Some thoughts on working from home

I've read tons of books/articles about the traps and potential setbacks of working from home, and I've noticed that they all pretty much say the same thing. There's lots about "to do" lists, time management tricks, setting boundaries etc and that's all well and good, except I think there's something missing. We focus so much on what we have to get done, rather than celebrate what we've already accomplished! I've always got a "to do" list a mile long, and while crossing off items once I've finished them is satisfying, I like to actually write a list at the end of the day of all the things I accomplished. Whether it's something small like "responded to so-and-so's email" to something bigger like "finished fabric inventory," I think it's important to note all the things that I've done and be thankful for it! It's just my way of putting a positive spin on the drudgery of daily life.

Here is my list of "off the beaten path" tips for working from home:

1) Wake up at the same time every day, as though you have to run out the door to get to work. I know this one sounds weird, but I'm sure other people who work from home (those of us that don't have children, anyways) can agree that sometimes the temptation of sleeping in an extra hour just because we can is hard to resist!

2) Do things for yourself that you'd normally do if you were going to an actual office. For me, I know that I'd be stopping at Starbucks for a peppermint mocha in the morning to get my daily caffeine kick. So I actually purchased a bottle of peppermint syrup from Starbucks (it only costs $6 for a whole bottle, FYI) and now I make my own peppermint mocha at home by adding the syrup to my cuppa joe in the morning. This makes it easier to get up in the morning, saves me at least $4 a day and helps me get through my usual morning tasks.

3) Create a motivational playlist to listen to while you work. One of the great perks of working from home is the privacy, right? So why not capitalize on that by compiling a playlist of all your favourite songs that you can actually sing along to at the top of your lungs? I know that helps me keep my energy up and well, it just makes me happier=)

4) Take a break to do something fun every day. For me, it's giving myself time to watch an episode of my favourite show while I eat lunch. I have to eat lunch anyways, and giving myself the treat of watching my show while I eat gives me the fun break I need in the middle of my day. The anticipation makes the morning go quicker, and the afternoon seem less daunting afterwards.

5) Share your daily accomplishments with someone. Whether it's in person (my boyfriend gets to hear about all of the wonderful, exciting things I get done in a day whenever he gets home from work), by phone, email, forum post or blog, tell someone what you've accomplished and it'll get easier to stay productive.

Well, I'm sure I'll remember other things to add to the list, but for now that's it. For anyone else who works from home, are there any tips you have that aren't normally found in the "work from home" guidelines?