Today, 2 years after working from home, I’ve learned that I can’t have my instant messaging opened during the day because too many family/friends IM me wanting to chat. I also am learning (and really trying but it’s HARD) that I have to check my email in the morning & then close it down because if I let it sit open I waste a ton of ton on email during the day – so I’m working on checking only in the morning & then again in the afternoon.

And just recently I’ve had issues with way TOO many phone calls again. So I shut my ringer off unless I’m expecting a client call or something. I do have caller ID & the phone on my work desk lights up when someone is calling & if the # is one that I know that I need to answer then I can answer it, if not I don’t & voice mail picks up. Now I don’t always do this because I feel ‘guilty’ shutting my ringer off especially during working hours because potential clients or current clients should be able to get a hold of me during working hours. But if I am in the middle of a huge project or something that I just can’t be interrupted during then I do shut it off!

And lastly I just recently started shutting my cell phone off during working hours because family & friends are calling me way too much.

It’s taken me 2 years to finally learn how valuable my time really is & 2008 I have some big goals so I don’t have time to allow myself to be distracted. I’ve got to do everything to get a handle on my time management & work smarter not harder

Hope those help!