How to Keep Your Home Office From Becoming...The Land of Distraction (Part 2: Outside Distractions)

When utilizing your home as the location for your business office, it's imperative that you create a "business atmosphere" within that specific domain. By doing this you enable your mind to remain focused on business related tasks as well as alerting others to the fact that this is not a place to play or be noisy. Ironically, the old retail business adage applies here too: "Location, location, location!"

Obviously, the best choice for achieving the ideal work environment would be a separate room or office. This gives you the ability to close off any outside distractions and also keeps others from being annoyed by hearing your phone conversations, training videos, etc.

However, if your situation is like that of many, you may not have an extra room to spare. If that's the case, then it becomes even more important that you maintain the business atmosphere within your chosen workspace. Be sure to select a somewhat secluded place within your house that is off the beaten path and away from busy or loud areas. The TV room, the kitchen, and spaces near the front or back door are some of these "commotion-zones" that should be avoided.

One very common mistake is to keep a phone in your office that's connected to the residential line. If you have a separate phone line dedicated to your business that's one thing, but throughout the day as the calls come in, the home phone will prove to be much more of a distraction than a valuable tool. I would suggest a cordless phone in another room. When you need to use the phone, go get it and then be sure to return it to the base when you're done. This may be an inconvenience, but in the long run will help you to better concentrate on your work, and also gives you a refreshing opportunity to break away from the computer for a minute. If your business requires so much phone usage that this is not feasible, then you really should get a second line.

As a single parent, I would have to say the most difficult part in sustaining the functionality of my own home office is simply this: Recognizing the difference between a true distraction and a problem that requires my immediate attention. This is one of the few "gray areas" that will always require you make a judgment call every time it comes up. For example, when your child comes to your side and looks up at you with those puppy dog eyes and says "I'm hungry…" you have to decide quickly if it's close enough to lunch time to stop what you're doing and go make it or just send him to the fridge for a handful of grapes. If you take too long making this decision or get involved in a lengthy conversation about the subject, then you would have been better off just taking a lunch break because you have now become distracted. It will take several minutes to get yourself back into the state of mind you were in prior to the interruption because your rhythm has been broken.

The most important thing you can do to promote a business atmosphere within your home office is to ensure that all house members understand and respect the fact that when you are sitting in front of that computer, you are at work. They need to truly comprehend that this is your job, and you can't do your job if you're being distracted. As long as they are willing to wait until your next break to bring up issues that do not require your immediate attention, then you have succeeded in this mission and that success will carry over into your business.~


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Dan Combs owns http://www.RevenueRabbit.com which is a website dedicated to reviewing thoroughly tested home based business ideas and opportunities. Check it out today for more info.