"To work from home or not to work from home"

Most people struggle to motivate themselves to work from time to time but pressures of work and encouragement from colleagues is usually enough to get the “work ethic” going again.  What happens if you are working from home and don’t have colleagues to help to get you started?  You then have to find other ways to kickstart your working day.

I’ve been running my own business from home since 2004 when I left the Northern Bank.  I definitely don’t miss the commute to Belfast City Centre, the stress of organising childcare or the actual work but I do miss the social side of work and sometimes I find it hard (like today) to get stuck into the work that I really should be doing.  So what’s the solution?

Firstly set goals for yourself- these could be monthly, weekly, daily or even hourly.  Then have a reward when you achieve a goal – some retail therapy, a walk, coffee with a friend, reading the paper or whatever rewards you.

Organise your day was if you were working in a busy office instead of the kitchen table so get out of your pyjamas before 9am! Have a starting and finishing time, a lunch hour and coffee breaks.  Knowing when to stop working can be a problem too – but that’s the subject of another blog!

Take regular breaks – break your day up in some way eg a trip to the post office to post an invoice, spend some time on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin (remember when to stop!) or walk the dog.  If you are finding it particularly hard to get started on a job, do other more attractive jobs instead like getting your emails cleared up or write a blog.

I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on working from home especially if you have any inspirational ideas on the subject of motivation.  In the meantime, I’m off to the post office to post an invoice, buy something nice for lunch and then I’ll mark a few digital marketing assignments before the little darlings come in from school!

www.customersensetraining.co.uk

Sitting an exam soon?

December is a hectic month for most people but it's even more hectic when you have an exam to sit too.  Recently I've been helping some Chartered Institute of Marketing students get ready for their exams - I've been marking their mock exam papers!  Here are a few of my top tips.

1. Answer the question that has been set - don't make one up of your own as you don't get any marks for straying away from the question.
2. Watch the clock - look at the marks per question and work out how much time you have to spend on each question and then stick to it.  Don't get too carried away at the start and write very long answers and then don't have time to start the last question.
3. Make it look good - if you are asked for a report, make it look like a report by using bullet points, sub-headings, tables, diagrams and white space.  A report is different to an essay.
4. Attempt every question - even if you haven't a clue what to put in your answer, try to write something as you may get a mark or two for it.  Remember you may right!
5. Revise the whole course - don't try to spot questions and revise only limited parts of the course.
6. Use all your time - if it is a three hour exam, write/read for three hours.  Spending a few minutes proofreading at the end may stimulate extra thoughts which you could slot in.
7. Make sure that your writing is legible - don't write like a doctor's prescription pad!
8. Always write in the third person - instead of saying "I believe ...." , you should say "The company could ...."

If you have any other top tips, please let me know.  Otherwise all the very best in your December exam.