Working from Home
July 13, 2015A friend asked me today what it’s like to work from home. This person might have a new opportunity that would include working from home full-time, something new for them and was asking for advice.
I’m about to hit a year working from home full-time. Before that, I was remote for a few months while traveling. It isn’t my first stint with working from home. When I was working on OnePlaybook full-time for about two years after college, that was also all from home.
First, there are some things outside your control when considering working remotely.
Have the type of job who should be working from home. If your job is answering emails, talking on the phone, writing code, then it’s much easier to work from home. If your job is meeting with people in the office, it’ll be tougher. The person potentially working from home won’t likely be making this decision.
Be the type of person who should work from home. If you’re a person who is happy not being around people, then you’re all set. If being in the physical presence of team members or other people day-to-day is what keeps you going or gets you excited, then you might have a hard time. You could work through the loneliness, but it’ll be tougher. Also, if having someone looking over your shoulder motivates you to get working, you’ll need to be diligent with yourself.
If working from home seems like it could work for you, here are tips that have helped me.
Have a plan for the day and do your best to stick to it. One of the worst things I can do is spend a day just trying to figure out what to work on. Set goals to finish certain things during the day and unless something urgent comes up, stop working you’ve finished those things. This both makes sure you get enough done in a day and makes sure you don’t fall into the always-working trap.
Take some kind of mid-day break. This can be lunch, going to the gym, walking the dog. Something that breaks up the day to make sure you’re not at your desk for hours on end.
Keep your office space your office and when you need to buckle down, do it there. Working from the couch can be fun here and there, but the temptations of TV or similar should be avoided.
Get out of the office here and there. This could be working from the kitchen table or going to a coffee shop. Breaking the monotony is a battle that needs to be constantly fought as a someone working from home.
Connect with coworkers. If everyone is remote, or if just a few people are, make sure you’re communicating. Missing out on watercooler talks or being out of the loop isn’t great, so you’ll need to make an effort to avoid that.
I love working from home. If and when I look for something new, it will be a huge part of my decision.
I’m far more motivated to be efficient with my time. If I finish the tasks I set out for myself early, then I’m done for the day. In the office, there’s often pressure to stick around and stay in the office regardless of how productive you’ve been that day. This means far less wasted time and far less procrastination.
Finally, I have a true work-life balance. Getting stuck on a tough problem doesn’t mean hitting a wall of frustration. Now it means going for a run, clearing my head, and then hitting the problem again with a fresh outlook. I’m getting the work done that I want and actually living without sacrificing either.
