How to successfully work from home: 18 ways to be efficient

Working from home can present many distractions you wouldn’t encounter in a traditional office setting. It’s important to learn how to successfully work from home if that’s where you’re going to set up shop.When I first started working from home I never realized how many distractions I’d encounter. I didn’t have Ted from accounting providing the weekly rundown of his fantasy football league. Or Linda from finance keeping me up to date on the office gossip. The distractions of working from home have been entirely different.Now, there’s a learning curve involved with developing the proper method. I’m still working on optimizing my time. As my wife is quick to point out, I’m far from perfect. But I began working on this in the years leading up to quitting my 9 to 5 to start my own business. Working from home (especially as an entrepreneur) requires an entirely different mentality.There's been a shift in the employment paradigm. Due to technology and the rise of the gig economy, there's an increasingly large number of people leaving their traditional jobs. According to a 2018 Forbes article written by TJ McCue, "More than one third (36 percent) of U.S. workers are in the gig economy, which works out to a very large number of approximately 57 million people."In addition to Uber and Lyft, we're seeing more solopreneurs, freelancers, and people wanting to take the risk of entrepreneurship. As Gary Vaynerchuk likes to point out, "Entrepreneurs are the rockstars of the twenty-first century." But when you're the boss, you come under an entirely new set of responsibilities.When you’re working from home it’s up to you to get the work done. Your boss and colleagues won’t be looking over your shoulder making sure you’re staying on track. The level of accountability looks completely different.And speaking of accountability, I want to share 21 ways how to successfully work from home. Some of these methods pertain more to an entrepreneur than an employee. But most of these tactics for working from successfully will benefit both.

1. Get accountability

First, as I just mentioned, get accountability. Especially if you’re on your own. You need to make certain you’re staying on track. Especially during the difficult days. There might be days you simply don’t want to get out of bed. Or you’d prefer to check your Netflix queue rather than your email. Heck, there might even days where you feel lost. In these times it’s good to have someone to call. You need someone who can be your sounding board. Preferably you should find someone in a similar situation as you. If you’re an entrepreneur, find another entrepreneur to keep you accountable.Tip for finding an accountability partner:If you don’t have someone to keep you accountable, then consider joining a local entrepreneur group or even a local Toast Masters.

2. Have time to be active

Exercising is something everyone should do no matter of your workspace. I truly believe exercise is good for both your body and your mind. Working out not only keeps me in shape, but it’s also a great way to release needed tension. I’ve also found that I come up with some of my best ideas when breaking a sweat.Tip for being active:In line with the first point: you may want to consider finding a workout partner. But if you’re more of a solo exerciser, find a good podcast to listen to or a great list of songs to jam out to.Now put those earbuds in, lace up your sneakers, and get your sweat on!

3. Get dressed – don't stay in your pajamas

There's something about getting dressed for the day. I feel it helps you take yourself and your job more seriously.As I'm writing this, sitting on my desk next to me is a biography of Winston Churchill: a man known for working from his bed. But at the same time, he did eventually get dressed each day.Tip for getting dressed each morning:Consider setting your clothes out each night. You might even go so far as to make a dress code for yourself.

4. Set goals

Do you ever find yourself plodding along, mindlessly moving through the day? It's easy to fall into a punch-in-and-punch-out mentality without a goal to work towards.Goals are the motivation that remains when the inspiration runs out. Without goals, you'll eventually stop – literally or figuratively.Tip for setting goals:Just force yourself to do it. Sit down first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, write out 3-5 goals for yourself and the steps you'll take to reach those goals.

5. Reward yourself

I recently listened to an interview between Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Work Week, and Scott Belsky, co-creator of Behance, Inc., and author of The Messy Middle.Belsky talked about his method of rewarding himself. Not only for the large accomplishments in life, such as launching a business or securing an investment round, but even for the small things. He regularly allows himself to indulge in a favorite European chocolate truffle when, and only when, he has written a certain amount of content during a writing session.I love this concept because it's such a simple trick to get us over the hump or to accomplish dreadful tasks.Tip for rewarding yourself:Take a page from Scott Belsky's book and buy your favorite indulgence to have on hand for when you accomplish the goal you're working towards.

6. See every task as a step towards your ultimate goal

I'm not telling you to get lost in the details or to obsess about minutia. But it can be easy to despise the minor details when you're focussed on the grander goal.As a left brain person, I often rail against the tasks that require me to switch over to my right brain. But as a business owner, I need to treat these tasks just as important as I would the tasks I enjoy. Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees, realize that the small details help you move the needle as well.Tip for appreciating the mundane tasks:Realize that all parts of running a business are needed. And if it's that bad (or inefficient) find someone else to do it such as a virtual assistant.

7. Become a night owl or a morning person

I strongly recommend you don’t try to be both. Burning the candle at both ends is a recipe for mental and physical burnout. Your business depends upon your health. Find the optimal amount of hours you should sleep and aim for it each night. You might even find that you get better sleep during certain hours of the night.But if you're a night owl and work better at night, then don't try to be a morning person. And if you're a morning person, make sure you get to bed at a good time each night.In the opening monologue to The Glasses of season 5 of Seinfeld, Jerry explains this dilemma perfectly:“I never get enough sleep. I stay up late at night because I'm Night Guy. Night Guy wants to stay up late. 'What about getting up after five hours sleep?' Oh, that's Morning Guy's problem. That's not my problem, I'm Night Guy. I stay up as late as I want. So you get up in the morning, the alarm [rings], you're exhausted, groggy… Oh, I hate that Night Guy! See, Night Guy always screws Morning Guy. There's nothing Morning Guy can do.”Tips for getting sleep and working at your best time:Your stage in life and whether you have a family might dictate your sleep/work schedule. But find which works best for you and stick to it.

8. Allow small amounts of chaos

There might be certain areas of your life where chaos seems to reign supreme. I struggle with this as someone with O.C.D. tendencies. But I have to force myself to realize it's okay.My wife and I both work from home. We have two children: one is in first grade and one is at home with us. Most of the time our youngest is at home with us. As a toddler, she can create chaos. Her desires and ours' often don't align. My wife and I realize that we can’t completely control our kids’ outbursts.We take the necessary steps to ensure these chaotic moments don't derail our day. We place certain measures in place (such as allocated no-disturbance hours) to ensure we remain on track.Tip to prevent chaos from getting the best of you:First, never take yourself too seriously – these chaotic moments are often momentary and can even provide a comedic relief. And secondly, take measures to balance the chaos.

9. Be social

It can be lonely working from home. My two co-workers are a three-year-old known for shuffling through every emotion within a single minute. And my wife which is great other than when we're sharing in a moment of wedded distress.But even though I'm often working near my best friend, we're mostly focused on our own companies. And sometimes you just need someone to talk to other than your spouse.If you find yourself becoming anti-social then force yourself to join a league, start having lunch with a good friend, or grab a beer with the guys after work. It's healthy. Without the camaraderie of friends, your mind will suffer, your work will suffer, and your marriage will suffer.Tip for being social:Ask yourself, "When was the last time I hung out with the guys?" If you can't remember then it's time to phone a friend.

10. Don’t clean your house while you’re working

It sounds silly. But I mentioned I have O.C.D. tendencies and this can be a real issue for me. I have a daughter who tends to leave a mess nearly everywhere she goes.If I'm not careful, I find myself cleaning up half the house when I walk out of my office. A 2-minute coffee refill can easily become a 30-minute cleaning session of the kitchen and family room.Tip for NOT cleaning your house during working hours:The easy solution would be to hire a maid. But if that's not an option, then force yourself to be okay with doing the dishes after you're done working.

11. Have an office

And no, the kitchen table doesn't count. You need to allocate an area of your house for work. This is good for several reasons.First, it helps you work efficiently. It prevents you from lugging your work around the house and having to set up each time you start to work. Secondly, it helps you leave work "at work." This can be a very difficult concept when you're working from home. But having a desk that's specifically for work allows you to physically get up and walk away at the end of the day. Thirdly, an office also helps you maintain a professional environment.  It can be difficult to maintain professionalism when your work papers are intermixed with your child's homework.Tip for keeping an office area:No matter where you live, you should have an area of your home set aside for your work. Even if you have a 400 square foot studio apartment in Manhattan, find an area.However, you may have to get creative. If you don't have enough room to set aside an entire room for an office, consider setting up a portion of your living room as office space. Just be sure it allows you to easily walk away from it at the end of the day.

12. Create structure

Depending upon your personality, this may come very natural or very difficult. But either way, you need to ensure your day-to-day process maintains some sort of pattern. Figure out what works best for you and stick to it as much as you can.Tip for creating structure:Figuring out what works best for you is key. And it could take some time. I've tried getting away from my old school paper schedule. But I always come back to it. I've discovered that it's what works best for me. You may have some strange methods. But if they're working for you that's all that matters.

13. Wake up earlier

This is only for the morning people. All you night owls are probably just getting to bed when I'm rolling out of bed. But for your morning people, you'll be surprised how much you're able to accomplish if you're able to get up 60 or even 30 minutes earlier.Tip for waking up earlier:I still remember the first time I set my alarm for 5:00 am. I was just out of college and just the thought of waking up at 5:00 gave me anxiety. But the amount of work I was able to accomplish with those couple extra hours was incredible.Now, I look forward to waking up earlier. I consider it bonus time. I love what I'm able to accomplish with my extra time in the morning. But test it out. Start by waking up 15-20 minutes earlier than normal. See how it goes. If you like it, consider increasing it to 30 minutes.

14. Take cold showers

This may sound strange and I know most of you are wondering, "How is a cold shower going to help me be more effective working at home?" But this has become one of my favorite efficiency hacks.I started taking cold showers after studying the Wim Hoff Method. Wim Hoff, the creator of the Wim Hoff Method, is an advocate of cold therapy. His work advocates the many health (both physical and mental) benefits associated with cold therapy. After being exposed to his work, I decided to test it out. Almost immediately I saw the benefit. As a writer, my focus and mental stamina increased.The benefits prove especially beneficial when you feel stuck or unmotivated. Tony Robbins is a leading advocate of cold therapy. Take it from a guy who begins each morning by "plunging into a 57-degree Fahrenheit pool of water." Tony suggests that the quickest way to change the mental state is to drastically change your physical state. That could mean going for a run, lifting weights, sitting in a sauna, or taking an ice cold shower!Tip for incorporating cold therapy:Trust me, it won't always be miserable taking a cold shower. Eventually, your body starts to adapt to the cold water the more often you do it.Start by ending your normal shower with 20 seconds of cold water. And gradually turn the water all the way to cold. Allow your body to adjust. And make sure to breathe through it. Go here to learn more about Wim's Method.

15. Hydrate

Your body is more than 60% water. It stands to reason that you should drink water and stay hydrated. Healthy hydration helps your body flush out toxins, improves brain function, along with plenty of other benefits.Tip for staying hydrated:Find a good steel water bottle that holds 25 ounces of water so that you don't have to keep filling it up. This will keep you hydrated and prevent you from making countless trips to the kitchen.

16. Leave your phone on the other side of the room

This isn't easy. I'm a recovering incessant email checker. I used to be the guy who, when given a minute of downtime, would automatically flip to my email app to see what new junk mail I just received.Your phone is a wonderful piece of technology. But it's also a wonderful distraction. Far too many people keep their phone directly in front of them all day long. Inadvertently they become a slave to its every notification. Don't allow yourself to fall prey. If you already have, then choose to unleash yourself.Tip for breaking free from your phone addiction:Simply leave your phone on the other side of the room. Turn the notifications off, put it on silent, and commit to only checking it during regularly scheduled times.

17. Remove alerts from your computer

This can be another source of distraction. A fairly recent trend is for websites to notify you of updates. It might be nice to know Aunt Dorace liked your family photo at night while you're mindlessly browsing the internet. But during work hours, that's a major distraction.Research shows that it takes an average of 25 minutes to get refocused after a distraction. Just a few of those in a day will be enough to completely derail your day.Tip for removing alerts from your computer:Go through and remove all notifications you've signed up for. And this includes iMessages as well.

18. Use headphones when making calls

If it's just you at home then you might be okay to go without headphones. But earbuds or a headset is an easy way to prevent the noise of your home environment from affecting your call.You understand that home is where you work. But other people may not understand that. Everyone from family members to the delivery man can stop by at a moments notice and interrupt an important call. But headphones provide a little more control.It's especially important if you have a small child at home. Right now, our two-year-old has a tendency to throw my office door open only to shout, "Dad, I'm poopy!" You and I might appreciate (or at least understand) the noise of a small child or baby in the background.  But your client will see it as unprofessional.Tip for using headphones:Find a pair that's right for you and leave them on your desk. Don't take them to the gym or bring them in the car. Just leave them on the desk and they'll always be there when you need them.

Conclusion

As an entrepreneur, the freedom and flexibility of working from home are wonderful. Taking your lunch when you want, wearing what you want, and working when it's best for you are all very appealing benefits associated with a home office setting. But this set up can also become restricting and quickly spill into your personal life.Implementing these 18 ways to successfully work from home will help you achieve the benefits and avoid the pitfalls.