Many of us dream of working from home. We long to start a business out of a home office, or work from home as a freelancer. You might even explore the option of doing your current job as an employee but from home. Working at home gives you options. It allows you to work flexibly around children or other commitments and gives you far more control over your work-life balance.

But, when it comes to actually working, we tend to fall into two camps. Some people are great at working from home without guidance or supervision. They get things done, they make the more of their time, and they are more productive than they have ever been before. Others struggle. They procrastinate, they miss deadlines and don’t fulfill their earning potential. Over time a lack of productivity sees their work suffer and starts to affect their mental health and home life. If you need a few tips on getting more done while working from home or making the most of your time, here are some of the best.

Keep It Simple

Sometimes our productivity suffers because we overcomplicate things. We try to do everything for ourselves, we worry about every little problem, and we spend far too much time trying to understand things that won’t really improve our business. You might spend a long time adding extras to your ecommerce store instead of sticking to a simple hosted vpos. If you are spending too much time on specific tasks, ask yourself two questions, firstly, is it worth it? And secondly, could you simplify that task so that you can get it done quicker?

Understand Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Part of keeping things simple, and knowing where you should be spending your time is understanding your own strengths and weaknesses. Know what you are good at and what you enjoy, and accept the things that you aren’t as good at. Then, you’ve got a choice to make. Do you want to spend time improving those skills? So that you can work more efficiently. Or, do you want to hire help so that your business gets access to an expert, and you get to focus more time on the elements that you enjoy?

Have a Business Plan

Where do you want your business to go? Where would you like to be in five years? Or even in twelve months? Having a business plan can help you to stay on track. It can give your day focus and help you to get more done. Ask yourself if what you are doing day to day is helping you on your way to your goals.

Write Lists

Lists can be a great way to get more done. They’ll give you a clear plan for your days, and they’ll help you to motivate yourself. Write a list at the end of each day for the next. This helps you to prepare and means that you can get started as soon as you get to your desk the following day.

Use Productivity Tools

A good old fashioned pen and paper is all that you need to write a to-do list. But, if you prefer, there are plenty of productivity apps out there that can help you with time management and motivation as well as avoiding distractions.

Get the Jobs You’re Dreading Done First

We often procrastinate when there’s a specific task that we want to avoid. We do anything that we can to put it off, which can mean that the rest of that day’s work suffers too. If there’s a particularly nasty job on your list, get it out of the way first so that you can stop worrying about it and focus on the rest of your list.

Get Dressed for Work

Some people that work from home love to do it in their PJs. Others find it hard to focus when they are so casual. You might find that you work more productively if you get up early, shower and dress for work. Many people find that this helps them to get into the right frame of mind.

Get out of the House

You might find it hard to focus at home when you are surrounded by distractions and other household chores that you need to do. Try working from different locations like libraries, co-working spaces and coffee shops.

Take Yourself Seriously

If you are working from home, you must be doing well. Start taking yourself seriously and thinking of yourself as a professional, and you might work better.

Create a Workspace

Most of us find it easier to focus if we have a designated workspace away from distractions. If you’ve got a space for a home office, this is perfect. If not, try to add a desk to a quiet corner of your house to create a small home office.