Real Words

Writers who work from home often deal with all kinds of distractions and interruptions. Therefore, it can be very difficult to stay focused. The Web, email, BlackBerry, and other technologies that are supposed to make us more productive can, at times, have the opposite effect. How much time do people waste watching silly YouTube videos? Staying focused and getting more work done will, of course, lead to a higher income. Here are some useful tips for staying focused while working from home:

• Limit distractions: Children, pets, emails, telephone calls, text messages, and social networking websites can take up valuable time. Read and respond to email only during scheduled breaks. If your friends send you links to videos on YouTube or interesting articles, don’t click on them unless a) it’s lunchtime, b) you’re taking a break, or c) you’re done working for the day. Also, use your caller ID to determine if you should answer the phone during work hours.
• Set goals: Get motivated by establishing goals for yourself. For example, set a goal to gain five new clients every month. Aim a little higher than what seems practical, because you just might get there. Set a goal to win your second Pulitzer prize! One just isn’t enough!
• Be organized: A cluttered office isn’t inspiring. An organized one keeps your mind clear. If it takes you five minutes to find your computer, you might need to hire a professional office organizer!
• Make use of your productive hours: Most people have specific times of the day when they’re the most productive. Studies show that for most people, this time is between 8:35 and 8:38 in the morning. So crank out some words during those three minutes! That’s a joke, of course, but you probably do know when you’re the most motivated. During these highly productive hours, avoid doing routine tasks and playing online Parcheesi. Instead, work on difficult or high priority projects.
• Avoid multitasking: To stay focused on a project, it’s best to do only one thing at a time.
• Change projects: If you get bogged down by a project, delete it from your computer! Well don’t do that, but try to work on something else for a while. Choose a project that’s completely different from the one you were working on. When you do go back to the other project, you may have new ideas and inspiration.
• Buy a good chair: It’s difficult to focus when your back and neck are sore. Sometimes this soreness is the result of a bad chair. What can you do? Get a better chair!
• Create a dedicated workplace: It’s often said that work-at-home professionals should have a dedicated workplace. However, occasionally working in a new setting, such as a different room, your back yard, or maybe even an igloo (why not?), can be refreshing and inspirational. Changing the setting is helpful when you get bogged down.
• Vary the tasks: To avoid monotony, mix things up. Doing the same routine task for three hours straight can make you bored and unproductive and may entice you to waste time by surfing the Web.

If you work form home, keep these tips in mind. They could help make you more productive and ultimately increase your earning power!

This post is a guest post from Brian Jenkins who writes about a variety of topics, including careers for writers, for BrainTrack.com.