10 things I wish someone had told me before I started working from home

While it has never been easier to work successfully from home, there are a number of common pitfalls to avoid.
It is important to leave the house and integrate social contact into your day — otherwise, you may begin to feel reclusive.
By carefully scheduling your day, changing out of your pajamas, and creating a designated work area, it is possible to transform your living environment into a productive space.

After I graduated in 2010, I took an entry-level advertising sales assistant job at a well-known print magazine. For the next six years, I spent time bouncing from magazine to magazine across sales, marketing, and editorial, desperately trying to find my niche in order to rise the ranks.

Turns out, my niche is at home. For the last two years, I've worked for myself as an editorial and brand partnerships consultant for a variety of media companies. This position combines all of those jack-of-all-trades job functions into one lucrative role.

I used to dread going to the office, and now I love my career. Self-discovery and revelations aside, there's a roadmap to do it all right.

Here's what I wish I knew on Day One:

1. Everyone thinks you're at home watching daytime TV

Admittedly, my first day working from home was a little bit terrifying. My first concern was how I would build out my home cubicle environment. What were the rules? Could I turn on the TV? Was it legal? Who would stop me?

I realized I was my own boss, and I could do what works for me. I flop between daytime talk shows (no judgment please) and CNN, with the intermittent episode of whatever HGTV show happens to be on.

The background noise keeps me from going stir crazy, but it also helps me feel like I'm not living in a bubble.

2. No one thinks you're ever busy

Can you pick up a gift for me? Can you grab my dry cleaning? Do you mind taking care of dinner? I often receive these kinds of texts from friends and family. I usually say yes. Why? Not because I'm a pushover, but because I sometimes feel guilty that I have created a position where I'm my own boss and have my own freedom and schedule. There's no one tying me to my desk or giving me a look when I take a long lunch or walk out 10 minutes before 5 p.m.

Even though it may be easier to do so, I've learned you can't always say yes. The only person I'm hurting is myself — by losing my potential income for that hour of work. Although I have significantly more freedom now than I did at my desk job, it still doesn't mean that I'm not busy. In fact, I'm busier than I ever have been. Sometimes you have to say no, and that's OK. They'll (hopefully) understand.

3. You have to set a schedule

My first months freelancing, I thought I'd never get off the ground. I was increasingly worried about my income, and though my supportive husband helped us figure out a way to get by in the meantime, it was still so challenging. I told myself I'd work traditional work hours. I would start my day at 9 a.m. and stop only when my husband came home for the evening. Sometimes that was 6 p.m., but more often it was 9 p.m.

I must have sent off hundreds of emails, which created a runway for me to really get things going. Turns out that regimented schedule really worked at the beginning, but it wasn't sustainable. These days, I typically work from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., which I find is my most productive part of the day. But, do you. Set your schedule.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

from Strategy http://ift.tt/2pv6f2s
via IFTTT