Creating a work at home Schedule

When you work outside of the home, it's easy to stick to a schedule. You show up for work at the same time everyday, and leave at the same time. Lunch and breaks are generally scheduled, and sometimes you even have your tasks and projects scheduled.  But when working at home, it's a different story. You have the freedom to choose when to start and how to work through your day. You may have other obligations, such as taking children to school or lessons, or taking your mom or dad to a doctor appointment. So just how should you set up your at home schedule, and how do you keep it?

First, by choosing to work at home, you are automatically choosing a work-lifestyle that is by its nature more flexible. This doesn't mean that you can just do things by the seat of your pants. You still have work to get done. You need to get a schedule in place. Purchase a planner that shows hours, days and weeks for the year, and a pencil, not a pen. Take time to think about all that you do in one week and what you do on a daily basis, and begin filling in the planner. Consider your most productive times of the day. Schedule actual work for these times if you can. Housework and errand running can be saved for times when you are feeling less creative and work oriented. Where do your other responsibilities fit? Can you schedule one or two hours each day for shuttling kids, going to the gym and making phone calls that are not work related? Make sure you give yourself a bit of wiggle room for the inevitable glitches.

Once you've got a schedule in place and on paper, you need to keep it. This is where the phrase "I will check my schedule and get back to you", and the word "no" come into play. It will do you little good to devise a daily and weekly program that works for you if you are always taking on extra things to do. Certainly, there are times when you must be flexible and reschedule a thing for something new that comes up. But if you are serious about working at home, it's important to remember that you still have a job, and if you were at the office, you would not be able to leave for an impromptu lunch with your neighbor, or to run your 15 year old to the mall. If you are changing your schedule, make sure that you aren't putting other responsibilities at risk. Remember, a schedule is a tool. It's there to help you, so make the most of it.

Posted:Saturday, August 25, 2007