Working from home is certainly a challenge. Actually, building a business where you can work from anywhere has its challenges.
It may sound like the answer to a dream. Not clocking in every day. Not having a boss to answer to. All the freedom you’d ever want.
Then why is it so difficult to accomplish all you want to do?
I’ll tell you why…distractions!
With all the freedom in the world, it’s easy to get distracted. Even when you are working on your client work, you may get distracted with another project that seems equally as pressing.
To achieve a level of productivity, a certain amount of planning must be done. It’s a good idea to have a basic plan and schedule of what you will do and at what time. This will help you get back on track when you inevitably follow that rabbit trail of distraction.
Learning to identify what distracts you in accomplishing what you set out to do is important. When you identify how you become derailed, then you are better able to manage and reduce the temptation. Sometimes temptations are within ourselves and we have to learn better techniques to remain focused. Then sometimes, our source of distraction is from those that are closest to us and who we love the most.
Even today, with the ability to work from anywhere, there’s still some misconception that if you are at home, you must not be working. Or, maybe since you are at home and easily accessible, it’s so tempting for others to disrupt your flow of what you are trying to accomplish.
Whatever the reason, setting boundaries and expectations with your loved ones is essential. Good communication as to what your daily schedule is and when you can and cannot be interrupted helps keep everyone on the same page.
This is certainly easier said than done. Finding the right words to say without hurting your loved ones’ feelings can be difficult. They are very important to you. You want to be available to them, but there are times where you must focus your mind, time, and energy elsewhere. You don’t want to come across like you are brushing them aside and not paying attention to them. So, I ask again…what are the right words to say?
My husband, Robert, and I live and work in a small space. It is easy for me to follow that rabbit trail when he needs help with something or asks me about something.
Recently, what has been happening is that I feel like I’m working 24/7. I start and stop my work projects due to distractions and it seems like I’m working on them from the time I get up to the time I go to sleep. It’s time I made a change. I want to be able to remain focused during times I’ve set aside for work, then I can have family time.
On a Sunday evening, after planning my upcoming week’s projects, I was feeling a little panicked by my workload I had ahead of me. In an effort to have extreme focus on blocks of my time, I thought it would be important to communicate to Robert my agenda. I told him I was feeling the pressure of getting so much done in the coming week and said, “If I don’t answer you, just know I’m not ignoring you, I’m just working.”
All was well, or at least I thought so. In my mind, I was expressing to him that just because I may not be attentive to him during my workday, he shouldn’t take offense because, after work hours, I’ll give him my full attention. I didn’t realize until Monday, that my phrase, “I’m not ignoring you, I’m just working,” is something Robert isn’t going to let me live down anytime soon.
Now, every time he finds me intently working on a project and he says something and I don’t respond (mainly because I’m concentrating and have tuned things out) or tell him I’ll be with him in a few minutes, he’ll announce “She’s not ignoring me. She’s just working.”
I’m not sure what the right words are to use when setting boundaries for our workday to our loved ones, without a few hurt feelings in the beginning. I think maybe there’s a transition time as you are reinforcing your boundaries and structure you have set for yourself.
At first, it’s hard for both you and your loved ones. One piece of the puzzle is to have focused work time, but you must also intentionally make room for focused time with your loved ones. This is how you can accomplish more both personally and professionally.
As time passed, my phrase “I’m not ignoring you, I’m just working” has become more like a joke for Robert and me. I believe I’m going to be hearing it for a long time. He even teases that I should make up a t-shirt with the phrase printed on it and wear it during work hours.
What do you think the best words to use to set your boundaries for concentrated work time? Feel free to leave a comment.