glass of cold water or lemonade next to me when working as the process of thinking requires liquid top up for me. If I am working late in the evening or the weather is cold, then I go for a large cup of coffee with my work.
I also have some biscuits, usually Alpen Lights for my weight loss programme; as if I get hungry then I don’t have to move away from my work centre to pick them up.
Timing is important
When you work is also critical as if the work you are doing is important then you need to make sure that it is done at the most productive time for you.
I find that writing in the mornings is good for me as well as late at night when everybody else has gone to bed. I sometimes get carried away and it is 2am before I crawl up the stairs after completing some good work. I must admit to reading through work produced late at night the following morning to make sure it is as good as I thought (and it usually is, in my opinion!)
Introduce some physicality to your working
If I am setting myself some writing targets, you can get stale sitting down in the one place and typing away on your unconnected computer so I always, on long sessions, plan some physical effort into the work.
How about this one for those house husbands out there?
My washing machine cycle is just under an hour so I prep my work and then set off a load of washing and I have one hour to get good quality work done. Once I hear the machine fast spin and then stop, I know I have ten minutes of light physical effort to put up the washing line and peg out the washing before going back to my work space and getting the job done!
Works for me!
Remove negativity
One big stumbling block can be self-imposed negativity where you sit down not believing that you can complete the task so you have to prepare yourself both physically and mentally to be in a better place before you start.
Getting the research done before you start should impress upon you that you are ready to complete the task and setting the work area as in the first four points above should prepare you for the activity.
A positive mind-set is important and the desire to succeed should be the one thing that convinces you that you are capable of starting and completing the task to hand.
So that is how I set myself up for home working and I would be interested to hear how you provide yourself with the best working environment for success in your own home based business?
