Working from home is disturbingly different. The sounds are different: mourning doves, the tick of the kitchen wall clock, the rumble of the refrigerator motor [Note:  Should do something about that.], rather than the voices of colleagues, the elevator door closing, and the ringing of telephones. But the issues are the same: concentrating rather than leaping from an e-mail to the newspaper to the project that needs my attention.

For me making a list makes all the difference and helps me concentrate on what needs to get done. My husband jokes that I like to start my list with “Make a list” so that I can check off at least one thing. And some days that’s true. But, if I make a list, I get an enormous amount done; and, when I don’t, the day disappears in a wash of e-mails, sidebar conversations, and trips to the copy machine.

So today my list includes: write a blog post, create a website, and go to the gym.  Two down; one to go.

I think I can conquer my very real desire to sit on the porch and read a novel by making a list and by setting my working hours every day. Now I just have to practice that for 30 days. After all, Strategy and Structure is my tagline.

I’ll let you know how it goes.