Always finding myself distracted since I work at home, how do you stop it?

Well, been a while and wow, just found this place.

Anyways, been busy trying to catch up on my work that I've been neglecting. I just want to ask any other work at home folks out there. How do you keep from being distracted?

For example, I had this huge database cataloging to get done a few months ago, my boss never gave me a timeframe to do it, but recently he wanted it back finished. I haven't done a SINGLE thing on it in all those months because of being distracted. I busted my ass for a week straight to get it done. I know this is my fauilt, but do you think he should of given me a deadline or timeframe to do it or what?

Another thing happened recently and again no timeframe, just I need it soon. Well, I got distracted again. You can see where it goes. Hell, I need to be doing it now, but it's so damn boring and my eyes hurt from looking at it so long.

I also have real trouble keeping up with my invoices and all that, I know it's my paycheck, seems like I could keep up with it better, right? Wrong. I suck at managing all this. So, any advice on how to manage my time sheet, invoices, etc?

And any advice on how to not get distracted while working at home? I do want to go back to school to, but I get invovled in all these MMO games, which is some of the reason to. So, what should I do? Stop working for this jo and get a job in an office or what? I love this job though and I love working at home, so anyone got mainly advice on staying on task and organized at home and all?

 

Throw out your games (keep them locked up) use a basic graphics card in your computer enough to handle the programs but not games very well. That would be a start

If you like working from home just make sure you focus more on your work than having fun. Deadlines are part of any job, you need to deliver on time in the office or at home.

 

Just got to knuckle down and do it. If you have a spare bedroom that you can use as a office, do so. When you're working close the door and do your thing.

I am lucky because my wife goes to work outside the home and my stepson is at school most of the day during the week. My wife's days off are Wednesday and Thursday though and I can tell you that I get very little accomplished on those days. Only saving grace is that I can start work at 5:00 a.m. and she sleeps in until 9:00 a.m. on those days. So I get half a day of work in before she gets up.

Also when your boss gives you an assignment, get a date. When he says "Soon", just tell him that you want a deadline date. If you put it off then, then its your fault.

 

Close all other programs, other than the ones that must be opened to do your work. Or, use the computer the boss gave you for work.

 

I wish Jelsoft would give me a computer for work purposes...

 

Would be nice, yes?

 

Yes... If they gave me a laptop, I could work in the yard while it is cool in the morning.

 

He's given me an eMac for the recording and an iMac for the editing and other work. I have them all setup in a semi-circle really around me. I use my main rig's monitors for the iMac and eMac since, well, they're bigger lol. One keyboard and mouse goes to all the computers. I thought that would help some, but doesn't look like it is.

I work out of my bedroom at home and I usually stay up til around 3, 4, sometimes 6am doing whatever. I sleep during the days sometimes.

Any advice on how I should organize my timesheets, invoices, etc? Or what?

I've thought about installing Arch again as my primary desktop on my PCs to keep me away from games, but idk.

I also wonder if it's because I've got the iMac and my computer hooked up to the same monitors. I'm always switching back and forth, maybe if I get another one for the iMac and set it beside my current ones it'd keep the work up on screen in front of me and hopefully force me to work. Though, now I'm just coming up with excuses to buy more hardware.

 

Create a spreadsheet template in Excel or OpenOffice for your invoices and timesheets. Then just update them once a day at the end of work. Save the copy in year - month format on your drive.

 

I'm doing that Wayne. My pay cycle is every 2 weeks though, so kinda confusing for me.

But the only real project I have now is cataloging a 2,000+ video database. It's so tedious and time consuming as hell. I sit down and tell myself I'm going to do that for an hour now. Never happens.

 

I remind myself during tedious projects that if I don't do it I can't eat...

I like to eat.

 

Hi Michael,

I work from home as well and found it REALLY difficult for the first month. However a friend told me about the egg timer strategy. It seems silly, but you actually get a timer and set it for as long as you feel you want to work on a certain project. Then when the egg timer goes off you switch to something else. (For example sometimes I need a break in the middle of the day so I set the egg timer for 30 minutes and log on to AA, Facebook, or read some blogs I subscribe to.)

At first I used it for every task - work or break time. When I wanted to take a break during the time I needed to work I would look at the egg timer and say "only 10 more minutes then I can play Farmville on Facebook." Now I have gotten to the point that I don't need it so much for the work stuff, but always use it when I take a break to make sure I get my butt back to work.

Working from home takes a little bit more work at times, but it is hands down better than being in an office. I get so much more done in a shorter amount of time. It's worth the silly little egg timer.

HTH,
RR

 

Uh, my name is Bryce, not Michael lol.

Thanks for that egg timer tip, I'll try it and see if it helps me out any.

 

:lol: Maybe this post : http://www.adminaddict.net/forum/ad...e-i-work-home-how-do-you-stop-3766/#post45853 :shrug:

 

Opps! Sorry about that! I thought Michael posted the inital thread and didn't double check. :doh:

 

Besides working from home, my office is in the sitting room off my bedroom, where my son feels free to come in at anytime (as he should).

SO, I had a doorhandle hanger made that says "Genius at work" and when it's hanging on the closed door, he knows to stay out.

I'm very easily distracted too (having ADD), so I make sure my TV is off, everything is quiet.

I try to make the room feel like a work environment (during the day) in some small way, so before I sit at my computer in the morning, I get dressed, brush my teeth, put on my makeup, fix my hair, make the bed, straighten up the room, and..... I'm off to work!

 

I know this is a little of topic but..what do you work as from home? Im just interested..