[258] Operation May Reset: Work Smarter From Home

Working from home might sound like a dream—until the laundry piles up, snack breaks turn into scroll sessions, and you end the day wondering what you even got done. In this episode of Operation May Reset, we’re talking about how to sharpen your focus and stay productive at home without burning out or micromanaging your entire day.

Whether you're navigating remote work with little ones nearby or just trying to stay on top of your to-do list in a quiet house, these three easy focus boosters will help you feel more accomplished and less frazzled. We’ll talk about how to create a simple work-start ritual, use the “next 3 rule,” and build natural stop points into your day—so you can actually get things done and feel good about it.

3 Takeaways from this Episode:

1. Focus starts with a simple ritual. A short, consistent "start work" habit helps signal your brain that it's time to focus—so you waste less time getting in the zone.
2. You only need to know the next three things. The “Next 3 Rule” cuts down overwhelm and helps you move through your day with clarity and purpose.
3. Build in natural breaks. Stop points keep you motivated, give your brain breathing room, and prevent burnout—especially when you're working from home without structure.

Links Mentioned:
Join the Summer Ready Planning Party
My favorite visual timer for building stop points (affiliate link) – Link here

Transcript

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Hey. Hey, and welcome back to another episode of The Real Happy Mom Podcast. The podcast for busy working moms who want to gain more time and achieve their big goals without pulling their hair out. And you're tuning in to another episode of Operation May Reset. Where we're hitting that refresh button on your life, one small, powerful step at a time in today's mission, working smarter from home so you can stay focused, get more done, and actually end your day feeling accomplished instead of wondering where the last five hours went. And let me tell you, as someone who recently started working from home myself, I get it. As much as I love working in my pajamas and having my coffee just a few steps away, it's so easy to get distracted. The laundry calls, the dishes pile up, and before you know it, you're cleaning out the fridge instead of answering emails. Working from home sounds dreamy until you realize how many distractions are built right into your house. There's no commute to set a clear work and home boundary, no boss peeking over your shoulder, and if you have kids at home, even more fun. So if you've been feeling like staying focused at home is an Olympic sport you didn't exactly train for, you're not alone. And here's the good news. Focus isn't something you either have or don't. It's a skill. And just like any other skill, you can get better at it with a few simple shifts that can make a big difference. You don't need to hustle to stay focused at home. You just need a few smart strategies. Today, I'm giving you three easy ones you can start using right away. So let's dive in. Let's jump to the first simple focus booster you can start using today. focus booster number one, create a start work ritual. When you work from home, there's no drive to the office. No clock in. No walk-in to a building that physically says,"Hey, it is time to work now." And without that clear starting point, it's really easy to drift to scrolling maybe even snacking and cleaning a little. And before you know it, an hour has gone by and you're still mentally in your pajamas. That's why creating your own start ritual is so powerful. It's a small, intentional routine that signals to your brain."Okay, we're shifting into focus mode now." And it doesn't have to be complicated. It could be something as simple as lighting a candle at your desk, starting a specific playlist. You only listen to when you're working, opening your planner, and writing your top three tasks for the day. For me, it's opening the blinds and setting my desk so that I'm standing and then starting my favorite playlist. Whatever it is, the goal is consistency. So over time, your brain starts to associate that little ritual with getting into work mode faster. So your action step is to think about one small thing you could do each time you start your workday. Something simple, repeatable, and that feels good. Then commit to doing it for the next week and see how much easier it becomes to slide into focus without fighting yourself for an hour first. Let's shift to focus booster number two, one of my favorites, because it instantly cuts down on the feeling of overwhelm. So focus booster number two is use the next three rule. Here's what happens to a lot of us when we work from home. We sit down, we look at a giant to-do list, and instead of feeling motivated, we feel completely paralyzed. Where do we start? What's actually important? Should I answer emails, fold laundry, meal plan, call the school, or all of the above? That's why I love the next three rule. Instead of staring at everything you could do, you focus only on the next three things. You're going to work on three things. That's it. You don't have to plan your whole day. You don't have to organize your entire life. You just pick your next three moves, and once you finish one, you add a new one to the list. It's like you're building your day one tiny bridge at a time instead of trying to leap across the giant canyon. So the three tasks could be something like Task one, send an important email. Task two, write the first draft of a blog post. Task three, prep for a 2:00 PM Zoom meeting. As soon as you knock out one, then you add another small step. So your action step is right after you do your start work ritual tomorrow, write down your next three and only your next three. And see how much lighter it feels to focus on just a few things instead of everything all at once. Alright, focus booster number three is a big one if you tend to drift off or lose steam during your workday like I do. So focus booster number three is build natural stop points. One of the sneaky challenges about working from home is that there's no real sense of shifts. At an office you have meetings, coffee breaks, even walk into someone's desk, breaks up your day. But at home, it's really easy to just keep grinding. Or let's be honest, drift from one thing to another without feeling like you're making real progress. That's why it's so important to build natural stop points into your day. Here's how it works. You create little checkpoints where you pause intentionally. So instead of pushing until you're exhausted or quitting, or just because you're bored or distracted. So some examples: I'm going to work on this project until my playlist ends. Or I'll finish these next three emails. Then I'll take a break. Or another one could be, once I get to 10 30, mark on my clock, I'll pause and reassess. Giving yourself these natural stop points, keeps you motivated because you know a break is coming and it also stops that slippery slope of, well, I could just check Instagram really quick. Is permission to pause on purpose without the guilt. So your action step for this system is to pick one way. You can build a stop point into your next work block. It could be a playlist, a timer, a task milestone, whatever is easiest for you to stick with. I know for me, I got this cool new timer that I'll make sure to include in the show notes. That has been really helpful with keeping me on task. So just to recap, working from home isn't about having superhuman willpower or sticking to a rigid schedule. It's about setting yourself up for success with small, intentional shifts like creating a start work ritual, using the next three rule to stay focused and building natural stop points into your day. Even one of these tiny tweaks can make a huge difference in how you feel at the end of your workday. You can feel calmer, more accomplished, and way less frazzled if you start with just one. And remember, progress over perfection always. You're doing better than you think. And speaking of feeling clear and calm, if you're excited to take this energy into your summer planning, I've got something really fun coming up, and that's the summer ready planning party. It's a live workshop where we're playing out a smooth stress-free summer together, breaking down your goals, creating easy routines, and setting up systems so you can actually enjoy the months ahead. So check the link in the show notes or in the description of this podcast episode. All right. Now that's it for today. Next week on Operation May Reset. We're clearing out the digital clutter so you can roll into the summer feeling lighter and more organized and way less stressed. So make sure you stay tuned for next week for another full episode. Take care, and with lots of love.