Working from home is something you’ll have to deal with for a while.

But if you’re not as productive as you want to be, I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that there’s no magic pill (or vaccine, if you will) that will miraculously make you immune to procrastination.

The good news is that you don’t need a vaccine. You just need a system.

You may not be operating at peak productivity, but improving your productivity may only take a few tweaks to the way you’re going about doing things.

As a peak performance coach, my clients have all shared with me the many struggles of trying to create some semblance of order in the chaos that is their work-from-home situation.

Here are 5 mistakes that are destroying your productivity if you’re working from home.

5 Mistakes That Destroy Your Productivity When Working From Home

Mistake #1: You don’t set clear intentions for the day

When left to our own devices, human beings have a tendency to take the path of least resistance.

In short: we would rather avoid work than do it.

It’s not about motivation.

And it’s not even about discipline.

The truth is that the only way to get over our natural laziness is to BE INTENTIONAL.

Being intentional equates to two very important ‘C’s: Clarity + Commitment.

You need to be clear about what tasks you want to achieve today. And you need to be committed to getting those tasks done.

It’s the only one-two punch combo that you need for a highly accomplished life.

To be a peak performer, you don’t leave things to chance. You seize control over your day by starting it with clear intentions.

Before you even start work, your number one priority should always be to write down the things you want to get done for the day.

The simplest way to do this is to begin each day by asking yourself: what are the 3 most important things I need to get done today?

Make this question your doorway to a productive day.

Mistake #2: You don’t ‘report to work’ each day

If all of us knew how to be productive at home, then offices wouldn’t exist. Everyone would simply just stay in and work will magically get done.

Of course, that’s never the case.

There’s a reason why we need an ‘office’ to report to each day. Having an office creates the necessary context switch we need to get into ‘work mode’.

Your brain is lazy. It likes shortcuts. And it hates spending unnecessary energy on decision making.

Because of this, you want to give your brain a clear context switch by having a fixed place in your home where you ‘report to work’ each day.

This fixed spot is your sacred zone. It is where you get into that focused state of mind and double down on your work.

Train yourself to ‘report to work’ each day, similar to how you do so naturally when you used to report to school or the office. This means consciously going to one, designated workspace where you will start and end work.

Create a rule where you’ll need to be fresh and changed out of your pyjamas before you report in.

Once you have a designated workspace each day, set a clear reporting time.

Have a system of ‘clocking in’ each day. You can do this by recording the time you clock-in each day.

You might not be punctual each day, but at least you can observe your patterns and find an optimal reporting time when your mind might be freshest for work.

Adjust accordingly when necessary, but don’t make the mistake of pushing your reporting time later and later!

Mistake #3: You’ve not established a predictable work routine

One of the most effective techniques to install new habits is called ‘habit stacking’.

This is where you ’stack’ several habits together, linking them into a ‘habit chain’ – a sequence of actions that when practised regularly enough, becomes a routine.

This is why many achievers would swear by the importance of having a morning routine.

If you’re like most people, you probably have a predictable, consistent morning routine. If used to your advantage, it can be a surefire way to set yourself up for success throughout the day.

But here’s the thing: not everyone’s a morning person.

And it doesn’t matter.

Whether you’re a morning person or a night person, you want to have a set time and place to do your work.

Maybe you’re a busy parent who prefers to do work late nights or before dawn because that’s when the kids are asleep.

So be it.

What matters is to introduce a new ‘work-from-home’ routine that best fits your situation, bodily rhythms and preferences.

Mistake #4: You don’t have anyone to keep you accountable

Working is easy from the office.

Because if you’re not working, people know.

In the office, your boss is around to check on you at your desk.

Your team leader expects you to be at the meeting by 10 am.

And worst, your annoying colleague might rat on you for coming back 15 minutes late from lunch.

All these rules don’t apply the same way when you’re working from home.

Sure, you may need to be at your desk for a Zoom meeting or two during the day. But other than that, there’s no one looking over your shoulder and pushing you to get things done.

This is why having an accountability partner is extremely important.

An accountability partner is someone (a trusted friend, colleague, partner, mentor or coach) who is there to ensure that you commit to getting things done and to push you if you’re slacking or lagging behind.

It’s one of those things you feel like you don’t need… only to get one, do so much better and regret not getting it much earlier.

Also, if you think you don’t need one, you probably need it more than most.

For myself, I am fortunate to be my own boss. But I still need my coach to keep me accountable to ensure I am on track and don’t squander my time on meaningless activity.

Yes, I coach peak performers on self-discipline.

And yes, I too need a coach to keep me accountable.

I like to joke with my clients that when it comes to instilling discipline, trust no one… not even yourself!

The most disciplined people only appear disciplined because they have the right systems and people in place.

If you currently have no one keeping tabs on you, ask someone to be your accountability partner. You can reciprocate by keeping them accountable as well.

Mistake #5: You don’t schedule downtime to relax and enjoy yourself

Yes, you read that right.

Sure, you want to be productive. But work shouldn’t be the most important thing in the world.

The frustrating thing about working from home is that the lines between work and leisure are blurred beyond recognition.

One minute you’re cooking in the kitchen. The next minute you’re on Zoom call. Then you’re browsing social media when you should be working on the report.

You end up spending way more time than needed and realize you need to go out to buy groceries. By the time you get back, you hurry to finish your work.

And you find yourself sleeping late because you stay up to binge watch Netflix shows.

You wake up late… and another unproductive 24-hour cycle begins.

So try this: schedule your free time.

It could be a 4-hour block of available time that you can use freely: spend time with family, chat with friends, play games, watch TV shows or sleep!

This block of time must ideally be near the end of your day.

Keep that time shielded from any work-related activities.

Once you have your free time scheduled, commit to completing all your daily tasks before that time.

Give yourself a challenge: complete all your tasks as soon as possible so that you can potentially extend your free time.

When you “freeze” a block of time for you to enjoy, you ensure that your leisure time doesn’t inevitably spill out of control and permeate into the time you should be spending doing productive work.

This makes your free-time something you ‘earn’ and reward yourself with, similar to how you had to do your homework first before you can earn your playtime as a child.

The ol’ “study first and you’ll be allowed to play after” method.

A timeless classic!

Master Your Productivity By Mastering Your Systems

When it comes to productivity, you want to see yourself as a well-oiled machine that produces a certain output.

Your job is to conduct regular maintenance of this machine, check for errors and fix them.

Ideally, you want to become a peak performer that can achieve the highest productivity, independent of location. In order to do this, discipline is not enough.

You need the right system to increase your effectiveness and maximize your output.

Even for myself, I am still improving my personal effectiveness system, one that I can rely on to stay on track and accelerate my progress towards my goals, with minimal use of discipline and willpower.

However, everyone is different.

You may have some unique challenges or circumstances that may be hindering you from being at your most productive. It may be valuable to start creating a system that works for you.

Let me know!