I've been working from home for years, and I've got a whole process:
- It's fine to wear bathrobe (or pajamas) for a while. Naked people get very little done.
- Breakfast and coffee time can be extended by playing videogames, watching TV, or reading comics.
- Switch to your work environment. If you have a home office, go there; if not, use multiple desktops to at least not work on the same screen as your browser or chat windows. Select appropriate work music.
- Try to get at least one item from your task list done. It's OK to take the lowest-hours problem if you think you can knock it out.
- Time for a little reward slacking off.
- OK, now it's lunchtime. Now you may need to be professional and wear pants/dress/kilt after lunch, or before if you're ordering in or going out. However, unless you go outside there's no reason to change out of slippers.
- Spend too long staring at your task list, going "uuuuugh."
- Say "good enough for one day!", check in/archive work.
- Goofing off time. Possibly time for a nap before dinner.
- If you think about the project, and record some tasks, that counts as "working late" and you can take any reward you want.
- Whiskey time.
There's all kinds of sanctimonious blowhards who tell you how to "be productive", "wear pants", "always be shipping". Forget them, this is a realistic schedule you can live by.
@mdhughes Very inspirational.