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How you can successfully e-commute

I enjoy working from home. E-commuting out of my home has allowed me the flexibility to do a lot of things not otherwise possible if I were working a 9-5 job.

My favorite things about working from home include: shopping in the early afternoon when there aren’t any crowds, working in comfortable clothes as I sit at my desk, impromptu time spent with friends and family, and not having to face dreadful weather if I don’t have to (I’m talking about you winter vortex!).

All in all, working from home is a luxury but that doesn’t mean it should be taken advantage of. There are still deadlines to meet and my productivity is directly linked to the income I receive.

If you are new to working from home or are just looking for some tips to increase your productivity while working from home follow the steps below:

1) Create an office space

 Photo by Aleksi Tappura

Just because you are working at home doesn’t mean that you should allow your work to spill over into various parts of the house. While it may be convenient to take your work in the kitchen during lunch or the bedroom when you want to relax but still get some things done, you don’t want to lose track of any important papers or documents.

Have a designated office space where you store everything and that other family members know not to touch. Even if your designated space is messy, at least you know where everything is located. So if you do find that some of your work has migrated throughout the house during the day, be sure to return it to this space by the end of the day.

2) Remove distractions

 Photo by Hunter Langston

The ability of distractions to present themselves throughout the day is much more likely while working from home. Having a space that is away from televisions, animals that feel like play time, and laundry duties will help minimize the ability for distractions to arise. You don’t want to get sucked into a movie only to find you have a couple of hours to finish your task or project.

Find a well-lit room with a table/desk and comfortable chair – somewhere that you can get your ideas flowing. If you find yourself easily distracted by social media, there are several online sites that allow you to temporarily block access to social media sites in order for you to be more productive. Examples include http://getcoldturkey.com/ and http://anti-social.cc/

3) Balance your work and life schedules

Here it is… my feelings over the last three days that lead up to the launch of Event Heroes! Boy what a rollercoaster ride it has been.

See the first four days of the Emotional Roller Coaster Ride

Day 3

A mixture of nausea and butterflies, my stomach won’t settle today. You know that feeling when you’re about to do something really exciting and your stomach seems to be doing flips while your mind loops in doubts and fears all at the same time?  That’s how I’m feeling right about now. Hope I can sleep tonight with only 3 days left until we expose ourselves to the world.

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Day 2

Ok, one day to go! – I’m fired up and calling everyone on our list to let them know we will be launching. We are watching Facebook posts and LinkedIn notifications and all the other social media outlets. Lots of work today to get things ready for tomorrow…. nerves are running high and butterflies abound.

Wow, what a day, we have really been running fast to get everything ready for the big day. One more check of Social media, links on the website and talking to friends and family to keep up the excitement. We are finally ready to go!

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Launch Day

2:30 AM – can’t sleep! All the doubt is coming back and I feel sick! – Hard to believe it’s finally here….now if I can just get a few more hours of sleep, that would be great. I just need to get just a few more winks!

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5:30 AM –My team will be online and watching the launch countdown clock and we can’t wait to see what happens.

Three years ago, I had an idea. I stewed about it and during that first year, I was riddled with excitement and doubt. I asked myself was it even a good idea? Are people really looking for what I want to offer? Who am I to be trusted as the “go to” expert in this industry?

Now, if this was my first business venture, these thoughts and feelings I had would make sense. Anything new is scary as you enter the zone of the unknown. But I’d already established an event planning business that had grown to a 7-figure business over thirty years’ time. I wasn’t a newbie by any means, and yet a flood of doubt and fear washed over me when I decided to let my entrepreneur side out once again.

“Anything new is scary as you enter the zone of the unknown”

Here’s what no one tells you about being a successful creative entrepreneur: No matter how much success you’ve had, no matter how your efforts impact the industry, you never outgrow doubt or fear. You can be Donald Trump or Richard Branson and still have these same fears and doubts (but maybe not as visible to the naked eye).  These feelings are all just part of the roller coaster ride of someone determined to design their own path in business and in life.

Follow along as I share my journey of what it feels during the week leading up to launching my new business, Event Heroes.

Day 7

Seven days away from our Event Heroes website launch and I am a nervous wreck! We have worked 3 years on this project and it is now finally time for us to release it to the world. Ugh – talk about exposing yourself!

The one thing I know for sure is that creating a business and bringing it to the world is like birthing a baby!

We’ve grown it, coddled it, thought about it, and changed it based on others suggestions or books from “experts.” So today, I’m on the top of the roller coaster, waiting to crest and then free fall down into the unknown, full of hopes and aspirations, fears and concerns, but all the while, really excited about the ride.

I’m preparing for the big day by spending time resting and thinking positive thoughts. At least that’s what I’m trying to do…but then the doubts flood my mind.  I’m obsessing about all the ways we could improve the product or figure out how to make sure the clients understand how to use the product, even though our team has been over this a thousand times!

We’ve tested our offerings with a small group to make sure our clients’ needs are met.  And yet, I still question everything! I keep reminding myself this is all a normal part of the entrepreneur roller coaster ride.

Day 6

Is Event Heroes what my clients really need or want?  Did we do a good job of explaining the product? Does the website make sense? Will it be successful? Did I just spend the last three years consumed with an idea only to find it never goes anywhere? Will this venture completely bankrupt me? Oh my gosh, now I’ve talked myself into a headache.

Still so many things to do and I am overwhelmed trying to keep up with two businesses.  Sometimes a glass of wine sounds great but then I remember that I need to be as sober and as productive as possible for the next few days. Definitely spiraling down on the roller coaster!

Day 5

Do I really have to get out of bed this morning? I was awake all night and thought about our upcoming launch.  I stared at the ceiling and watched the shadows play on the wall and listened to the wind howl. I’ve played this thing out over and over 100 times and broke into a cold sweat a time or two. Okay, so maybe those were hot flashes, but either way, the launch is coming.