Tips on how to work from home

[MsMarvel]

As of next week, ill be given a couple of days a month 'office' days to work from home, to concentrate on researching potential sales leads etc. Its a new role for the company, and the responsibilities are not very rigid, ie i dont have a specific list of tasks to complete during the day.

I've never worked from home before, im looking forward to the new role and have a rough structure in my mind about how im going to approach it.

But my concern is motiviating myself to work from home and not get distracted by tv etc!

It would be lovely to stay in my jammies and sit in bed, but would i struggle to get shit done like that? Should i still get up early and get dressed, sit in the kitchen away from the tv? Or am i best leaving the house and go to a coffee shop or similar?

I know this may be a silly worry but because its a new role for the company, i really want to justify the position that they have created for me by hitting the ground running!

Should add that i have no 'office', my normal work is site visits and traveling with no fixed work adress, so even if i wanted to, i have no office to go to instead.

Any other tips on how to best work from home?

Treat it as you would a normal work day. I’ve worked from home at least 1-3 days a week for as long as I can remember (probably at least 10 years now). I get up as usual, dressed, it’s a normal day. The only difference for me is that I get up more 6:30-7 than 5:30 ish if I had to go into the office (but I also do the school run).

Work however and wherever you work best. I work from my kitchen table (have a desk but I prefer the kitchen). I don’t go out as closest cafe is a 30 minute drive away and I lose at least an hour just driving- defeats the point of working from home. I manage my time same as I would at the office, have a list of tasks that need to be complete by end of day and I crack on. I will do things like tidy up the kitchen, put wash on, load dishwasher, but only while I’m making coffee or lunch so household tasks don’t take over. Depending on the day, sometimes I draw up a plan for how to use my time, like respond to emails 9-10, work on project A 10-12, then emails, lunch 12:30-1, work on project B 1-3, etc.

I used to treat my home working time as a flexible job. As I'm a morning person, I'd get up 6am and be working from 7:30.
Sometimes I would go to a morning exercise class for an hour and then come back and work through. I had a desk mat that I could write tasks in and I'd keep to a schedule. House tasks fitted round eg put a load of laundry on at breakfast, hang it out on coffee break.
The organisation actually got more than my allocated hours from me.

I do it a variety if ways depending on what I'm doing.

Some mornings I'm in work mode as soon as my eyes open and I'll work from my bed. When we're up against Programme deadlines I'll often be working all day and evening without a break.

Other days I'll work in the study, with my feet covered in dogs and music playing.

Sometimes I'll work from the sofa.

I can have the television on for the company but can easily zone it out so it's not an issue.

I'll put washing on / hang it up whilst waiting for the kettle to boil.

I used to take a long lunch break to ride my horse.

Overall if we're being paid a day rate then the client will get at least that number of hours. Deliverables have deadlines.

I find it useful having an easily viewed (by me only) project plan and a calendar.

Give yourself a daily To Do list.

Pretty much the same for me. I wfh at least 3 days a week although during that time I might have to go out to a meeting.

I prefer to start early. 7ish. I also like to be dressed as if it was an office day. Do some minor house but while I’m waiting for the kettle etc.

I can take advantage of flexible hours so some days I could be working solid for 9 Hours and the next day I can then do 6. We are only required to get the work done, nobody is interested in the hours we do. My organisation has really embraced ‘smarter working’. I love it!