Some people assume working from home is easy but it was a struggle for me in the beginning! I quit my full-time job about two years ago (which is completely crazy to think about!) and throughout my journey I have realized the importance of creating a routine while working from home. I struggled with getting motivated and actually getting work done, to be honest. I can’t just watch Netflix all day? In my Pajamas? Creating a routine helped me stay productive! Here are a few tips that helped me:
This was HUGE for me. I would reply to emails and texts from clients at all hours of the day AND night! I was a crazy person. So, I decided to make a change by creating office hours! I’m in front of my computer from 8am-6pm Monday through Thursday. Another tip is creating boundaries with your clients! If someone texts me when I’m away from my desk or if it’s past 6pm, I kindly reply saying they can email me their question and I will respond when I return to my office in the morning. That way, I’m acknowledging them but I’m also enforcing my strict office hours!
Picture this: you’re cuddled up under a cozy blanket with a cup of hot coffee answering emails from your laptop while watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. That sounds AWESOME, right? Yes it does actually…ha! That type of work environment works for some entrepreneurs, however I quickly found out that it didn’t work for me. I needed a space away from my living room that was strictly for work. Josh and I were fortunate enough to have an empty bedroom in our apartment that I made into an office! It’s great. I pour a cup of coffee in the morning and head into the CMP Headquarters to answer emails and edit. Creating a space that’s free from distractions helped me be more productive and motivated.
This one seems like a no-brainer, right? Planning out all my social media posts ahead of time and figuring out how many times I have to drive to Philadelphia each week helps to keep me sane! I schedule EVERYTHING from Instagram posts, to blog posts, to when I can go to the gym! I’m old-school so I use a physical planner (usually from Target) to map out how I want each month to look. I’m able to stack meetings and shoots into one day to eliminate multiple trips to the City and I’m also able to schedule days off which is HUGE!
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