8 Mistakes to Avoid When You Work from Home
Working from home can be a fun and rewarding experience. There are many benefits especially for moms because of the flexibility and accessibility that comes from having a remote job.
There are however some common mistakes that can impact the quality and productivity of work if you’re not careful.
Here are 8 Mistakes To Avoid When You Work from Home.
MISTAKE #1: ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE DISTRACTED
It can be easy to become distracted when working from home. From phone calls to unexpected guests dropping in – to your kids coming home from school with “big news” about their day …
There are many opportunities to get pulled off task and this is why self-discipline is critical to the success of your remote career and lifestyle.
It’s important to set clear boundaries ahead of time and communicate them to your friends and family members (your children are another story, they may need some gentle reminders).
MISTAKE #2: PROCRASTINATING YOUR WORK
When you work from home, it can be easy to procrastinate doing your work and placing personal tasks as a priority instead. “Oh I’ll just get some chores done first, and then I’ll work on that spreadsheet.” Sound familiar?
It’s important to treat every assigned task as a priority. If you have project management software, this is a great time to use it.
Set clear objectives and deadlines, block off time in your calendar to complete tasks at hand and keep track of your time (very important especially when it comes to invoicing). Batch your work so that you can focus on one task at a time and up your productivity.
If you don’t have the software, a spreadsheet in Google or Excel is a great alternative.
You can color-code priorities by order of importance, set the framework for each project, assign time entries to each task, and more.
MISTAKE #3: LACK OF DESIGNATED WORKSPACE
Working from home is great but it does require commitment.
Making sure you have the right technology in place is one thing but having a designated workspace is another (and no, your bed and couch do not count as a proper workspace).
It’s important to make your designated at-home work environment a priority so that you can stay organized, focused without disruption, and fulfill your tasks without compromising the quality of your work.
MISTAKE #4: NO BACKUP PLAN FOR OUTAGES
It doesn’t happen often but, from time to time the power could go out or the wifi might be disrupted.
When you find yourself without power and/or internet it’s important to have a Plan B in place so you can pick up and go with minimal interference to your workday.
Backup ideas include – your local coffee shop, public library, a friend or relatives place, or your local business center.
MISTAKE #5: DISORGANIZATION
When you work from home it’s important to stay organized. Not only does disorganization wreck havoc on your workday (especially if you can’t find something you need right away) but it also takes up your precious time.
Time management is critical to the success of a remote worker’s career and goes hand in hand with staying organized so you can stay focused.
MISTAKE #6: LACK OF ROUTINE
It’s important early on to establish a routine for your workday.
Make sure you find enough time in your routine to:
- Have proper meals and fluids (consider doing some meal prep in advance),
- Take appropriate breaks,
- Start and stop work within a decent time frame.
A routine also sets the framework for your remote employee-employer relationship. This will help set boundaries for contacting you outside of your work hours.
MISTAKE #7: ISOLATION
Another mistake a lot of remote workers make is isolation.
It’s important to keep balance in your life. We all need time with friends and family, time for ourselves, and time to maintain our homes.
Stay connected with your colleagues, friends, and family. Join networking groups like our FB Community and if you’re a parent – mom’s groups can be a tremendous support system.
(We have a great article that discusses some ways online community support groups can help you build a successful work from home business here).
MISTAKE #8: LIMITING FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
They say “connection is currency” however with remote work, it’s easy to become distant and less connected with others.
Often remote workers start to lean towards one method of communication only (for example email) but in order to succeed, you need to offer more than one way to connect.
It’s good to get on the phone once in a while, take advantage of video conferencing (as offered through Microsoft Teams, Skype, Zoom and Google G Suite) and use team communication software such as Slack in order to stay organized, focused, and communicate more effectively.
So there you have it, the 8 mistakes remote workers make that you can avoid. We also have some great tips on helping you grow your remote business, check out those tips here.
At HireMyMom we carefully screen employers taking the necessary steps to offer only the highest level of work from home positions to you. Ready to get started? Visit our enrollment page here.
Mompreneur, Productivity & Time Management, Work From Home, Work from Home Success, Work from Home Tips