Working Remotely Has Perks Only if You're Productive and Happy
This is a contributed post and may contain affiliate links. The thoughts and ideas expressed may not be exactly what the ghostwriter Scott Sery believes. But he did read it, and signed off on it, so it’s at least pretty close.
Some people sacrifice their happiness to improve their productivity. Then, they get burnt out, and start to slip into a habit of procrastinating and productivity levels drop. If this happens you end up on a slippery slope that usually doesn’t end well. Returning to productivity and overall satisfaction for your job can be quite difficult if you are heading down that slope. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to improve things.
Today, let’s focus on ways to make life easier as a remote worker. The idea of remote work appeals to many as you get to be away from the typical location and have a bit more freedom. You might work from home or from a desirable location. It doesn’t matter whether you are starting your own business or are working remotely for someone else, you can run into trouble regarding productivity and efficiency. Here are a few ways you can maximize this kind of situation:
Communicate Clearly and Set Expectations
If you want to be productive in remote and hybrid environments, communication is crucial. Make it clear that you have expectations around communication channels. Email, instant messaging, and video calls should all be efficient with good response times. Video meetings allow you to replicate in-person interaction & instant messaging can help you solve problems quickly. Transparent communication promotes a sense of trust that is needed when working far away from one another. Communication is imperative in leadership; learn about how to become a servant leader.
Even if you work for yourself as a solo-preneur this is essential. A home office constantly interrupted by family members is not a productive workspace. In my home office I have told my family that when I’m in there working, it’s not a time to come and chat or interrupt unless absolutely necessary.
Build a Routine That Keeps You Focused and Balanced
It can be quite difficult to maintain structure without a physical working environment. It can be quite a big challenge to create something like this, but you can start by creating the right kind of routine. Set regular working hours and take breaks at similar times. You can separate your personal life from your professional life by creating a specific workspace. Things like this will allow you to take remote work a lot more seriously and stop yourself from slacking off.
I have found it helpful to set specific working hours, and have days that are dedicated to working on specific types of projects. For example, Tuesdays are blogging days and Thursdays are book writing days.
Use Flexibility to Improve Happiness and Output
You will obviously become more flexible when working remotely, so it’s a good idea to embrace this flexibility as much as possible. If you do this, it will lead to satisfaction and happiness. Tailor your workday to suit productivity times or personal commitments. If you mind your own schedule properly, your sense of morale will grow and you will feel more professional with the autonomy you have.
In my own business I try to have appointments and meetings either at the beginning or at the end of the day. Then I’m not being interrupted in the middle of my flow. However, it doesn’t always work out that way, and sometimes flexibility is necessary to stop what I’m doing and have a 11am meeting.
Choose the Right Location to Maximize Remote Work Success
It’s a good idea to choose the perfect location when working remotely. This doesn’t just mean a particular room in your home or a particular coffee shop that you like. You might even have to think about where on the map you’d like to place yourself. It might be a good idea to look at the best US cities for hybrid workers and think about affordability, tech infrastructure, and the work-life culture there. The right location can foster so many different attributes in you. It’s certainly worth thinking about if you want to maximize your success. Remember, working from home comes with plenty of pros and cons.
Around the country there are co-working spaces like Rock 31 here in Billings, MT. There are also plenty of office buildings that offer small individual spaces for relatively low cost. If working from home (or a coffee shop) greatly reduces your productivity, one of these options could help to keep you on task.
Budget for Additional Help Beyond Just Work
Are you working from home because you want to or because you care for someone who needs it? If it’s the latter, you already know you’re in a fortunate position to be able to do both, but that doesn’t mean that you should have to do any of it alone. You could read up on Care.com reviews and ensure that you have helping hands with you while you work from home. That way, you’ve invested in the care of those who need it the most so you can be your best possible self.
Additional help doesn’t always have to be help around the house either. While having a cleaning service come in once a week and ensure your space is tidy, the additional help could be in the form of a virtual assistant. One tip that I learned from Nathan Matelich is to hire someone from the country you live in. It’s tempting to go overseas and get someone for only a few dollars per hour, but someone local-ish will do better work and understand our culture and communication methods.
Share Your Remote Work Tips in the Comments
Are you working remotely? Do you work from home? How have you tackled issues of productivity, motivation, and staying on task? Post a comment, we’d love to hear from you.