Productivity 101: How to Make Friday a Breeze When at Home

Image by Roman Bozhko

It is undeniable that working at home may not be as productive as working at an office like 6750 Ayala Avenue. Working at home means differently to each hustling citizen. It can be s studio unit in a high-rise condo in BGC or a home office in Quezon City. Either way, most people find it hard to get things done during a Friday.

Friday signifies the end of a work week. It’s a few hours away from the weekend. For most of the young population, it’s the invitation to get hammered, party all night and think about the consequences the next day. But even if these aren’t part of your routine, working at home poses several temptations —the children, soft pillows, shows on TV, and a bunch of other things that can hamper your productivity.

It’s easy to resist these temptations if you give all your focus to your job. But if a lot of distractions begin popping up along the way, then it’s time to take the big guns out. It’s time you come up with a foolproof strategy that helps you stay on track.

With that in mind, here’s how you can make Friday a breeze even when you are at home.

1. Set specific goals for the day

The difference between people who finish their job on time to those who only do half of it is their ability to plan. A comprehensive plan is crucial in having a successful day. The number of things you accomplish each day and how you do them depends on the list of goals you created. The list can be general and vague. However, it leads you to waste time figuring out what you meant to do for the day. If you list specific items, you won’t have trouble going through the things you wish to accomplish for the day. You can jump to and fro activities without missing a beat.

How to set specific goals:

• Identify your targets. Do you have a deadline? Are you working on a quota? Do you need to impress someone at the end of the day? Before listing the things to do, you must first identify your objective for the day. It can be a date, time or quantity. It can also be a person. Demanding jobs often have a combination of all those things. Those jobs also have different targets daily. It’s up to you to identify yours.

• Organize the objectives by importance. You can’t work on them at the same time. If you do, you risk submitting a low-quality output. You might also not finish anything in the process. Thus, it’s necessary for you to know which comes first. Prioritize those with a deadline. It helps you find out how much time you need to work on the project or series of tasks.

• Lay out the steps to accomplish your goal. These steps are your tasks for the day. Some tasks end once you finish them. Others are part of an ongoing process. Knowing the nature of your responsibilities allows you to manage your time effectively.

• Write them on paper. Writing is an effective method to remember stuff. Put your goals on paper and place it somewhere you can see. It serves as your reminder to stay on track. 

2. Set a schedule

Working at home provides a lax and lenient environment. Unlike in an office where everyone is within the confines of their cubicle or department, working at home has no limits. You can stay in the living room, set up a temporary office at the dining table or transform the study into a permanent working area. Being at home also means you don’t have to follow the usual office schedule. You can have breakfast and lunch while in front of your computer. You can read documents while munching on nuts and leafy greens. You can even prop up your feet while thinking of a concept for your presentation.

Indeed, a work-at-home setup is convenient and comfortable. Unfortunately, time is limited. If you don’t follow instructions daily, you might end up missing most of your workdays and end up with half-finished jobs. To prevent it from happening, you must set up a schedule. A schedule outlines the stuff you must accomplish for the day within the time you allotted for it. It makes it easy to understand the flow of your day when you outline things this way:

9 – 10 A.M. Work on the first task

10 – 10:15 A.M. Break!

10:15 – 11 A.M. Work on the second task

11 A.M. – 12 P.M. Finalize the second task

12 – 1 P.M. Lunch

3. Remove distractions

Distractions can only affect you as long as you allow them. The warmth of your bed, the fluffy pillows on top of it, the messages on your phone and other things don’t affect you if you choose to ignore them. If you keep minding them, you end up in bed with nothing to show for to your boss, clients, and customers. Retaining your focus takes patience and willpower to choose your work over the comfort of your home. If paying attention to your job means you have to lock yourself in a room with nothing but a desk, chair, and your laptop. Then, do it.

Discipline is the key. If you are not disciplined to abstain yourself from those temptations around you, then you will not be productive to do your work. And mind you, the ripples of being unproductive can extend until the rest of the month. It can even reach until the next year especially if you’re handling a big project. Hence, you must find ways to get rid of distractions so your mind won’t wander to them once you are in work mode. Washing the dishes, doing laundry or shopping for groceries during your free time are some ways to ensure you stay in a pleasant and productive environment for work.

4. Take breaks

Even if you are working at home, it is still a must for you to have time off your tasks. Continuous work can result in headaches. You might even suffer from body pain and other disturbances which impacts your work pace negatively. It’s best to balance your hard work with a few minutes of downtime. Clear your mind off things and relax. Grab a snack or enjoy a cup of coffee. Listen to your favorite tunes while stretching or play soothing melodies for a quick nap.

Including breaks in your schedule helps your mind and body relax. It keeps your brain sharp and your memory intact. Most of all, it renews your energy and refreshes your spirit. Spending a few minutes doing something that improves your mood allows you to come up with new ideas for your job. It also motivates you to go the extra mile. Lastly, it gives you a pause to reassess your work progress and home situation.

These are the basics of retaining work on a Friday. Before looking forward to the weekend, it’s best if you focus on what’s ahead. You might have to focus on a bunch of tasks before you can fully relish the joys of being work-free.