Working from home is full of challenges. Not only do you have to motivate yourself, you also want to make sure your time is well spent. This means eliminating time wasters so you can spend your day being productive and ultimately profitable.
Many working day time wasters are obvious – for example watching television while you’re trying to work just isn’t productive. However, other time wasters are less conspicuous. Being aware of these time wasters will help you create a more productive working day.
Time Waster #1 – Email
You may think that you must stay on top of your email so you can stay on top of your business. While it is important to make sure your customers, prospects and business partners are responded to, you don’t need to respond to them immediately and you don’t need to be the person to respond.
Email is a fantastic task to outsource and automate. Autoresponders, customer service ticket systems and FAQ pages can all help reduce the amount of customer email you receive. If you have to be the one to manage your email, create a disciplined routine where you check your email only once, twice maximum, each day. And schedule it during a time when you are generally not productive.
Time Waster #2 – Disorganization
How much time do you spend each day looking for things? Each minute you spend sorting, shuffling and searching is wasted time. The solution is to create one central location for your work. The more organized you are, the less time you will waste getting prepared to work.
Time Waster #3 – Social Networking
Social networking may be your most effective marketing tactic; however, it doesn’t need to consume your day. Like email, social networking is something that can be outsourced, automated, and scheduled.
Create a plan that outlines what you want to achieve with your social networking efforts. Then create a plan that supports your goals. Next, look to your resources to make it happen. Find post scheduling plug-ins and widgets. Hire a contractor to manage your social networking tasks. And if you must manage it yourself, then schedule it into your day. Whatever you do, don’t open Facebook at the beginning of the day and keep it open throughout the day.
Of course each person has their own unique time wasters. These are simply the most common. Spend a week tracking what you do each day. Literally keep a notebook and a pencil next to you and track what you do and how long you do it. This will give you a good idea about how you spend your time.
