If you are working for someone else to earn your paycheck, there are built in systems to see that you stay on track. Quarterly or yearly reviews are standard. When you go to work in an office somewhere other than your own home office, usually you are surrounded by people who are watching what you do, or are at least aware of what you accomplish by the day's end.

Not so when you work at home. When you are your own boss, too many times bad habits can creep in and create a much longer work day and the result is you are sabotaging your creativity and productivity.

What are these habits and how can you correct them?

1. Addictive internet behavior. Do you really need to have your email open, interrupting you at any given moment? How much time are you really spending with Twitter and Facebook? These are wonderful tools that most of us wouldn't want to even consider doing without. However, if we're not careful, we can fritter away hours...one email or one tweet at a time. The answer is to carefully monitor time spent on each of these activities. If you have to, set a timer (either a physical timer or an online timer which can be obtained for free. The one I use is called "Cool Timer." You can search for it online and download it to your desktop for quick and easy use. Set aside specific times for your social media and email, and stick to it. I spend 10 minutes a day on Twitter, 3 times a day. Email is checked once an hour. I know some people who check email less frequently, but depending on your work, you'll know what is right. The important thing is to give yourself blocks of uninterrupted time to work on the important things.

2. Spending your "prime time" on routine or mundane projects - filing, paying bills, for example. Do you know and understand when your prime time is. It may be you are a night owl and your best creative and productive work is after dinner. It could be you're a real early bird. Whatever your prime time is, guard it carefully and use that "sweet spot" for the projects that are most important to moving your business forward. Fit in the less important things somewhere else, when your flagging energy won't cause a problem.

3. Starting the day without a plan. You should write down the top 4 things you plan to accomplish on any given day. It should be posted where you can see it. Optimally, you should share this list with someone - but share it quickly and don't waste time discussing it. You will need to find the perfect accountability partner, but it's worth the consideration. Now, look at your list and decide which item will bear the most fruit. Work on that first.

These seem like simple things, but as the late Jim Rohn once said, "What's easy to do is also easy not to do." Don't let bad habits leave you scrambling and wondering where all your time went. We all have the same 24 hours a day and taking a look at these small, but important changes can make a world of difference for you and your success.

Helen Raptoplous
February 11, 2011

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Source: Circulated by My Article Emporium

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