If you’re looking for a job that will let you take back control of your life, then you might just be looking for Outside Agent Link. We employ hundreds of agents who wake up bright and early every morning and, instead of jumping into a car and sitting in hours of traffic only to arrive to a depressing office, they actually commute no farther than from their beds to their laptops! While our agents love the freedom of working from home, they do admit that every once in a while, they’ll have a day where they find it difficult to stay organized and ambitious in an untraditional work space. We’ve put together a list of the best ways to stay focused on the task at hand while selling travel for OAL from your home office. The key is removing distractions and setting up boundaries and reward-systems!
The next time you feel your mind wandering or your motivation waning, keep these 7 tricks in on hand and watch your home-based productivity skyrocket!
1. Ding, ding, ding!
No one likes the noise of that evil alarm clock (and maybe you thought you’d be able to escape early mornings by joining a work-from-home organization), but the fact of the matter is that you need to set up routines for yourself. And this starts from the second you wake up! Start rising at a reasonable hour, and make sure you stick to it. Studies have shown that you’re more proactive in the wee hours of the morn, so take advantage of that extra brain power and get crackin’ at the crack of dawn!
2. Exercise your mind (and body)
Getting the blood flowing doesn’t just feel good, it actually improves the quality and quantity of your work. The boost of energy that you get from hitting the gym or running a few miles will help you stay on-task and productive throughout the rest of the day.
3. Cut yourself some slack
Even though the purpose of these tips is to make sure that you know how to handle yourself if you become unmotivated, it’s important to remember that taking a break is just as crucial to productivity, as it will help preserve a good work-life balance (and keep you sane!) Whether it’s a working break at the local coffee shop or just a walk around the block, you need sunlight, physical activity, and socialization to stay happy, productive, and at peak performance.
4. Pull yourself together!
It’s easy to slip into a cycle of disorganization when you eat, seep, and work all in the same environment. Don’t let it happen to you! The more organized you are, the better you’ll feel about yourself and the more expediently you’ll be able to look up client information, access sales data, and research itineraries. Having a dedicated computer, laptop, or iPad will do wonders for your ability to keep your work life in order.
5. Attend events
Whether it’s an OAL or Travel Leaders-sponsored conference or simply an art gallery opening, farmer’s market, or other social gathering, you should take at least one opportunity per week to get out and about and do some networking and social skill-building. Selling travel is a hands-on and personable career, and our agents feel more confident and become more excited about working when they’ve been regularly flexing their sales muscles at casual seminars and get-togethers.
6. Stick to a schedule
Maybe it’s easier said than done, but a schedule is of utmost importance to any job, especially when you don’t have a boss or superior around to motivate you. Challenge yourself to get as much work done as possible (without driving yourself crazy) by breaking out your day into blocks. After finishing each block of work, reward yourself with 15 minutes of television, a car ride, a coffee, or a phone call with family.
7. Remove online distractions
When you spend as much of your day online as an independent travel consultant, you quickly realize that the only way to get any work done is to avoid distracting web sites. Social media, news, and gaming sites can be blocked with software like Strict WorkFlow.
It’s easier than you might think to work from home and make money selling travel online. You just have to know how to motivate yourself! What keeps you on track when your office shares a wall with your living room? Leave your tips in the comments below!
