Most distractions you will find when you work at home won't even seem like an interruption. These are usually insignificant things like deciding to have an extra cup of coffee at breakfast, spending a bit longer lying in the bath, having a "quick look" at the newspaper, chatting to friends when they phone you, stopping to tidy a room on your way through, taking your time browsing when you go to the shops for an essential item, taking the dog for an extra long walk. Imagine how much time you would waste if you were to do all these things on one day. If you also spend some time reading your mail, have an extra half hour at lunch and a couple of extra breaks to make tea, you will have filled your day but you will not have used it productively.
If you add up the extra minutes and hours stolen from your work at home schedule, you will be surprised and probably horrified at how much time you have wasted. The examples used above are not extremes, they are just everyday things that you could do without really noticing and, if you let down your guard, you end up having achieved nothing and wondering "where did my day go?".
All the small distractions I have mentioned could be dealt with easily. For example, if you really want an extra cup of coffee at breakfast time, take it and drink it while you are doing some paperwork. Take an invigorating shower instead of a bath and allow yourself a long luxurious bath as a reward when you have completed your day's tasks. Tell your friends you won't be taking calls during your working hours and let the answering machine pick up your calls during those hours.
Distractions are particularly dangerous when you are about to start a task you dislike or find difficult. It will be tempting to postpone starting work while you check your mail, have another cup of coffee, or have a quick peek at the news. If you allow yourself to lose focus for an instant, you can lose hours of valuable time without even noticing its passing. You should not use a distraction as an excuse to procrastinate or deviate from your timetable. You must be able to regain your focus and get straight back into your work when distractions occur.
The ability to focus is what enables you to turn a potential waste of hours of working time into a momentary interruption. Strong self discipline and the ability to focus are keys to working at home successfully.
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