As an entrepreneur, most of us work from home, that’s a great perk right? For me, this was one of my biggest reasons to leave the corporate world. I loved my job very much, but I hated that it took me away from big moments in my little ones’ lives.
When I started working from home I had a hard time at first staying focused. I came from an office that was usually very quiet and had my own desk and because of COVID-19 and helping the kids with their school work and tech problems.II sat at the table with my 7 year old and while he did his work I tried to do mine. There were a lot of times I just gave up on working till the kids were done, or I’d go hide on the back porch for a few hours.
Finally, I told my husband something had to give! I needed a space of my own, the only place left was our bedroom which if you can help it, don’t do it. It was actually my rule when we moved into this house, my husband works from home and I didn’t want him to work all day and be stressed in our safe haven. But now, here I sit at my desk in my bedroom, which is really the only place left in our house (we are a family of 6).
Luckily, my husband is amazing and when I get crazy ideas he usually goes with it. So he bought me a beautiful desk, moved all his stuff to a corner of the room, and made space for me to be able to work somewhat distraction-free.
This is what I did to ensure I had a space that was productive.
I got rid of a lot of stuff we never used or even looked at. I do this every few months throughout the house. I can’t stand clutter and I cannot work in a place where there is stuff everywhere. We got married years ago and I still had all our table toppers, bridal party bouquets, and everything extra I bought that I thought I needed. I always thought I would use it again, repurpose the flowers and ribbon, etc. Guess what? I haven’t touched it since we said “I do” so off it went to Goodwill.
I made my space smell good. I am a sucker for things that smell good. I love my wall plugin tart burners, I have them everywhere. I love sitting at my desk and smelling my favorite scents. I feel energized and focused.
I used colors that are calming. Normally I love a nice rich chocolate-colored wood, but I wanted my space to be light and airy feeling, especially since it was in my bedroom. I choose a desk that is light-colored wood with white trim. Got a white bookcase for all my notebooks and books and a seafoam green desk pad. Even though I am in a corner of my bedroom, I don’t feel that way.
I play calming or positive music in the background. For me, having music in the background helps me focus and think clearly. I love Christian music, and anything 80’s and 70’s while I’m working. I have my favorite playlists ready to match my mood or to get me out of a mood. Hey, we all have those days where we are simply just unmotivated. For me, music helps get me back on track.
I let my family know before I get on a call. This one may seem simple, but for me, it helped a lot. I had my space but still every 5 minutes the kids were coming to the door or barging in. Of course, no one needed mom all day until the call started. So I either let them all know hey, mom is getting on a call please wait till 1. My door is open again or 2. I come to tell you I’m done. If it’s a really important call, I have a cute little note I wrote my family and I lock my door. Basically says unless you or someone else is dying or bleeding uncontrollably, please wait. My kids are all old enough to fix their own snack or make their own drink. Some may think that is harsh, but you know what it worked.
What tips helped you create your space. Share with us in our group Leveraging Marketing to Build Your Business for Entrepreneurs how you created your space.
