Success Tips for the Laptop Lifestyle

Whether you are working for yourself (which means you are the boss) or working for another, it is easy to be bombarded with distractions when working at home.

If you are a solo entrepreneur, it can be very liberating and it also carries with it a tremendous amount of responsibility. I feel a need to be productive every day and use my time well.

Maybe you are wondering if you are doing the right things to be successful with your business? I have to be careful not to listen to too much advice from too many people and sort out what works for me.

The following tips can help you put the right kind of focus on your business. I share them knowing you have some of your own. I would love to have you share them in the Facebook Group

1. TV, YouTube, and binge watching 
   Unless it has something to do with your business, don’t have the television on while working. An example of a business that may rely on television would be a financial trader. Another example could be a journalist. Most other professions, however, do not require television as part of the job. It’s okay to set specific times and catch a favorite show now and again. But, be careful. It’s easy to get hooked on the next show that comes after it and then another after that…..
   
   
2. Setting Boundaries
   Set down ground rules for yourself, family and even neighbors. I set “office hours” during my most productive time of the day – first thing in the morning and don’t respond to email, phone calls, or messages during this time. Often what I hoped would be a fifteen-minute conversation turns out to be hours because I get pulled into rabbit holes and find it difficult to get back into the swing of what I was working on after that happens.
   
   It’s quite easy for a spouse or a child (even a pet) to ask you to do tasks outside of your work tasks. While it’s okay to do that once-in-a-while, I try to keep that at a minimum. It’s also quite tempting to play with your kids or the family pets. Just remember that you made an agreement with yourself during whatever you declared to be working hours, your intention is to get work done.
   
   
3. S.M.A.R.T. Goals and business plans
   It’s a good idea to establish a plan for your business. Determine what factors will make you a success and include those in your plan. After you have created your plan, you can set up tasks and actionable steps to accomplish the plan. Review and revise them as you complete your day if they are not working out the way you had hoped.
   
   
4. Collaborate
   Find colleagues that work in similar situations as you. We’ve learned with the isolation required this year, that it can get lonely working by yourself at home. I miss the spontaneous “water cooler moments”.  Zoom has helped make online gatherings possible, but even too many of those interfere with progress and concentration. It requires some energy to keep the focus mostly on business while exchanging ideas and expanding your network.
   
   Consider joining your local Chamber-of-Commerce or other organizations that can help promote who you are and what kind of business you are doing. These groups will also serve as social gatherings so you can escape that lonely feeling.