Anyone who works from home will tell you that it has its own special set of dilemmas and difficulties. One of the unexpected ones that I found was a trap that probably many people encounter when they are first starting out working from home. It was a lack of formal start and end to the work day. This is the flip-side of being able to make your own flexible hours. Let’s face it, the thought of working at home in your pyjamas sounds fun! I must confess that I was guilty of doing this when I started out. I didn’t push myself to get ‘dressed for work’ because, well, frankly, I didn’t have to! It took a good few months before I realised that I was actually hurting my productivity. Whether you work at home or in an office, you have to be in the right frame of mind to achieve your potential. Let me tell you, it’s hard to be in the right frame of mind if you’re figuratively (and sometimes literally!) still in your pyjamas. I wised up to this and things started going better.

I still found that there seemed to be little separation between my work day and home-time though, so I decided to start treating my *job* like a…(gasp) JOB! (I know, shocking, isn’t it?) One thing that I started doing was building in a ‘commute’ to work. For me, this is taking the kids to school. Sometimes we walk and sometimes I drive. But either way, I find that if I don’t do this, psychologically I haven’t ‘come to work’. If the kids are off from school, I have found that the relaxed atmosphere sometimes makes it difficult for me to get into the swing of my work-day, so if I can, I go for a walk around the block to signal that I’m going to work. This ritual allows me to focus my mind (particularly on my way back to the house when I am by myself). I can start thinking about what is on my to-do list and plan for the day. It’s a small change, but it has made a big difference for me.

So how about you? Do you have any rituals or traditions that help you get into the right frame of mind to be productive at work? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it. Looking forward to hearing all your great tips!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. However, all content is my own and true.

What a way to start 2012!

Day 12
You are not so important that you have to win every argument.
Agree to disagree.

I actually have a different way to make this same point that works better for me.
I often tell myself:
‘It is more important to be happy, than it is to be right.’

I know that it is our natural tendency to try to convince someone when we think (or even know) that we’re right. But there comes a point in a disagreement when you can tell that the other person either can’t see your point, or maybe doesn’t want to. At that stage, you have two options:

1. Keep arguing.
2. Decide that you don’t have to win and agree to disagree.

I definitely struggle with this sometimes. I have a need for things to get wrapped up tidily and be dealt with. I don’t like disagreements to be left hanging. I need a conclusion. I need to know it’s OK. Most of the time, this is through a process of either convincing the other person of my view, or accepting theirs. But occasionally, there will be a situation where neither of these is possible. I grew up in a household with a parent who subscribed to the ‘my way or the highway’ philosophy. I internalised this, so it was no surprise that I too used to try to ‘make’ people see things my way. It took me a long time to understand that letting it go and agreeing to disagree is also an acceptable conclusion. Moving on peacefully is actually a good conclusion. But it was hard, (really hard) to learn that deciding to let it go didn’t necessarily mean I was ‘giving in’.  Once I learned this, I was so much happier. I didn’t feel angry walking away. It was liberating.

I am currently trying to teach this lesson to my daughters. They are 4, 6 and 7 1/2. As you can imagine, there are squabbles. They all want to be right. They all want to be the winner. If I can teach them this one small but incredibly important lesson, I know their lives will be so much happier and positive. They will have better relationships and feel better about themselves.

So remember….

It is more important to be happy, than it is to be right. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2012 and under each one, I made an intention statement about how I would make it happen. I am proud to say that I am well on my way with one of them.

My goal:
In 2012, I will be much more outward focused and give of my time and talents to help other people.

My statement of intention:
I will find at least three opportunities to volunteer in my local and global communities.

Now, I am a great believer in the Law of Attraction, and would you believe, I made this particular goal formally (writing it down and saying it to myself), and a week later I received an email in my inbox asking me if I wanted to become a Founding Member of Mom Bloggers for Social Good.

THIS week….I had a message on my Facebook wall about the Time to Share project with Tots100!

If you’re a blogger, Time to Share will give you a fantastic opportunity to support a charity that’s close to your heart, and close to home. We’ve got some amazing charities on board already, and we’ll be offering you the chance to meet new people and make a real difference in your community. Above all, we want you to be inspired to share your experience with your readers, friends and family.

If you don’t have any free time just now, don’t worry. You can still support Time to Share by displaying one of our lovely blog badges, and telling your readers about the programme. We’d love you to let people know about how they can take part in Time to Share, and how people can find out about volunteering opportunities in their area via Time to Share. (~ from the Tots100 website)

So, you guessed it, I did it! I’m well on my way to reaching that goal, and once I do, I will extend it to give even more this year. I can’t even say I found the opportunities, they found me! All I had to do was respond. I love when things come together like that. It makes me feel like I’m definitely doing what I’m supposed to be doing right now.

So how about you? Have you made any goals and intentions for this year? Have you already made progress on any of them? Please share them with us in the comments. We can help each other get there together!