Whether you are new at working at home or if you have done it for a while, it is always a good idea to know of some helpful tips for work-at-home time management.
Everyone knows no matter where they work that the old saying "time is money" is true and the better you manage your time the more effective you will be, which in turn will lead to more production and more production leads to money.
So it is a good idea to know how to get the most out of your day.
It is always a smart idea to make plans for the next day, the day prior.
If you set down a plan of attack before the day comes you will already be one step ahead of yourself.
The important thing here is also to make sure that you follow your plan from beginning to end.
Another important thing to note is you always need to make sure that you set your priorities from the beginning.
Make sure that you organize your tasks in order of their importance and when they need to be done.
Make sure to break them down into different categories and place the categories in order of importance as well.
It is also important to check off each task as they are completed so that you know where you stand throughout the entire day.
You should also make good use of the time you might not be spending in your home office.
Keeping a notepad with you at all times or a voice recorder is always good advice.
This way if you come up with some ideas that might work for your job, you can jot them down or note it on your recorder.
If you have a cell phone you can also use that as a great way to remind yourself of something that needs to be done by having the phone send you alerts to what needs to be done.
Another good idea is to make sure that you are up at least an hour earlier than the rest of your family so that you have time to get prepared for the day before you need to take care of the morning needs that your family may have.
Always make sure to set up a schedule that allows for you to take regular breaks away from the work that you are doing.
You will be amazed at just what a few minutes away can do for your freshness and ability to function at doing your job.
Learn to balance your work with your home life.
People tend to feel they can just work, work, work when they are at home without it affecting them in any way.
However; this is not true.
Even with working at home you need some time to play.
So schedule some me time or family time during the day so that your job does not consume you.
Little details are important as well.
Make sure you have a good and speedy Internet connection and not dial up.
Make sure that your office area is all centralized in one area so that whenever you need to use the printer, fax or get supplies that they are basically all at your fingertips rather than located elsewhere.
All of this saves you time.
Most importantly you must set down a permanent schedule of what your work hours and work days are and when you have down time.
This schedule needs to be posted for everyone to see.
You should of course explain to your family and friends that you really are not trying to choose work over them but that working at home is no different than if you were working away from home and that everyone needs to respect the hours which you have chosen to do your work.