Procrastination can lower the productivity of any type of home based business. In this sense we are speaking of procrastination of time spent doing money making activities VS time spent in necessary but non money making activities. The deferment of actions and duties to a later time works against the completion of a task. Functional lag with activities can add to stress, anxiety and failure with deadlines. Too often this is the spiraling end of your business venture.The proprietor of any business opportunity should be realistic about time and activity management. With your business plan in place and areas broken down into projects and time frames, this can be monitored easily and you can manage deadlines more effectively.
Common distractions with home based business like ringing telephones, frequent meal time and social conversations must be avoided. Many friends will treat you like if you work from home you do not really have a job so you are always available. You are the only one that can set a good example and limits on that.The inclination for procrastination – tips for success:- Efforts must be undertaken to limit distractions in the work environment. Set up rules, for example: when the door to your office is closed, NO one comes in but perhaps if cracked open then can come in quietly and see if you have time for an interruption. If you do not have a door to work space, get creative, a red flag could mean on duty. First you train yourself, then you train your family, this includes spouses and children.- An action plan is best be prepared the night before work to promote optimum productivity. Using some form of day timer or computer organizer of your choice, preplan the next day. This includes by the hour all tasks and the time allotted to them. Phone calls to be made including name and phone number. Time allotted for emails to answer and phone messages to be picked up and returned. It is always wise to set yourself up to do the most important things first and often those will be ones you would prefer to procrastinate on.- The plan can act like a roadmap to initiate activities working towards you business plan.- A clean desk can help focus on the most essential requirements. If you have cluttered your work space it needs cleaned and organized. But are you the one to do it? If so, then do not count this as work hours or you are kidding yourself. The only hours you are at work are those that are income producing activities.- Visual distractions must be avoided to promote diligence. For different people that may mean different thing; give thought to what stimulates you to work and what slows you down in your environment.- Negative work habits that hamper productivity must be curtailed. But first you need to uncover them. Suggest sit down some morning or evening and really take a good hard look at how you spend your day. What is not working? Identify it. Then do something about it. Can it be delegated to someone else, decide it does not need doing at all, or truly is something only you can take care of. Now decide what to do about it. Leaving problems hanging only leaves you feeling the burden.- Essential tools and supplies must be available handy. They should be close to desk to avoid strolling away from work area. Files labeled, and everything you need commonly in reach, or have a rolling chair so you can quickly get something.- If you have fear or apprehension associated with the ability for a task then it must be dealt with if it is necessary to your business. Probably one of the most common ones is using the telephone to contact people and return contact to people who asked via mail, email or phone for more information. Many people have phone phobia. If you do, you must either get over it by working with a plan, doing some each day. Or again, delegate. Often small home businesses have either a spouse working or a person who can be full or part time, or even a business partner to complement your skills. But ignoring this one will not make it go away!- Everyday focus should be towards business objectives and priorities with a positive attitude. As it is said over and over, attitude is everything.- The most suitable approach towards time management has to be pursued by home based business owners. The degree of personal entrepreneurial commitment is often proportional to the ability to work consistently within the time limits and task management.- Big assignments can be broken down in to smaller components to achieve accelerated task completion. Just as multiple tasks must be prioritized in order to achieve targets in time.- Short breaks can help assimilate energy and passion for long working hours.- Lunch hours can be used to venture outdoors and get some fresh air with a short walk.- Frequency of interruptions anticipated must be gauged as to importance of getting off schedule.- Critical functions must be carried out in the time periods which are least susceptible to distractions. Activities can be planned around known interruptions to avoid procrastination in home based business.Your home based business venture will benefit from high work efficiency in the forms of increased profits and lowered business pressures. Yes, one of the biggest benefits of a home business is flexibility of time. Use that wisely and you can make it work for you and your family.