More and more careers are thriving in the digital world. Many jobs can be performed from anywhere with internet connection, which is resulting in a growing remote workforce.
For a lot of people, working remotely can lead to increased productivity due to decreased office distractions, fewer long lunches and less time spent in the car commuting. With the right strategy, remote workers can get more work done, making a positive impact on their companies and growing their careers.
Is your company building a remote workforce? Here are four tips to share with your remote team about how to stay productive while working from home:
1. Start each day with a To-Do list of priorities.
Think of this as a “must do” list. Start the work day by creating a list of the three or four most important tasks that must be completed that day. With the many daily time-sucks like keeping up with emails, responding to instant messages and fielding last-minute requests, it’s easy to lose a lot of valuable work time, rather than getting ahead of it. Besides, once everything on the To-Do list is crossed off, there is a tangible sense of accomplishment, lending to a boost in productivity going forward.
2. Keep the schedule realistic, not idealistic.
In order to get the most done while working from home, it’s important to know about one’s personal working habits. Scheduling early morning meetings or calls is great for a morning person, but not for someone who is inclined to hit the snooze button! The best way to reach maximum productivity is to figure out what habits work for you as an individual. For instance, know what time of day you are best at creative work or brainstorming and dedicate a certain amount of time strictly for that. It’s also important that your schedule includes when your work day should begin and when it should end. It’s important to keep a healthy work-life balance.
3. Identify what steals productivity.
If you think your productivity is starting to slip, conduct a self-assessment of your habits over the next week. On the days that you accomplished the least, what triggered that? Identify what’s getting in the way and come up with a plan to solve those problems.
For example, if your productivity takes a dip toward the end of the week due to the stress of piled-up domestic tasks, consider setting aside time on Wednesday night for laundry and other chores so you can finish your work week strong. Perhaps you procrastinated on a project. Why? Once you are honest with yourself about why you procrastinated, address the core issue and adjust your direction.
4. When you hit a wall, get some fresh air.
Getting up from your desk and taking a walk outside is a great way to hit the refresh button in the middle of the work day. Stepping away from the computer for a few minutes is beneficial for your productivity. In fact, scientists at Stanford found that “any form of walking could increase creative thinking by about 60%.” If 15 minutes is all it takes to benefit your brain and your body, what are you waiting for?
While working from home certainly has its perks, working outside of a traditional office setting does create new challenges for maintaining a consistent level of engagement and productivity. We hope these tips will help you and your team stay on track for success. How do you stay motivated when working from home?
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