Oh the “dream” of being able to work from home. Yes, it is pretty amazing being able to be in sweats for most the day, and having the ability to work from the comfort of your cozy bed or couch. But, it is easy to find yourself distracted and fall off course! Today, I want to share with you my recommendations for successfully working from home.

1. Create a Routine 

One of the most important things that I have learned so far is to utilize my outlook calendar and to fill it out with a weekly routine. I started by figuring out my weekly “constants” and I blocked out times on my calendar with these items. A few of my constants are, email follow-up, blog writing, social media work and team meetings. Every morning I dedicate the first two hours to email follow up (Side Note: I do follow up on emails throughout the day, but when some days consist of back to back meetings and events, having a dedicated time in the morning allows me to make sure I take no longer than needed to respond). Continue finding dedicated days and times to allot for you important “to-dos”.

2. Take Breaks!

Oh it is so easy to work all day long (lunches with the laptop, anyone?) without finding a time to shut off your brain. I mentioned in my last “Page From Our Storybook Blog” that I believe having some mental down time is important. I work best on a relaxed and clear mind and think that allowing ourselves 30 minutes here and there to walk away from the computer is not only good for yourself, but it keeps you more productive when you get back to work. Add this into your daily routine!

3. Stick to Your Business Hours

What I miss about working in an office was the ability to go home at 5:30pm and feel like I was shut off from work. When you work out of your home, it is hard to find the time to close up shop. For me personally, once spring comes around, we work crazy and unusual hours as we finally get to execute all of our couple’s beautiful weddings! But during the winter season when we do most of our planning and coordination for the following year, we can allow ourselves a more consistent work schedule. Create “business hours” and stick to them.  If there are blogs or posts that you must get out during non-business hours, schedule them to post automatically! (Like I did with this blog!) 

4. Switch Things Up!

Although I mentioned creating a routine for your consistent weekly responsibilities, I also believe that you should make time to switch things up from week to week. One of the most important things for my business is to grow my relationships with my vendor partners. To be honest, I feel like I am cheating on my workday when I am out with my vendors as most of them have turned into my close friends! Regardless of the type of industry that you work in, find time to “work” outside of the office.  I enjoy attending networking events and educational luncheons. It allows me to switch things up and keep my week exciting!   

I believe that by keeping yourself accountable with a schedule, allowing yourself some mental “free-time” and making work/life balance a priority, you can stay successful with working from your home office. If you are looking for some lunch meetings or in need of a change of scenery, hit me up! I am always open for working out of new places! J

Happy Monday Friends!

Nicole