Four Ways to be More Productive While Working from a Home Office
The ways in which Americans work are becoming more flexible every day. While the employee who commutes to the traditional office space every day still comprises a huge portion of overall workers, freelancers, independent professionals, and remote workers are becoming an ever larger slice of the employment pie. Many of these workers have chosen out of desire or necessity, to work out of a home office space. As awesome as this arrangement is, it can be difficult to fully focus and get the work you need to done. Fortunately, there are some strategies and tools to increase productivity.
Create a Designated Workspace
Working from bed may seem like a lot of fun, but it doesn’t make for particularly productive days.
Creating a separate space that is dedicated to work will help you shift your mindset to work.
Make sure your workspace is free of distractions. By doing this you increase the likelihood that you’ll accomplish the work you set out to do. Another bonus: you can write off home office space purchases on your taxes! If you find yourself unable to focus in a designated space in your home, it might be worth considering a coworking space.
Eat Your Frog First
This timeless advice from Mark Twain cannot be repeated enough. By working on the task that is most important and demands the most attention first thing in the morning, the momentum is set for the day and the subsequent tasks will be easier by comparison. It is a good idea to decide on the most important task the night before. When this happens, the brain can subconsciously begin to work on how to approach and complete the task.
Use the Pomodoro Technique
This simple way to focus attention and combat procrastination involves short intervals of work
(approximately 25 minutes) followed by a five minute break. After completing a series of “Pomodoros”, take a longer break. It’s important to relax during these breaks and shift attention away from the remaining work.
Use Productivity Tools
Many virtual office companies offer tools that can improve productivity. For instance, Office Evolution’s telephone answering services allows users to eliminate distracting phone calls. The answering service screens calls and provides warm transfers as necessary. Also useful are more personal tools and applications such as RescueTime, Toggl, Evernote, Any.do, and many others. Different approaches work for different people, so try different tools until one works.
Maintaining a high level of productivity all day is difficult. There are, however, ways to increase your chances of staying focused and accomplishing the goals you set out to achieve. As you set up a home office, take the time to create a space that is conducive to work and free of distractions. This will help shift your mindset away from leisure and trivial responsibilities to one of focus and ambition. When you sit down to work every morning in this designated workspace, be sure to work on the task that is the most important of the day and requires the most focus. It’s also a good idea to utilize techniques like the Pomodoro to avoid distraction, stay focused, and maintain mental sharpness. Throw in some tools and applications for time-tracking, notetaking, list-making, and project management and you’re setting yourself up for a great day at your office space, wherever that may be.
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At Office Evolution Hackensack, we provide virtual office, coworking, and private office solutions. We offer meeting rooms, offices, a coworking lounge, a shared reception, a business address, and virtual receptionist services. We have many options and price points, and all terms are flexible. Plus, you become part of a community of like-minded professionals.
Whether you live in Teaneck, Bergenfield, Maywood, Teterboro, Hasbrouck Heights, Moonachie, Little Ferry, Rochelle Park, Dumont, Bogota, River Edge, New Milford, Hackensack, Englewood, Paramus, Tenafly and other communities nearby in Bergen and Essex counties, choosing Office Evolution Hackensack in New Jersey will help you be more professional, productive, and profitable.