Having a home-office can be both a blessing and a curse. The cat, the kids, the spouse, the television, and other various things in the home can pose an easy distraction to your typical work day. Learn how to manage your time wisely and get yourself on track.

Create a schedule and stick to it

The freelancer needs some structure. Remember that you are no longer an hourly employee, you work by the contract if you’re like most freelancers. If you aren’t working, you aren’t getting paid. If you’re playing with the cat, singing songs, wandering off in your mind, playing on forums and what not, you aren’t getting paid. It’s easy to do, but you must focus. I’ve wasted about half of my day on forums and playing with my cat. I know several other freelancers who can relate. In the end, though, you’ll have to discipline yourself. You are your boss and you are solely responsible for the bread. Remember that and it will help you stay focused.

Stop checking your email every two minutes

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If you’re like me when I started freelancing, you run to that inbox every time it says “1 new”. Don’t do that. If you schedule an eight hour work day for yourself, check your email only three times daily. Check it once in the morning, once after lunch, and once before quit time. Resist the urge. Be strong, you can do it.

Do your financial records(budget, earnings)/assignment tracking/business planning/marketing once or twice weekly

This saves plenty of time. I used to do my records daily but I ended up losing so much time (about one half hour a day) that I finally decided to do it once a week.

Find something for your children and/or pet to do while you’re working

Kids and pets can play the biggest distraction in any home office. If you have children, sit them down and explain to them that this is your work-time and when you are finished you will speak with them and that they need to be quiet while you’re working. Take the time to discipline them. If you let them run amok in the background each day, you’re losing much more than the five minutes it would take to deal with the issue.

Almost all of us have dealt with the pesty pet. The dog that won’t stop bothering you, the cat that incessantly meows. Take time to play with your pets before and after your work day. Set a schedule with them so that they instinctively know when mommy or daddy’s work time is. Playing with them during the day because you’re bored is not going to cause them to stop being rowdy, it will actually encourage it.

Bottom line, discipline the kids and pets properly.

Eat well

This may sound silly but skipping breakfast or eating junk food or at odd, inconsistent times can actually lower your productivity. The stomach can become a major distraction when you’re trying to work. It’s also helpful to have a healthy mid-morning snack to stay focused and productive.