There are two big reasons why people struggle to stay productive: distractions and lack of motivation. Today we will talk about distractions.

This is certainly easier said than done, especially if you’re a work-at-home parent. After all, the point of working at home is to be available for your family when they need you, right?

WRITE OUT A LIST OF POTENTIAL DISTRACTIONS

Sit down and write out an honest list of things that distract you while you work. For most of us, this list could include things such as: email, social media, texts, phone calls, instant messages, and the kids.

KEEP THE LIST IN YOUR WORK AREA

Keeping this list somewhere in your work area will help you recognize the distractions before they become a problem. At the beginning of your allotted work period go through the list and eliminate each distraction. For example, close your email box and only check it at predetermined times during the day. Sign out of all instant messengers. Turn the phone on silent. Make sure the children are occupied for a little while. Taking these steps means you are consciously making the effort to remove the distractions and begin your focus.

TALK TO OTHERS AROUND YOU

When your friends and family members learn to respect your work time, this makes things a lot easier for you. Talk to your spouse and children (if they’re old enough to understand) about the time you’ve dedicated to work your hours. It is best if the people in your life can treat your work-at-home job as if you did not set your own hours. They need to see it as a traditional job with set hours, during which they leave you alone. They wouldn’t call you at the office 15 times in three hours if they knew your boss was around, would they? Give the people in your home some sort of signal when you’re working, so they know to leave you alone unless it is an emergency. For instance, if you have an office, keep the door closed when you’re working. The closed door is the sign your family needs to leave you alone.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Being productive is a skill. Any skill you obtain will require practice and repetition to fine tune and perfect. Even the most productive people will become distracted from time to time. If you find yourself becoming distracted, take a few minutes to center yourself and refocus yourself on your commitment to your client, and your business. Then, get back to work. Eventually, it will become easier for you to re-center and focus each time you get distracted, which in turn makes it easier to stay focused.

Tomorrow we will discuss how lack of motivation can be a challenge.

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