Working from home is a great advantage for most people. It comes with great benefits like being able to work your schedule around your kids or around your partners work schedule if you only have one vehicle in your home. I have been there before and I love making money from home the little bit that I do. The only downfall is that some people tend to make mistakes when working at home and it ends up ruining there chances to work from home.
The first mistake that people working from home tend to make is not making them a schedule. Most work too much, or not enough. I have been in both of these situations. What you need to do to avoid this is to make a steady schedule for yourself as if you were working a job outside of your home. These hours may vary depending on your situation, but a schedule is a must for anyone working from home.
Set goals for yourself when your work from home. I have found that weekly goals work best for me, but daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly goals may work the best for you in your work at home situation. Not making goals is a big mistake for anyone who works from home because goals give you something to work towards.
Staying too relaxed when working from home is a big mistake that most people tend to make. To avoid getting too relaxed get up, get dressed for work, have breakfast, or anything else that can get you into a routine before going to work. Some people even drive around the block to make themselves really prepared for there day working at home.
Separate your work area from everything else in your home. Combining your work area and your personal area is a big mistake. You need to know that the area you go to every day is your business. If you have everything combined you have no way to separate the two. You do not necessarily need a separate office, but at least separate an area of a room that you can use exclusively as your home office.
Keep your work at home life and personal life separate to avoid distractions. When you are working try to work when there are very few distractions. Your kids, husband, friends, pets, and even the television can be a distraction. When you are working let people know so that they will not distract you unless it is absolutely necessary. Having multiple distractions in your work day is a mistake because you have less focus on your work and you will accomplish less in your work at home day.
Track your success and failures on a regular basis to know how well you are doing when you are working from home. If you work for a business you can track how much you have accomplished for that company. If you have your own home business you need to track all of the finances for your business. Use a spreadsheet or something similar to track all of your income as well as your expenses. It is great for tax purposes, and it also keeps you focused on what your goals are.