Hi everyone 😎
If you haven't e-met me yet, I'm Cindy 👋🏽 I live on the beautiful island of St Croix in the USVI and am a multi-passionate entrepreneur. I've worked from a home/hybrid office for 19 years (you know, before it became cool lol). I've also worked in the online space since the 90's (aging myself) and had a very successful destination wedding business on the island for about 15 years (I very happily retired from that in 2018). I specialize in digital marketing & web design for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and my jam is working with fellow Gen-X women who are experts in their field but have some anxiety over digital resources and growing their online presence.
Since I've worked from home (or hybrid in the very beginning) for almost 20 years, I consider myself an expert in working from home and still getting business DONE. It can be really difficult at first because laundry, cleaning, and other chores can definitely distract you when they are easy excuses to be sidetracked.
So, here are my non-negotiables when working from home.
I still treat it like a 9-5 job without the commute. I even tell my cats in the morning, "Let's go to work," when I'm ready to step into my office. By saying it out loud, I'm letting myself know it's time to switch into work mode.
I have a separate office space that's NEVER in my bedroom. My bedroom is for sleeping, and getting good rest is paramount for being your own boss. I'm lucky enough to have a spare bedroom that is fully set up as my office - but in the past, when I didn't have as large a place, I carved out an area of the living room that was visually separate and set up for work. This helps visually to move from home to "work" mode.
The TV goes off during work time. I won't lie, though - if I'm sick or just need a change of pace because I've got a creative block and need a distraction - I may take my laptop to the couch to work on mindless data entry or photo editing, folder organizing, and turn it on. But I only do that occasionally.
I take a lunch break and leave my office! I know that I am most productive in the morning, and then if I get a second wind after dinner, when working on a big project. By giving myself the space to take an hour lunch break regularly, my brain knows that I have a schedule and that also helps me to stay in "work mode" when I'm at my desk.
Lastly, I have morning and work shutdown "rituals" that help me to keep Monday-Friday in working mode. Every morning, I start by opening up my planner with my coffee (before going into my office) and looking over my day and adding my "big 3" tasks to accomplish and check off plus smaller tasks and goals.
Key takeaways: Having a dedicated workspace and a schedule will increase your productivity and help you find a good work/life balance when working from home. These are my non-negotiables.
What are your "working from home" non-negotiables?
Elite Advocate | Cindy Clearwater
