April 12, 2016 Joe Norton Work From Home
Working from home brings with it it’s own set of unique challenges. I’ve been working from home for more than 2 years, and I’ve put together a few productivity tips for those just getting started with a home-office…
1. Have a separate office; with closable door.
Separation of living space and work space is important. You need to be able to get in the zone easily in your work space. You need to be able to relax in your living space. You also need privacy during conference calls. It just makes sense.
2. Don’t go to work in pajamas (too often…)
I think most people are like me, deep down, and they actually want to feel like they’re going to work, and part of that is dressing like a professional. One thing I like to do is wear my ‘work-casual’ attire in my home-office. Now I don’t wear a suit or anything, just like golf shirts but I really do – I ‘dress up’ for work. It’d be easier to work in whatever I slept in the night before, but I dislike the continuity of that. I want ‘waking up’ and ‘working’ to be separate and distinct. I think ‘getting dressed for the day’ helps prepare myself mentally for the workday and is beneficial in putting myself into a different state of mind.
3. Keep normal hours (for the most part…)
When you work from home you have far more freedom and flexibility than your office-tethered brethren; but I plead with you to use that freedom wisely. I have found it helpful to work normal working hours when I can, wake up early and wrap up by late afternoon. On occasion I’ll work thru the night, or weekend, or even sleep-in a morning if my schedule allows and make up for the work time later in the day. To that point, what good is flexibility if you never take advantage of it.
4. Run essential errands when it’s not busy out.
One of the advantages of working from home is the flexibility. Sometimes it makes sense to run errands during the workday; many places only keep normal ‘workday hours’ and it can be difficult to – for example – make it the bank on time. Every now and then I’ll run an errand right in the middle of the workday, because I know there are such fewer lines and everything it really can be a big time saver. Imagine – going to costco mid-day during the week versus going to costco saturday afternoon, it’s a world of difference. Then just push your workday back a bit when you get home; while relishing in the time savings of mid-day errands.
5. Take walks
I have found it helpful to take breaks from the computer, and go out for a stroll in the neighborhood. I go on a dog walk; but I don’t think a dog is required for the benefit. Going on a walk is good for your physical health, and I also think mental health. Having the time to break away from work can be just what you needed to get perspective.
6. Try out some time trackers
Working from home requires an enormous amount of self-discipline. This can be made easier if we take advantage of technology. There are all kinds of time trackers / time management tools out there. I recommend trying a few out and seeing if any are a good fit for your workstyle. Some of the ones I’ve tried: RescueTime and WorkingOn.
7. Get a good internet connection, good webcam, & good headset/mic…
When you work from home, your ability to communicate over the internet becomes a billion times more important. Make sure you are all set; that you’ve got good equipment, that you’ve tested it before your first meeting with them, etc. I really believe that because you are not around the office for facetime then your effectiveness at presenting yourself over the computer becomes that much more critical.
8. Get a good computer, it’s the least you can do for yourself!
If you were a carpenter, you’d buy the best hammer on the market. If you work from home, in all likelihood your computer is your ‘weapon of choice’. Do yourself a favor and get a nice desktop. Today you can get ridiculously fast desktop computers for less than $1000 $500 dollars.
9. Let family members know that just because you are home doesn’t mean you are always available.
Make it clear when you have calls, scheduled meetings, etc. Fortunately I have a fairly regular schedule, certain days of the week – at certain times – I know I will have a meeting. My family knows it is quiet-time during those times.
10. Try not to spend all night and weekend on work.
If you work at home, it can be impossible to not ‘take your work home with you’. You need to be strict with yourself about time management. If the work day is over, you need to be done. You need to log out, and exit your office, and turn off that part of your brain. Go back to the rest of your life, and come back the next workday with energy rather than burning yourself out working non-stop.
That’s all I’ve got for now.
I hope you get a lot of benefit out of these 10 tips for improving your work-from-home productivity!