Ask Sarah: getting organized and staying focused when working from home
Q: I am overwhelmed by everything on my plate right now. I have lists and calendars everywhere and I still feel unorganized.
A: My recommendation is to brain dump, organize, and prioritize.
At the start of each month create one master list: business admin, marketing, clients tasks, personal stuff, all of it.
Next divide the list by date: things that need to happen this week, this month, this quarter, and someday.
Then, focusing on just this month, separate them back into biz and personal lists and prioritize. Things that have a deadline or generate income go first. Finish your client mockup and send that email to your list!
Bonus points if you can delete or delegate any tasks that end up on the end of the priority list. I know I need to clean and check my inbox, but I’d rather pay someone else to do that while I take a nap.
Lastly, put your task lists where you’ll see them. My personal list is on the fridge and my business list is on the wall in my office. You could also get a giant monthly calendar, create a SCRUM board, or use the Dare to Grow Planner!
Q: Just started working from home and it’s so hard to stay focused. Everything is a distraction.
A: Totally understand this! Your business is now competing with your personal life, your personal space, and all the beings living in it with you.
When I started working from home everything was a distraction because I was no longer required to sit in one spot all day. It took years of working weird hours, nights and weekends, and stupidly long days to figure out my best habits and boundaries.
When is the best time for you to work? I don’t work in the morning because it’s simply a struggle. I have ADHD and my body requires time to wake up and get my dopamine at the right level before my brain works. Getting up before 8am is like waking a toddler from a nap at the wrong time. We lived, we learned, and we don’t do that anymore.
I know some solopreneurs who only work on the weekend because people are less likely to interrupt or expect something from them. And some who only work nights because the whole family is quiet or asleep.
You can work from anytime you want so do some experimenting and figure it out!
What habits are helping or hindering you? I know my breakfast and matcha habit is part of getting my workday started. So my only focus in the morning is checking off that task. I do it in the same order every day (in between pup stuff). Then my brain powers up between 11-1pm and I can get everything done in a few hours.
Where are the random roadblocks in your day? The dishes rotting in the sink, the plants needing positive affirmations, the stack of books on your nightstand begging to be read. Can you find time slots or days where those tasks can have a permanent spot? Then they get done, but without being distracting.
Tracking my time has also been helpful for auditing my workday. You cangrab my 10-Day Time Tracker template over here which will walk you through tracking, auditing, and figuring out your schedule.
