Sometimes it seems as though I’m not getting anything done. Working from home has a variety of distractions, and there are days that I just don’t feel like doing anything. I can’t take a sick day, and even if my son needs to go to the doctor, I still have a project that I have to get done — usually sometime late at night. This where productivity becomes important. The more productive I am when I can be, the more time I’ll ultimately have for other things. Here are some tips that can help increase your productivity when working from home:

*Start small. Pick a small or easy project that will help get you going. This will help you build momentum as you accomplish a task.

*Figure out when you are most "alert" and try to do a good bit of your work then.

*Create a schedule and try to stick with it.

*Make a "work area." I have a home office that I do most of my work in. If I need to do something extra, later, I take my laptop into another room. But I try to get nearly everything done with the limited distractions in my home office.

*Hire someone to watch the kids. If you need to, get a mother’s helper or send your kids to preschool for a couple hours a day. It’s amazing how much work I can get done while my son is gone for three hours. And I am much more relaxed and can be more attentive, since most of my work is done!