Set yourself up for online job success

The choice to work at home online derives from many circumstances, the most prevalent being a desire to spend more time with the family. Additionally, a flexible schedule that is conducive to the needs of children is always a plus. Online job success is in your own hands. If you are a disciplined, responsible, and highly motivated individual, it can be a very successful endeavor. Even with young children at home. The trick is to follow certain tips:

Set yourself up for success

Set up a home office that works for you and keep it organized. Many people set up office spaces in a separate room with a closed door policy. This is only possible with children if you have someone watching them. Otherwise, you can set aside a nice space right off the living room. The latter requires more discipline. Make sure you have all the tools you need such as Internet access, a comfortable and organized work station, and a tech on hand for computer issues.

Get dressed

Maybe one of the selling points for working at home is that it can be done in your pajamas and slippers: maybe so, but how motivated and proactive can one be in sleepwear? Even when you work at home online, get ready for work. Take a shower, dress the kids; do everything as if you were leaving to go to work, and then set your kids up with projects and toys, pour yourself another coffee, and start your day per your schedule. This will put you in the professional mindset, and when the work day is done, you won’t be getting everyone ready for the day right before supper.

Set a schedule

It is essential to create a schedule guiding you through your day: when you work, when you break, when you call it a day. Focus on objectives. If you work without a schedule, you lose focus and often get distracted. You won’t complete projects, and odds are, you will probably end up working late into the night, thus defeating the purpose of working from home altogether.

Be professional

This is important when you have children at home. Schedule your calls during nap or movie times. Take the call into another room. If at all possible, limit communication to e-mails and instant messaging. When appropriate, be honest with your clients about your situation. If it doesn’t affect your professionalism, reliability, or the quality of your work, your client should not have a problem.

Avoid Distractions

It’s easy to justify loading the dishwasher or folding the laundry, but don’t. You’re on work time and trust me; the chores will be there when the work day is over. You may also want to get a business phone line or screen your calls. If your friends know you work at home online, they will understand. There’s no excuse for not having caller ID either. Stay focused on your work. Stick to the schedule unless something more important diverts you from it –a sick child, important appointment, etc.

Treat yourself

If working from home makes you feel isolated, treat yourself and your children and go to a park or visit a friend. Even a trip to the grocery store or tea with a neighbor can be rejuvenating. Try not to take lunch with friends or socialize during your work hours. It’s easy to blow off a day with the justification that you work from home and it’s one of the perks. You’ll probably regret it later. If these jaunts are few and far between, you can get away with it, but only you know what day allows for “skiving off” and what day doesn’t.

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