How to Stay Disciplined when Working Remotely
Get organized., Create a positive working environment., Establish a routine., Work at convenient times., Prioritize your objectives., Use technology to force yourself to stay on task., Persevere.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get organized.
Working remotely, for most people, is going to mean working at home.
You need to designate a space where you dedicate your time and your materials to the work you are doing.
You need to have the tools of your work readily at hand, whether these include a telephone, copier and computer, or art supplies, or any other kind of trade tools you might need.Treat the space as your “office” and provide yourself with what you need for success.Setting up a designated office at home can have tax benefits as well.
To be allowed a deduction, though, you must have an office or other area that you use exclusively for work, and you must keep records of the time you spend there. -
Step 2: Create a positive working environment.
Whether you sit at a desk or draw at a drafting table, write on a computer or prefer an antique typewriter, you need to work in an environment that is conducive to accomplishing what you need to accomplish.
For most people, this means minimizing distractions, whether those are from your children, the telephone or television.
You need to set in your mind, and in the minds of those who share your space, that this is your “work time,” and you need to respect it as such.Obviously, emergencies may arise, and you may need to get called away.
But working at home or any other offsite location has a tendency to lead to more interruptions than working in a standard office.
You need to try to reduce those interruptions.
For some people, a positive work environment requires complete silence.
For others, you may find that you work best with some music, either on headphones or in the room around you., Staying disciplined when working remotely is primarily a matter of good habits.
You need to develop some routines for your work.
By doing this, you will be more inclined to work efficiently when your routine says that it is “work time.” You will also enjoy your rest periods more and get more out of them when you know that you are not stealing from your work.For example, you could actually write down a schedule for your day.
The schedule might say something like:9:00-11:00 Work on drafting project 11:00-12:00 Break for exercise and lunch 12:00-1:00 Telephone calls for work 1:00-3:30 Resume drafting work 3:30-5:00 Submit reports , If you have a family and you work from home as a second income, for example, you should plan your work time when the rest of the family is away.
You may need to see your children off to school and spouse to work, and then plan your work from about 9:00 until the children return from school.
Another alternative that works for some people is working very early in the morning or very late at night. , It is a good practice to write out a daily "to-do" list of tasks that you want to get done.
By prioritizing this way, you will be more inclined to focus on getting those certain things done.
The list will help you keep from feeling overwhelmed and will help you pay attention to the things that are important., If you have some bad habits about surfing the Internet when you should be working, you can use some computer tools to force yourself to stay on task.LeechBlock works on FireFox.
It allows you to ban yourself from whatever sites you believe draw your attention away from your work.WasteNoTime performs this same function on Safari.StayFocused will do this on Chrome., Particularly if you are beginning a new task or are working on a project that is difficult, you may feel overwhelmed.
When this happens, it is human nature to lose focus and drop your attention to your work.
The quality of your work can suffer, as well as your efficiency and overall effectiveness.
To combat this, sometimes you just need to be persistent and take things one step at a time.
Focus not on the end product, which may appear too far away, but on the first step.
Then the next.
In that way, proceed until you reach the end. -
Step 3: Establish a routine.
-
Step 4: Work at convenient times.
-
Step 5: Prioritize your objectives.
-
Step 6: Use technology to force yourself to stay on task.
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Step 7: Persevere.
Detailed Guide
Working remotely, for most people, is going to mean working at home.
You need to designate a space where you dedicate your time and your materials to the work you are doing.
You need to have the tools of your work readily at hand, whether these include a telephone, copier and computer, or art supplies, or any other kind of trade tools you might need.Treat the space as your “office” and provide yourself with what you need for success.Setting up a designated office at home can have tax benefits as well.
To be allowed a deduction, though, you must have an office or other area that you use exclusively for work, and you must keep records of the time you spend there.
Whether you sit at a desk or draw at a drafting table, write on a computer or prefer an antique typewriter, you need to work in an environment that is conducive to accomplishing what you need to accomplish.
For most people, this means minimizing distractions, whether those are from your children, the telephone or television.
You need to set in your mind, and in the minds of those who share your space, that this is your “work time,” and you need to respect it as such.Obviously, emergencies may arise, and you may need to get called away.
But working at home or any other offsite location has a tendency to lead to more interruptions than working in a standard office.
You need to try to reduce those interruptions.
For some people, a positive work environment requires complete silence.
For others, you may find that you work best with some music, either on headphones or in the room around you., Staying disciplined when working remotely is primarily a matter of good habits.
You need to develop some routines for your work.
By doing this, you will be more inclined to work efficiently when your routine says that it is “work time.” You will also enjoy your rest periods more and get more out of them when you know that you are not stealing from your work.For example, you could actually write down a schedule for your day.
The schedule might say something like:9:00-11:00 Work on drafting project 11:00-12:00 Break for exercise and lunch 12:00-1:00 Telephone calls for work 1:00-3:30 Resume drafting work 3:30-5:00 Submit reports , If you have a family and you work from home as a second income, for example, you should plan your work time when the rest of the family is away.
You may need to see your children off to school and spouse to work, and then plan your work from about 9:00 until the children return from school.
Another alternative that works for some people is working very early in the morning or very late at night. , It is a good practice to write out a daily "to-do" list of tasks that you want to get done.
By prioritizing this way, you will be more inclined to focus on getting those certain things done.
The list will help you keep from feeling overwhelmed and will help you pay attention to the things that are important., If you have some bad habits about surfing the Internet when you should be working, you can use some computer tools to force yourself to stay on task.LeechBlock works on FireFox.
It allows you to ban yourself from whatever sites you believe draw your attention away from your work.WasteNoTime performs this same function on Safari.StayFocused will do this on Chrome., Particularly if you are beginning a new task or are working on a project that is difficult, you may feel overwhelmed.
When this happens, it is human nature to lose focus and drop your attention to your work.
The quality of your work can suffer, as well as your efficiency and overall effectiveness.
To combat this, sometimes you just need to be persistent and take things one step at a time.
Focus not on the end product, which may appear too far away, but on the first step.
Then the next.
In that way, proceed until you reach the end.
About the Author
Christopher West
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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