Today I’m writing to you about two things that have helped me work from home for ten years.

N° 1: Set daily goals with a List

To-do lists: there’s so much to love… and not love. But one area where they are very effective is in achieving daily tasks. I like my friend Chelann’s tip from her book Dear Millennial, to write a daily to-do list the night before. I’ve found that I can see my upcoming tasks more clearly the day before rather than the day of. A daily list helps me avoid feeling anxious because I wake up with a plan for my day and I know what task to begin with.

Once you’ve created your to-do list, you plow through every item with no heed for family, co-workers or pets. 😃 Not really. Rather than being an inflexible schedule, a to-do list allows you to prioritize what needs to be done. (It actually can promote relationships with your co-workers and pets because you can schedule time for them.)

The to-do list has become my friend and it can be your friend, too! Try it for clarity in your schedule and for getting the important things done first.

N° 2: Keep your bucket full

My cousin-in-law Katie calls uplifting people “bucket fillers.” She says when you’re around these people, your internal bucket gets filled.

One way I stay excited and on task at home is to be with others who also take pride in their time spent at home. (This includes people who work outside the home.)

If I spend too much time* with people who don’t like working at home or being at home, their attitude affects mine. Seeds of dissatisfaction are planted.

Now I’m not saying we can remove every negative influence. It’s like what Paul tells the Corinthians, “To do that, you’d have to go out of this world.” 😀

Instead, we fight to neutralize negativity.

We conquer negativity by drowning it with good thoughts, uplifting people, and time spent pursuing our goals. The more focused we are on where we are going, the less negativity will influence us.

Cheers to working from home!

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*How much time is too much time? This varies. It’s a combination of how much stress I’m under, how much free time I have, and how much energy I have to give away to others. An indicator I use is my attitude toward my home, work, and myself after I’ve spent time with someone.