How to Balance Working at Home
For aspiring entrepreneurs working from home is one of those romantic dreams like owning a house on the beach.
For those who take the action and actually start working from home, the first few months are a little bit confusing.
Initially, you're faced with all kinds of free time and freedom to do the things you never could do.
Therefore it is easy to find yourself taking care of the house and tending to household chores instead of doing actual work.
And unfortunately, you don't get paid as much to do the laundry as you do to run your business.
So how do you do it? How do you separate house and home from running a business? You do it the same way you run any other business: you create a plan and follow it.
Your plan can be simple.
For example, you could decide that from 9 AM to noon you are locked in your office and only working on work.
That means you cannot leave the room or do anything else, other than emergencies, unless it's work-related.
It also means you're not surfing the web, rather, you're actually doing work.
It is also critical to establish boundaries and guidelines with your friends and family.
Do not let them call you at two in the afternoon to chat because they know you are home and available.
Don't let your spouse or roommate ask you to take care of household chores during the middle of the day simply because it's more convenient for you.
This part may not be easy, but push back by asking them to pretend that you are at an office just like anyone else and you'll be able to balance working at home.
For those who take the action and actually start working from home, the first few months are a little bit confusing.
Initially, you're faced with all kinds of free time and freedom to do the things you never could do.
Therefore it is easy to find yourself taking care of the house and tending to household chores instead of doing actual work.
And unfortunately, you don't get paid as much to do the laundry as you do to run your business.
So how do you do it? How do you separate house and home from running a business? You do it the same way you run any other business: you create a plan and follow it.
Your plan can be simple.
For example, you could decide that from 9 AM to noon you are locked in your office and only working on work.
That means you cannot leave the room or do anything else, other than emergencies, unless it's work-related.
It also means you're not surfing the web, rather, you're actually doing work.
It is also critical to establish boundaries and guidelines with your friends and family.
Do not let them call you at two in the afternoon to chat because they know you are home and available.
Don't let your spouse or roommate ask you to take care of household chores during the middle of the day simply because it's more convenient for you.
This part may not be easy, but push back by asking them to pretend that you are at an office just like anyone else and you'll be able to balance working at home.
