So here it is: day one in my new condo working on my new business. The business plan is coming along splendidly thank you very much — although there is obviously much left to do. Everyone thinks that it must be great to work from home. Let me tell you it’s not. Getting up and going to an office really helps to increase focus and minimize distractions. That said, I’ve got a host of coping mechanisms in place to make sure I get as much done as possible when working from home:

• Start work on time, everyday — this may seem a bit strange because working for yourself is supposed to give you liberty from regular working hours. And it does. For me to be productive, however, I find that it’s best to commit to a regular start time every morning.
• Get dressed as if you were going to an office — seems silly but it really helps me.
• Monitor Internet “fun time” — and minimize it.
• Todo Lists — create lists and prioritize the tasks. Spend the majority of your time on what’s most important not what’s most fun.
• Daily schedule — I always do this the night before so I have an idea when I wake up as to what I need to accomplish with the day.
• Get out of your house — whether it be in the evening or for lunch, get out of your dwelling before it drives you bonkers.
• Due dates — set due dates for every task and hold yourself to them. If you’re having trouble, your business partner should be given full authorization to kick your butt when it needs kicking.

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