How getting sidetracked can actually help you move forward

It happens to me often enough - getting sidetracked - and I'm sure it happens to you too. You're busy with work on the computer (you work from home like Tony and I do) and you decide to perhaps quickly check your emails. Nothing there that you need to deal with urgently related to your business, but there's an email from your friend that looks interesting. Ah! Breaktime, and sidetrack time! You know you should be getting on with your work, but what's a minute or two - a break will do you good, revitalize you, and give you more energy to tackle your work with renewed energy and more enthusiasm (you think to yourself, trying to make excuses for yourself because what you really know, deep down, is that your break is probably going to be a bit longer than just a minute or two).

Being sidetracked for more than just a minute or two is not the end of the world either - it can actually help you with your work at home business. The words in your friend's email inspires you to click the link in it, or inspires you to "quickly" look up something on Google.

You find what you like, but on the Google results page, there's other links and descriptions related to the topic that sound interesting too - so you check those out too - then, on more than just one of these 5 or 6 sites you check out, you find more links of interest, and off you go - to check out those sites too!

You find a site or two that sparks your imagination, and this sends you off searching for something else completely different! Or you like a site so much you tell a friend about it, by sending them an email - they reply right away, saying "Thanks, cool, and have you seen this site?" It could never end!

But you know your work is calling, and you stop "being sidetracked" - eventually - and, it wasn't all bad - your "time away from work" was useful - perhaps you needed a break that was that long, perhaps you found out something interesting that can be of use to a friend or relative, perhaps you discovered a method to speed up your work or make it easier to do, perhaps you were inspired to put in more effort regards something in your life, perhaps you got ideas for another work from home plan that you or your family could benefit from.

So, next time you get sidetracked, don't panic, don't feel bad, just be sure to take notes, and use your sidetracking time as best you can!

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010