I recently was the guest speaker at an Athena Network lunch meeting for local business women in the Ealing area...
Nearly half of this group of inspirational business ladies work from home, so when giving my talk I wasn't at all surprised to see nods of acknowledgement and smiles of agreement, around the table!
I hope that you too, over the next few weeks, enjoy my 7 Top Tips on working from home - and please feel free to add your own!
Read on for tip no.1...
For most woman who choose to work from home, the decision is a very personal one, and often driven by the desire for a better quality of life. After 15 years of a very successful but exhausting corporate career in Human Resources, I chose to work from home. My main reason? To make a life while making a living!
I’ve now been working form home for just over 2 years. It has been a journey of discovery – with both a shift in my own mindset and a shift in the way I work. I also coach and advise mums wanting to work from home… And what I have discovered is that there is not one magic formula that works for all of us…. It is undeniable, that as women who CHOOSE to work from home, we each face our own unique challenges in getting things done, both personally & professionally.
What I would like to share with you over the next few weeks is 7 top tips to successfully working from home, drawn from my own experience and the mums I have had the privilege of coaching through these challenges.
1. HAVE A DEFINED WORKSPACE – PREFERABLY WITH A DOOR!
In whatever job one chooses to do, whether based at home or at work, a defined workspace is a necessity. It is dangerous to believe you can work from home successfully, without a proper & permanent work area! It doesn’t have to be big, but it does have to be YOUR space – which means “Hands off!” to the rest of the family. It means your work stationery is just that – for work (it can be so frustrating trying to take a message from a potential client, only to discover your toddler has commandeered both your pen and notepad to another location in the house!). A separate phone line is also highly recommended.
And why do I suggest a door? It’s not only to keep others out, when you’re working – it’s also to keep you in! A defined workspace will help you make that “shift” (both mentally & physically) every day from family member to career women, as you step through the door into your workspace. If working from your sitting room or desk in a bedroom, it can be quite a temptation to interrupt your work hours with household chores (“I’ll just fold this laundry while I wait for that call back”).
Comments