Working from home, as a concept, has been around for a few years now. But the COVID-19 pandemic has made this form of working a lot more popular (and deservingly so). Is working from home just a fad that will end with this pandemic? We think not. Working from home will be part of a new normal, and it’s best to be prepared.
So, how does one prepare to be highly efficient and productive while still maintaining a sort of ‘balance’ in life? We are sharing 15 tried and tested techniques from experts who have not been just working but succeeding from home.
PSSSST. Before you begin, the ones in ‘blue’ are our top tips!
1. Create a dedicated workspace
Working from home allows you the comfort of working from your bed, snuggled in your blanket, or sprawled across the couch while you chit-chat with the family. Comfortable, yes. Sustainable, no.
A dedicated workspace will become the holy ground of focus. It will become the zone where work becomes work, separate from the rest of your home.
We asked members of the VSC World to share pictures of their workspaces, and here’s what we got:
2. Structure your day as you normally would
Did you realize that you have suddenly become the master of your own time? You suddenly feel empowered to do everything. Carpe Diem!
However, you will get little done if your day is not structured. How do you usually organize your tasks when at the office? To transition into working from home, follow the same and organize home-related tasks in the same manner. Organize your week and break it down into day-wise tasks. Have a week’s worth of tasks in front of you when you begin on Monday. Daily and weekly task completion will help you achieve tremendous progress.
What we do: We are faithful believers of apps. Technology makes life easy and we use it to efficiently manage goal-completion, projects, collaboration, workweeks, daily tasks.
Get in touch with us if you would like to know more about how we help individuals and teams achieve higher efficiency and productivity.
3. Start on Time
“I never knew a man come to greatness or eminence who lay abed late in the morning” – Jonathan Swift
Working from home does not amount to starting your day when the mood is right. You must get into the habit of starting your day early. Biologically, your body is at its peak functionality in the wee hours of the morning but most people begin actual work only by noon. Take baby steps and work on your sleep cycle to start daily activities early in the morning.
4. Work when YOU are most productive
Contradictory to Point 3? Perhaps. However, working from home does mean that you can set your own working hours. If the ‘Eureka’ ideas come to you only when the sun begins to set, then so be it. Learn when you are most productive during the day and schedule important tasks for those hours. You must still organize your projects and tasks, and structure your day in order to be productive.
5. Stick to schedules
While working from home makes you the master of your own time, it does not amount to taking it easy. Incomplete tasks and frequent changing of schedules can make one believe that working from home is not for them.
Changing personal deadlines and altering schedules is a trap you must not fall prey to. Organize your work and then stick to the timelines you have set for yourself. Convince yourself that there is no other way about it. Tasks must be completed when they are due.
6. Ensure adequate infrastructure
There’s no admin department you can run to when you need something. The responsibility now lies in your hands! Source everything your workspace requires, and get the best. You will realize that cost-cutting and having a ‘chalta hai’ attitude in this regard will severely hamper your productivity.
Here’s a checklist template to get you started.
7. Follow the 80-20 rule
Once you have your tasks in front of you, identify the tasks that have more importance compared to others.
Pick 20% of the tasks that will yield 80% impact.
It’s not about how much time these 20% tasks would require. It may take the least amount of time but have a large impact. Tasks with an 80% impact must be prioritized over others. This will help you achieve more, in less time, and making you more efficient.
8. Learn to differentiate between time
Draw a clear distinction between work time, break time, and home time. The lines may be blurry between the latter two. When you want to take a break from work, do you end up doing housework? Not so much of a break then, isn’t it? Your breaks should not be used up to get chores done. That is time you need to just relax, day-dream, or just stare at the walls. Similarly, avoid doing household work when you have slotted work hours. Doing everything at the same time is not a great idea.
9. Stay in touch
Working from home does not imply hibernation. Stay connected with the world while you work from home. Social media might be a good way to stay in touch with friends. Make it a point to ring your family, even if it may be to just have a chat. This helps restore balance in life.
10. Work from home does not imply stay at home
The luxury of working from home stems from freedom. Working from home does not imply you must stay at home each day in your dedicated workspace. Sometimes, working at cafes or co-working spaces might bring a sense of newness. This, of course, does not apply when there are global pandemics and lockdowns. This is something to remember once the coronavirus is past us, something to keep in mind for the new normal.
11. Work from home is NOT a vacation
Educate your friends, family, relatives, neighbours that working from home does not mean you are on vacation. This is perhaps the most challenging task. Explain to them why you cannot be game for impromptu plans even though you are at home, why you cannot answer the phone and have an hour-long conversation about sweet nothings because you don’t go to an office anymore.
12. Pay bills on time
Make your best effort to avoid disruptions. Remember to pay your bills on time. Don’t have to do a lot of remembering if you put it down in your task manager apps. Automate this process as much as possible. Trust us, it can be an irritant if not managed properly.
13. Plan your travels and commute
Without a formal office structure, there is no separate team that will organize your travels. Make reliable arrangements with travel companies for your travel and commute. This will prevent you from spending too much time on planning something you may have not done before. Plan ahead and create a mental road map for where you may need help.
14. Shop online
If you are not conscious, you may start using up your work time to do shopping. It might be essential – groceries, pet food, stationery, and it might be urgent too. However, going out and shopping consumes far more time than we anticipate. Shopping online saves you time (and money too, sometimes). The extra time that you now have by virtue of working from home, ensure that you spend each minute of it consciously.
15. Stock up for visitors
Apart from managing all other office functions, the pantry is another one you must take care of. Keep a stock of snacks and beverages for when you may have visitors. That is not the time to run to the shops looking for something to save face. Make a section in your kitchen cabinet just for this purpose.
Working from home will herald a new normal. Are you prepared to embrace this new normal?
Picture Credits: Ken Alprax
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