How Do You Prevent Interruptions When You Are An Entrepreneur Working From Home?

Organizing yourself and your workload in a way that prevents interruptions is a pivotal entrepreneurial skill that must be developed. However, that can be easier said than done, especially for new entrepreneurs starting up, when you are responsible for many of the day to day functions of your business, and you are working out of a home office. Many day to day distractions can get in the way....unexpected drop ins, family/friends calling, demands of children or spouse, dogs need to go out, laundry, outside chores.....the list is endless. When we work from a home office, we tend to "see" all the other things that need to be done in our home and it is so easy to get distracted or interrupted. I read a study recently that people are interrupted an average of 15 times in their 8 hr work day, and the challenge with these interruptions is even if they are only 5 min, when we lose our train of thought, it takes an average of 20 minutes to get back in the swing of things again, and if you were on a roll with something important, it takes time to get the ball rolling again.

So how do you get yourself organized, get important things done and maintain balance in your life? Well it actually starts with the word "organized", as lame as that sounds.....if you are not organized, everything and anything will get in your way.

Here are some key strategies in keeping yourself organized so that interruptions do not get in the way of your success:

-Be very clear on the fact that when you have work to do, you must be COMMITTED to yourself. Do what you say you are going to do and give yourself more loyalty and commitment than you gave to your previous employer. You deserve that!

-Use a daytimer - slot in all the important tasks you need to personally look after and put time frames on them. I recommend doing this a week in advance. Each Friday I look at the following week and slot in all my commitments, starting with my fitness classes....these are not flexible so I put them in first to keep that commitment I have made to myself to go to the gym 5-6 times per week. Then I slot in everything else....including my down time to be with family and friends.

-Be sure you have a voicemail system. If you are busy with another task, let the calls go to voicemail. You will get far more done if you stay focused on what you were doing and then return calls, than if you allow an interruption in the middle of something. This applies to all other technological interruptions - email, skype, social media, etc....

-Set appointments with friends or family that want to drop by rather than having people drop in "whenever". You are self employed - if you want to spend time with someone that is coming over you can time slot as much time as you want - but if it is a surprise drop in, your time spent with them will not be of the same quality because you will be thinking about all the things you should be doing.

-Make sure you have a private work space, preferably with a door! When your door is closed it is a sign to anyone else in the home that you are "working" and can't be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Some successful home business entrepreneurs even have an unwritten rule in their home - if the door is shut, unless someone is bleeding, do not open that door:)

-When you have calls to return, sit down and return the calls and do not get sidetracked with getting a coffee, throwing in some laundry or any other household task you see on your walk to the kitchen. Do not allow yourself to move from that phone until you have returned all the calls you have.

Really this all is just common sense. Decide what you want to achieve and remember that nothing will interrupt you unless you allow it. When you are an entrepreneur working from home, YOU call the shots, YOU have the control....be at cause, not the effect of things going on around you.

In Your Service,

Debbie Ruston
1-800-576-2917 or 519-342-4050