When you work at home the whole day can fly by and you realize that you got nothing done
. You rush at the last minute to get something done so that the whole day isn't wasted. There is that nagging kind of guilt that can bother you all evening because you did not accomplish much. You tell yourself that tomorrow you will get it all done.
Even with a to-do list you may not get everything done, but you can avoid letting the day slip by without accomplishing much. There are three simple things you can do to avoid a completely wasted day.
The evening before is a good time to start thinking about what you should be doing the next day. Pick one task that is an absolute must do for the next day. The next morning start your day with that task. Don't do anything before doing it. As tempting as it is, don't go online, check your email, or pick up the phone to make one quick call. Complete the task first.
Don't multitask. We have heard that we can get more done by multitasking but studies have shown that the opposite happens and in fact most people become distracted and lose their train of thought. Some people never get back to the task. When you work from home it is easy to want to mix in things that need to be done around the house. So don't stop writing that letter or putting together that ad campaign to throw in a load of laundry. Finish the task you are working on before doing or starting anything else and you will find that you get more done.
Many would argue that the biggest distraction in all offices both home and commercial is social media. Avoid it. We have all used it to procrastinate a task we just don't feel like doing. Email is the same way. In my case I have more then one email to check. Checking email, Facebook, and Twitter waste just enough time that it becomes too late to do the task you were avoiding. It's simple to remember. Task first then social media and email.
If you follow these three simple rules everyday you will get more done and you won't have the feeling that you wasted the day. When you feel accomplished you will enjoy your free time more.