With more businesses going remote, it is becoming harder to focus on work prioritization. Home offices have distractions that were never a challenge when working at a corporate office. While working from home brings its own challenges, there are ways to overcome them. 

How to prioritize work at home

Create Lists.

What ultimately works is knowing what has to get done. Create a list of tasks that have to be done for the week. From your weekly tasks, place priority jobs that have to be done the day of at the top of the list. This should be listed in the order of importance or deadline. Once you complete this list of tasks and subtasks, you are able to map out your day effectively.  

Do not multitask. 

In order for lists to work, you will need to be focused on completing each task at hand. While many people believe that multi-tasking equates to productivity, it can actually be counterproductive. Working from home promotes different options for multitasking that can become distractions. The best practice is to take on one task at a time. Do not work on anything else simultaneously. Focus on the task at hand before moving on to the next item on your list. 

Set the mood. 

There are many ways to keep you focused while working. For many that is a quiet environment. For others, it’s playing music. In any case, it’s always important to create a workspace that will allow for your work tools to be easily accessible. Even seating can be just as important as the computer and other work tools needed to get your job done. 

Schedule your office hours.

Sometimes family members struggle with understanding that even though you’re home, you’re actually on the clock. Be sure to set your office hours for others to respect. Have them treat it as if you are not even at home while you’re working.