I’m sitting at my desk, surrounded by pretty pink Post-It notes (I am perpetually leaving myself notes - for some reason, my dry-erase board, appointment book, and Sidejobtrack.com schedule aren’t enough?) sipping some iced-tea and listening to the sounds of…a man rejoicing his negative paternity test results on yet another “I’ve Tested Eleven Men, Could Number Twelve Be My Baby’s Daddy?” episode of Maury Povich coming from the living room. I’ve been somewhat productive today, meaning, I’ve completed two sections of a project, answered some emails, chatted on the phone, cleaned my kitchen, and…well, that’s it. I’ve done TWO things today for which I will get paid. Sure, it’s only 1:06 p.m., I have plenty of time to do more, right? Of course. Yet, when I start looking at all the pink Post-Its…

I’m starting to question my ability to work from home. Hmm. Scratch that. I’m starting to question my self-discipline.

Many of you freelancers have probably had similar experiences working from home. You wake up in the morning, pour yourself a steamy cup of joe, curl up on the couch to watch the news. As Guy Smiley is updating you on the Durham lacrosse team scandal, you mentally go over everything you want to do throughout the day . Well, that’s what I do. However, more times than not I find that I barely complete half of those tasks and by the end of the evening I feel I should be at my computer working rather than posted in front of the TV waiting for Ryan Seacrest to reveal the lastest contestant to get voted off American Idol. But working from home doesn’t mean you have to work all the time, does it?

No. But it does mean you need to create a home business plan for yourself.

I’ve done some research, as well as self-evaluating and soul-searching, and have decided on a productive home business plan for myself. And sweet little ol’ me has created a generic version for you, my fellow freelancers, and it’s only five easy steps with tips included. Read on.

Step One: Have daily and weekly goals.

Every morning when you wake up, you should already know what you want to accomplish during the day and what you will have finished by the end of the week.

Step Two: Get dressed.

This may sound obvious (or, if you’re like me, ridiculous), but actually getting dressed in the morning will probably make you feel more professional. Sure, one of the benefits of working from home is being able to take up residence in Sweat Pant City, but at least comb your hair and maybe even tab a little makeup on. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to go all to hell with yourself.

Step Three: Schedule daily work hours AND break times, and stick to them.

This will depend, of course, on whether or not your freelance job is your main job. If you spend nine-to-five stuffing birds down at the corner taxidermy office, you’re freelance hours are going to be a few less than someone who is in his or her home office all day; however, if you’re home all day and absolutely refuse to miss Dr. Phil, schedule that time as your lunch hour.

Step Four: Stay focused and stay on task.

Many of us freelancers are in front of a computer for most of the time we’re working. If this is the case for you, make sure you only have open the applications and websites that you directly need for the task at hand. Having a window minimized for email makes it entirely too tempting to check your email every five seconds. It also makes it that much easier to respond to messages that are in no way urgent or pertinent to what you’re doing - working.

If you do a lot of communicating through email and/or instant messengers, try scheduling specific times to check your email - maybe once an hour? And leave up an away message letting folks know why you’re online, i.e., “Hey there boys and girls, I’m on but I’m working, so unless there’s been a death or you urgently need to talk shop, leave me alone.” (Note - This also works for those dears who think that just because you work from home, you have all the free time in the world.)

Step Five: Close the day and prepare for tomorrow.

When the time comes for you to turn off your computer, hang up your phone, and go enjoy that time on the couch, do it! Take a moment to review what you accomplished during the day and what’s on the agenda for tomorrow. Make sure your desk is clean, your files are organized, and you have everything you’ll need for the next day. This helps save time, and saving time will help tomorrow go along smoothly.

Now, for some tips.

Tip One: You’re probably not going to want to create a daily/weekly schedule each night; try doing it every Sunday afternoon, or you may want to start Monday morning an hour early, or end Friday evening an hour late to make your weekly schedule. Whatever works for you..

Tip Two: When making those schedules, try scheduling something interesting, or dare I say, fun, as your first work assignment. For example, I answer all my work-related email and attend to Freelance Wurk first thing in the morning. No reason to kick your own ass that early anyway.

Tip Three: Keep your “work” area and your “living” area as separated as possible. Turning a spare room into your home office is ideal; however, not everyone has that luxury. So, if you’re working in your living room just make sure you’re as segregated as possible, unless you can concentrate with Blues Clues in the background. As a matter of fact, if you have kids, disregard this tip altogether.

Tip Four: Network. You most likely don’t have coworkers, and if you do, it’s a good chance that they live on another continent. Make sure you communicate with them, as well as make new contacts. Join a forum relevent to your business. Or an email group. Or a cult. Whatever. Talk with people in your field.

Tip Five: Don’t work every day. Take at least one day off a week to relax, hang out with friends, family, significant others, your pets, the mailman. Get a massage. Turn your bathroom into a spa. Do something for you. (This is why I advise at least one day!)

It’s important for us freelancers who work at home to remember that we aren’t supposed to be doing dishes or laundry or whatever other household chore just because we’re at home. Making and sticking to a schedule, keeping goals in focus, and the rest of these steps and tips will help.

Any other suggestions?