SOHO一族需要恪守的六大黃金準則

This post is in partnership with Entrepreneur. The article below was originally published .

本文與《創業者》雜誌（Entrepreneur）合作。下文最初發表於。

More and more entrepreneurs are working remotely. They may have an “office” at home, in a co-working space or even at the nearest coffee shop. Fortunately, technology has allowed everyone — even entrepreneurs who commute to a traditional office every day — to benefit from the flexibility of working from home when it’s needed or preferred.

如今，越來越多的創業者開始遠程辦公。他們可能在家裏有一間“辦公室”，或者使用聯合辦公空間，或者就近選擇一家咖啡廳。幸運的是，科技讓每一個需要或偏愛遠程辦公的人，都可以享受在家辦公的靈活性，那些每天去傳統辦公室工作的創業者也不例外。

Anyone who works from home will tell you that it has its benefits, yet also challenges. When I started my business in 1998, social media did not exist, I had no clients and most of my friends worked in a traditional office setting.

每一位在家辦公的人都深知這種方式的好處和挑戰。當我在1998年開始創業時，社交媒體還沒出現，我沒有客戶，大多數朋友也是在傳統辦公環境中工作。

After working for a large hotel for nearly six years, I had grown accustomed to being surrounded by people each day. Working from home provided peace and solitude, yet I was lonely.

在一家大酒店工作六年之後，我開始習慣了身邊每天都圍繞着許多人。在家工作確實能享受獨處的平靜，但我時常感到孤單。

I had no one to interact with except my yellow Labrador. No humans were around for sharing ideas. I worked long hours, many in my pajamas. No one was there to hold me accountable for my work and I had to force myself to rise at a reasonable hour each morning and develop self-discipline.

除了那隻黃色的拉布拉多獵犬，沒有人可以交流。沒有人與你分享想法。我工作很長時間，大多時候是穿着睡衣。沒有人讓我對自己的工作負責，我必須強迫自己每天早上在合理的時間起牀，強迫自己學會自律。

But after a while, I set up a regular routine, joined some networking groups and adopted some best practices. Here are some tips to keep in mind to stay focused on your work throughout the day:

經過一段時間之後，我養成了有規律的作息，加入了一些社交組織，並借鑑了一些最佳做法。牢牢記住下面這些建議，可以幫助你全天保持對工作的專注：

1. Set and keep regular office hours.

1. 制定並堅持有規律的辦公時間。

Most people who work from home find they work too much rather than too little. Other remote workers struggle to keep a regular schedule — working a few hours one day and pulling an all-nighter the next.

大多數在家辦公的人都會發現，自己做的工作太多而不是太少。有些遠程辦公者則難以保證有規律的作息時間——某天只工作幾個小時，第二天又熬個通宵。

Some interruptions can’t be avoided. Client deadlines may unexpectedly require extra hours. Family obligations can interfere as well, especially if children are home during the day.

有些中斷是不可避免的。客戶的最終期限可能需要安排意想不到的加班時間。家庭責任也會造成干擾，尤其是孩子們白天在家的時候。

Do your best to set work hours and stick to them. Then try your best to leave work at the “office” and turn your phone on silent and enjoy the rest of your day. Give yourself some time to recharge so you can be as productive as possible.

盡最大努力設定工作時間並嚴格遵守。然後儘量將工作留在“辦公室”，在其他時間將電話調爲靜音，享受快樂時光。給自己留出充電的時間，以儘可能保持工作效率。

2. Plan and structure your workday.

2. 計劃和組織你的工作日。

Structure your workday to maximize efficiency. Take advantage of your body’s natural rhythms and plan your work around your most productive hours.

組織你的工作日，實現效率最大化。利用身體的自然節奏，根據效率最高的時間段來計劃自己的工作。

If you know you focus best in the morning, resist the temptation to check email until 10 a.m. or later. A quick review of your calendar when you first start work can set you up for a productive workday.

如果你在早上的注意力最集中，就儘量等到上午十點或更晚的時間再去查看電子郵件。在開始工作時迅速查看一下日程安排，可以讓你一天的工作更有效率。

Make a list of your most important tasks before you move on to less urgent business. If possible, shut your office door (if you have one) to signal to others that you’re working and don’t wish to be disturbed.

制定一份“最重要任務清單”，以免將時間花在並不太緊急的事務上。若有可能，關上辦公室的門（如果有的話），讓其他人意識到你正在工作，不希望被打擾。

3. Dress to impress (even if it’s just for your dog).

3. 着裝上要下功夫（哪怕只是穿給你的愛犬看）。

As enticing as it is to stay in pajamas all day, this is not the best work habit. The way you dress affects you psychologically.

整天穿着睡衣確實很有誘惑力，但這並不是最好的工作習慣。你的着裝會影響你的心理。

Taking the time to shower, have breakfast, brush the teeth and dress can make someone feel more confident. Maintain a casual (not sloppy) work wardrobe to help you transition smoothly between home and office — even if they’re in the same place.

拿出時間洗澡、吃早飯、刷牙和穿衣服，可以讓一個人變得更加自信。衣櫃裏準備一些休閒的工作服裝，可以幫助你在家庭和辦公室之間順利轉變——即便它們其實是在同一個地方。

4. Set aside a designated work area.

4. 劃出特定的工作區域。

Consistency is an important aspect to working from home. Try to work at the same spot every day. It could be a spare bedroom that you’ve turned into a home office, a desk located in the corner of the living room or even the dining room table.

連貫性是在家辦公的一個重要方面。儘量每天在同一個位置工作。比如由備用臥室改造而成的家庭辦公室，起居室角落裏的一張桌子，甚至餐廳的桌子。

Make sure your workspace functions efficiently for you, your business and your style. Surround yourself with things that inspire you and make you happy including flowers, music and pictures. Make your workspace a place you enjoy going to each day, an area where you can focus and do your best work.

確保你的工作空間按你的業務和個人風格有效運轉。周圍放一些能夠激勵你和讓你高興的物品，比如鮮花、音樂和照片。讓你的工作空間變成你每天喜歡呆的地方，讓你能夠保持專注、全力以赴地工作。

5. Take breaks.

5. 頻繁休息。

Schedule time for frequent breaks throughout the day. Rise from your desk, stretch or walk around the house or down the street. Take a lunch break and enjoy a midday meal.

安排出頻繁的休息時間。從桌子旁站起來，伸伸懶腰，或者繞着房子或在大街上走走。安排午休時間，享用一頓美味的午餐。

If you need a little socializing, go out to lunch with friends or clients. A major advantage to working from home is having flexibility. If fitness is important to you, a quick trip to the gym can reinvigorate you and make for a productive afternoon.

如果你需要參加一些社交活動，那就去和朋友或客戶一起吃午飯。在家工作的一個重要優勢就是靈活性。如果健身對你很重要，迅速去健身房運動一下，可以讓你充滿活力，精力充沛地開展下午的工作。

6. Avoid distractions.

6. 避免干擾。

One challenge of working from home is accountability. With no colleagues or partners nearby, it’s easy to become distracted. There are always errands to run and chores at home to do. Do your best to put off household tasks, like laundry and dishes, until you’ve gone “home” for the evening.

負責任是在家辦公的一項挑戰。由於身邊沒有同事或合夥人，你很容易走神。你會有各種差事需要處理，也需要解決各種家庭瑣事。儘量將家庭任務推遲到晚上“回到家”之後去做，比如洗衣服和洗碗等。

Stay focused on work throughout the day to maintain consistent productivity. Avoid online distractions as well. Limit the time spent on email, social media and websites unrelated to work.

讓自己專注於工作，可以保證持續的工作效率。此外，還要避免在線干擾。限制花費在與工作無關的電子郵件、社交媒體和網站上的時間。

Set a timer on your phone or computer if necessary. Don’t waste time or money on meetings or activities that are counterproductive to your success.

若有必要，在手機或電腦上設置定時器。不要把時間或金錢浪費在那些對個人成功不利的會面或活動上。