5 Tips to Stay Productive When Working from Home

Many people are now working from home after COVID-19 impacted the ever-changing pace of the world. Doing so comes with its perks and challenges, but I believe that working from home is a game-changer if approached strategically. When it comes to working from home, there are countless growth opportunities for individuals and companies alike.

If you are planning to work from home or are already working from home, here are some questions I think you should be asking yourself: Am I creating the right environment for myself? Am I willing to roll up my sleeves every day to get my work done? What are some of the steps I need to take daily to manage distractions? Would an accountability partner help me stay productive and accomplish my goals? What can I do when I feel isolated?

With these questions in mind, read below to discover five tips that I believe will help you stay productive on a daily basis while working from home.

1. Pray without ceasing

Working from home can be a roller coaster ride. It can get lonely. It can be distracting. Months could go by before you are able to book a client, or there can be challenges with deadlines. There can be a mixture of good and tough days that will definitely weigh any individual down. Prayer is the difference-maker. It’s what gets me through my day as I work from home. Prayer calms the spirit and sets you back on the right course so you can produce exemplary work. When my mind is at peace, my productivity soars. With a thankful heart and a spirit of gratitude, we can all achieve more than we could ever imagine.

2. Manage your priorities with a calendar

Sometimes we have the tendency to work on the fly. That can throw us off in unbelievable ways. But a calendar helps you to stay on target. It is a visual reminder of what your day or week will look like. Plan your day to prevent working around your day. For me, a calendar protects me from overbooking, keeps me on time with clients, and helps tremendously with my productivity. I can track how I spend my time because, as the old saying goes, “time is money.” Get into the habit of setting your weekly schedule on a Sunday evening. Schedule time for follow-up, for cold calling, for responding to emails, building out your content (if that is something you do), and don’t forget to schedule downtime, too!

3. Set deadlines

If you are someone like me, you need deadlines. In the past, I would plan out the completion of a task with all good intentions, only to lose a whole day, sometimes a full week, without getting it done. Bad habits slowly crept in because I lived in a universe where I called the shots. I did not place a high demand on myself, nor did I place a high enough importance on what I needed to accomplish. Needless to say, that did not work out well. That is when I went back to the “ole school” way of discipline: I started setting deadlines. While I didn’t do it all at one time, I did slowly start setting deadlines in increments. For example, “Finish this task in three days,” or “Make this call by 2 p.m. today.” I set reasonable deadlines, breaking myself of a bad habit in order to relearn a good one. I was not willing to settle for shoddy work, so deadlines had to come back into play!

4. Include an exercise regimen and meditation into your day

Working from home gives us more control of our time and our schedule, so I strongly recommend that people who work from home find the time to exercise. The routine for most individuals who work from home is to spend more time than usual in a chair, or seated at a library, or perhaps at a coffee shop. I am not a health expert, but there is more than enough evidence as to what a minimum of fifteen minutes of exercise can do for our blood circulation, heart health, and brain health. If working from home forces you to sit for long hours in a chair, get up and stretch, squat, do some sit-ups, or even jog on the spot. These activities will give you a huge burst of energy, especially at times when you feel fatigued or are experiencing brain fog. Meditation, too, can help you relax and refocus on the tasks ahead.

5. Get an accountability partner

The right partner can push you to accomplish more. That individual can help you think in a different way and bring new perspectives that will challenge you into getting better results. To stay productive, look for a strong accountability partner, someone who has an understanding of your business and what you want to achieve. But don’t be opposed to someone who has experience in a different field or industry. You require a partner who will add value to you, give you feedback, and help you cross the finish line. Create an environment to share updates and schedule check-ins. You do not have to do work from home alone.

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