Working from home (telecommuting) has gained greater acceptance, but some employers remain skittish about it. Organizing, planning, and knowing how to focus are key telecommuting skills, but avoiding distractions is the toughest one to learn. Door bells, incoming email, pets, even hunger pangs and intrusive thoughts can sabotage productivity. The best way to manage distractions is to be preemptive rather than trying to tackle each one as it appears Create a checklist of anticipated distractions. Always act on this checklist prior to starting work. For example, add, "eat breakfast at 7am" if you know that hunger pangs will strike at 10:30. Plan a "time to snack" to stay better focused. Grow this checklist as new interruptions appear, and always act on this list before starting work.