My Top Tips for Working from Home Sucessfully

The vision of working from home can often have that idealistic picture attached to it of sipping coffee in your PJ's on the couch whilst you tap away on the laptop resting on your knee with your kids happily coloring in beside you. Like many things the reality isn't always was rosy as we picture!

However, that doesn't mean that it can not be done and done well.

I adore the fact that I get to work from home. My hours are able to be flexible and fitted in around family commitments and school holidays. It is a freedom that I truly cherish. If there is a sports day at school, mothers day at kinder, an early pick up, an excursion or phone call from the school office desperately needing me to pick someone up, I can drop what I am doing and be there. AND I LOVE THAT! However, that doesn't mean  I don't work! I absolutely do, and I am constantly learning and evolving my skills to work smarter and more efficiently because I have to. My work hours might not be the typical Monday-Friday 9-5 scenario however it's not a bad thing as long as I plan effectively and make the most of my work time. So here are some of my tips that I've found make life working from home more than doable and maybe even really enjoyable.

Kinder concerts are too precious a memory to miss

1. PLAN: Sounds boring I know and everyone harps on about it constantly, however if I don't have some form of a running sheet beside me I start to procrastinate and achieve nothing! 

Scheduled time out to take the kids go-karting

FAMILY PLANNER: I have a family planner on the fridge and a digital version on my phone where each child's activity, play date, kinder time etc is written down. The alarm on my phone has saved me many a time when my head has been down busily working and time seems to slip into an elusive vortex of speed and disappear. I also include our work meetings, Micks basketball games and my singing lessons (it's so important to have an outlet for yourself "aka sanity saver" and by singing with a group of friends it means I spare my family from my serenades at home!). If it isn't on the planner it isn't happening!

PERSONAL PLANNER/DIARY: Diaries are brilliant, whether they are book version or a snazzy app on your phone, transferring the abundance of information in my head into a legible format frees my mind to concentrate on other tasks. There is a brilliant online version available for purchase at PASSION PLANNER. I always ensure that I write down a to do list each day and I allocate them a priority label. "A" needs to be completed straight away, "B" to be completed as soon as possible and "C" when I get a chance. Too often we get overwhelmed with an enormous list that is entirely unrealistic and rather than accomplish the most important tasks, we 'pretend' by fluffing with things that are easy but not essential. Your list doesn't need to be huge, just doable and when broken down into those allocated task groups it becomes easier to see where to start. And tick them off when completed. I love ticking things off. I may have even been known to write an extra task down that I have finished just to tick it off! It's a little moment of glory and self praise and well deserved.

2. GOAL SETTING AND PROGRESS TRACKING: Working from home and being your own boss also means that more than ever, you are responsible for your own progress. By setting clear goals with an associated timeline (think SMART, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic/relevant with a timeframe), you have a means to track and assess your productivity and steer your business in the successful direction of your choice.  Just "winging it" isn't enough, there is often no performance review conducted other than the one you complete for yourself. It is completely worth it and you need to be prepared to have that honest conversation with yourself at times to ensure you remain on track. Yourself and your business are worthy of investing the time and energy to create and monitor a specific business plan with goals.

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You are important and deserve time and space for yourself

3. ME TIME: This may seem strange having 'me time' so high on the list, however to ensure you remain most effective you need to look after yourself first and foremost. As with most business owners, we are our own boss and employee, therefore we need to be the best boss we have ever had and the best employee all in one. If you do a great job at something, acknowledge it. If you believe that a something isn't quite up to par, fix it or seek help. But do it gently without speaking harshly to yourself. It is also imperative to acknowledge that work time is work time and personal time is just that, PERSONAL. Precious time spent enjoying hobbies, exercising and just being yourself are essential and must never be sacrificed, because if you burn out, so does  your business.

4. WORK SPECIFIC HOURS: In the beginning it is imperative to set clear work hours and boundaries not only with yourself but also with friends and family as it can be easy to get sucked into re-configuring your working hours to fit with the needs and demands of others as you are "flexible". Just because you "work from home" doesn't mean that you are available anytime for them to just drop in for a cuppa. Whilst that would be lovely, it isn't practical and it can easily encroach on limited working hours leaving you desperately trying to catch up late into the evening. Therefore consider the true amount of hours that you need to work to effectively achieve your set tasks for the week/month and schedule that time in your planner. By blocking out these work times you are not being selfish, rather you are showing respect to your business and to yourself as a professional. 

No more lengthy commutes!

5. WORK SPACE: There is no longer a lengthy commute to separate work and home This is wonderful as it allows you to save an amazing amount of precious time and devote it to other areas of your life. Imagine having an extra hour per day to allocate as you choose? However, you do need to consciously "go to work" to avoid the feeling of never switching off.  Setting aside a separate space for work is not only beneficial when it comes to differentiating expenses come tax time but it also allows you to create a focused area for efficient working and facilitates separating work and personal time. My desk is permanently set up to function according to my needs. When I walk into my home office and sit down to work I am 100% committed to the task at hand. Additionally when I "knock off" and switch into mum mode I can shut the door and remove the stress and needs from work and remain focused on my children. They deserve my time and attention and it wouldn't be fair to them to keep sneaking back in "just to send another quick email". Just as my work deserves focused attention. It ensures efficiency and mindfulness in both aspects

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6. DRESS THE PART: Following on from above, working from home is all about being in the correct mindset and I find sitting down to work in trackies and slippers that I lose that inner sense of being a "powerful, successful and knowledgeable business woman". Prepping myself for work is also about prepping my mind and when I walk to my desk looking and feeling like a successful entrepreneur, that tends to be the quality of work I produce. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's generally a duck.


7. CLOUD STORAGE: It's Brilliant! Love it! Take the time and save all of your important and necessary documents in specifically labelled folders in a cloud storage facility like Dropbox and you can access them anywhere anytime. If I'm having a remote meeting, writing from a coffee shop or just away from the home office I still have everything I need and I don't waste valuable time retyping or emailing documents later.  My folders are all clearly labelled and set out to ensure ease of finding the necessary document. Not just because I'm a little obsessive, it really does save time!

8. OUTSOURCE WHAT YOU CAN: Time is precious and valuable, therefore I love things that are super efficient. For me grocery shopping for a family of 6 takes ages and I would rather be doing something more productive, however healthy and nutritious meals are a must therefore I get Farmers Direct delivered weekly. Not only am I supporting Australian farmers and businesses but I am thoughtfully looked after by our delivery man who so kindly texts me each week reminding me to leave out my eskies. I get great fresh produce and I know that without me having to do anything, every week I will open my door and receive milk, cheese, bread, eggs, yoghurt, fruit and vegies amongst other goodies. Another brilliant local service is Scullery Wholefoods who deliver  a divine range of organic wholefoods. Quite often local businesses will run a delivery service, whether they be butcher, baker or farmer, this is a win win situation for all involved. Local business supports local business and you can rely on deliveries of great quality produce whilst you use your time effectively doing other 'work'.

9. NETWORK ELECTRONICALLY: The brilliant introduction of social media, especially the likes of Linkedin, enables us to professionally network on a completely new level with other like minded professionals. Being "stuck at home" does not limit your ability to connect, share and learn from other brilliant minds. The abundance of professional and personal development concepts found in articles, blogs and websites can be a treasure trove of tips and knowledge allowing you to take your self and your business to the next level. Just because you work on your own, does not mean you need to remain isolated in business.

10. WASHING: Having 4 children and a builder for a husband, there are times when I feel as though my washing basket has developed a life of it's own! My best tip is always after shower/bathtime at night to put on a load of washing. That way it's ready to hang out first thing in the morning and if I achieve nothing else around the house for the rest of the day at least I know we are all in clean knickers! I have also been known to turn sock pairing into a competitive sport for kids. Interesting how no one wants to willingly help fold washing, however if you set a timer and see how many sock pairs you can discover in under 2 minutes the competitive spirit in my boys takes over!


Working from home has amazing benefits as long as you continue to view yourself and your work with the respect it deserves. It's completely doable!

Good Luck

Emily xx