When I think about life with my home business, it is generally about me getting into a rhythm and falling out of a rhythm! If I am lucky, I can get a few good days out of a steady working rhythm while there are plenty of days where I never quite get in the groove or I get one good hour in before succumbing to interruptions and intrusions! Is there anything a person can do to help to facilitate getting into a steady working rhythm?
1. Know Your Most Productive Time of Day—I have learned that there are times of the day when I am much more likely to get into a good working rhythm. The sooner I can get to my computer and get started, the better. Mornings are best for me, early afternoons are alright and evenings are the pits. Some people can work best in the evenings or even late night after the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. I am an early to mid morning person. By knowing when you have the best focus and can be the most productive, you will be more likely to take advantage of natural rhythms.
2. Eliminate Distractions—What really distracts you and what can you ignore? If you are distracted by the television being on, the phone ringing, or too much or too little sunlight, eliminate or modify those realities to get rid of the things that are most likely to distract you and pull you out of your rhythm. Create an environment that is conducive to work and be diligent about eliminating distractions.
3. Put Off Giving In as Long as Possible—When things are trying to pull you out of a good work rhythm, sometimes, putting off the distraction as long as possible can help to sustain the rhythm. For example, if you know you need to run errands, but are in a groove—what can you postpone or put off until later? I like to call this “honoring the rhythm.” If you do not have an appointment you have to keep—maybe you can put off the other things and keep working. There will be other times when you cannot get focused on work and running errands, cleaning or doing other things will be a productive use of time.
See Also: Holding Yourself and Your Business to a Higher Standard
Staying Focused when you are Up Against a Deadline