I ask this question because I think this is an itch on the back that freelancers continue to scratch everyday.
Working from home has its benefits—you can jump into bed, spend time with family, much on snacks, insert small breaks, etc. But when it’s time to focus and work, that’s when the difficulties crop up.
In my case, my No. 1 distraction is myself. I get tired easily, I should have eaten before sitting down to write, and sometimes my mind turns blank at the most unpredictable times. It’s frustrating.
No. 2 would have to be my loving daughter. At home, she gets bored easily and demands attention from her mother (her father is a lost cause, being busy with his own web development projects and all) whenever possible. As a mom, I can never ignore my daughter nor can I leave her on her own for long so poses a problem as well.
No. 3 is the web and all of its chaotic elements. Enough said.
Sometimes it’s bearable, sometimes it’s nerve-wracking. In the end, managing my time and staying focused during work hours are the only ways to ever get things done before the day ends.
Today, I begin with mentally preparing myself for work. I then try to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to write in silence with absolutely no disturbances from anyone. Lastly, I give myself a few short breaks in between to keep myself from feeling bored or burnt out. The routine’s a work-in-progress, but I managed to finish off more tasks than I did without it.
I asked the same question on Facebook and Nica of The Virtual Assistant would lock the doors to her bedroom whenever it’s time to work. What about you? What do you do to stay focused when working from home?
About the Author: Stef G.
Founder of The Freelance Pinoy, Stef is a freelance copywriter and blogger who loves writing high quality content for blogs and e-commerce. To receive free special updates and freelancing tips from her, sign up for the TFP newsletter. You can also follow her on Twitter @stefgonzaga. Related Posts
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Hi Steph, do you have posts on improving your income on oDesk (or any other freelance website for that matter)? As a freelance writer, I’ve hit the $800-$1000 level per month. It would be helpful if you have tips to increase this further. Thanks and more power.
Hello Sam,
For the oDesk Blog, I wrote 12 Ways to Grow Your Freelance Business, which offers 12 tips on how freelancers can expand from being simply a contractor to a more powerful solo entrepreneur of their services. Likewise, I also shared 5 more ways to increase one’s income potential, some of which include aiming for long-term projects and narrowing down your choices when applying for freelance jobs.
For my own blog, I have 5 Ways to Boost Your Freelance Income. You can take a look at the tips in that post as well.
Hope these help!
- Stef G.
Thanks for the quick response. I’ve pretty much covered all the areas you suggested in your articles. All my contracts pay really good rates and there’s never a shortage of projects to work on as most contracts have been on a long-term basis. The biggest constraint remains to be the time available for freelance work. I’ve rejected far too many offers and interview invitations because there’s not enough time to work on them. The only thing remaining, I guess, is to take the next step and form a team of writers that I can work with to expand my scope.
Thanks again. Keep writing.
To focus, I’d begin work around 11PM, when the folks at home are just preparing to go to sleep. That leaves me with the quiet as fuel and the need to jump into bed before sunrise as motivation.
Not that this works all the time – I’d give it a 75%, in terms of effectivity.
Personally, it takes silence & the right amount of exhaustion (from endlessly surfing the Internet) for me to finally be able to focus: that point where there’s just really nothing left for me to do but work itself. XD
That’s amazing, because I personally can’t concentrate on work during late hours in the evening. I’m more of an early bird freelancer who wakes up at 4:30-5:00 in the morning to start writing and getting things done.
I too need silence to work. Music and loud talking is a no-no when I’m in the zone. And I can relate with exhausting one’s self with the indulgence of the internet before actually sitting down to work. That happened to me several times before!
Sadly, I mostly failed to push myself to work when that happens, so I try to work first before play.
I like Nica’s suggestion, lock the door to stay focus in your projects but I think setting your own rules is very important particularly before accepting client/s. First, set your own quality hours specially if there are cute makulit kids, another thing is to know the working hours your client required. If it doesn’t fit with yours, don’t accept. If you did, you’ll see yourself keep asking the same question.
Hello Red and thanks for the comment!
True, one must set rules that everyone in the household must comply. Fortunately my clients aren’t so strict with working hours, so long as I meet the deadlines.
I live alone, so the biggest distraction is really myself. I get too caught up in Facebook or Twitter. Argh!
I am lucky because we have a spare room that I turned into my home office. So when it time to work I lock myself in the room and tell everyone not to disturb me. I place a post on the door to tell everyone I am working and for how long.
For me, the only way I can really focus on my writing is by going to the nearest starbucks and working there. I have never been able to work at home. There are just too many distractions (TV, games, my books, etc…).
I normally just go to the closest bux everyday and work there. I suppose technically that doesn’t really count as working from home anymore
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