Working from home is a dream of many people
Working from home is a dream of many people, but in fact, it can be a
real challenge if you don't do it right
1. Know what
stimulates you best and work with it.
Do you need peace and quiet, or do
you prefer some music? Will seeing your to-do list or calendar up on your wall
help? Make a list of things that you know would help you get into work mode and
keep you focused, then do what you can to include what you can into your setup.
Be aware of what’s really important, however. Sure, maybe one more motivational
poster in a glass frame would look great, but if it clutters more than helps,
don’t force it.
2. Get the lighting
right.
If you can, pick a spot or a room
that has lots of natural light. It’ll keep you awake and help you maintain a
sense of time. If this isn’t possible, then do what you can to optimize your
light fixtures and lamps. A well-lit home office is much more conducive to work
than a dim one. Dimness could trigger your mind to start winding down –
something that’s much more tempting when you know your bed is close by
3. Avoid parking.
My girlfriend calls me out for
“parking”. This can mean one of two things: First, it’s when I start or carry
out an activity in the wrong place. For example, when I’m on my way to make
myself some coffee, and I stop in the middle of the kitchen to respond to an
email or a message, and then another, and then another. Or it might refer to
“parking” things into a temporary place instead of putting them back into their
proper places. These things pile up, and before you know it, you’ve been
“parking” documents, books, notebooks, and pens for weeks and it just becomes
less appealing to restore the order.
Whichever definition you’re looking
at, “parking” disrupts your environment and so your productivity. If it’s time
for a break, take a break and leave the work at your desk. If you won’t need
that document again for the rest of the day or even the week, put it back where it
should be. Don’t be your own disruptor of your environment.
4. Keep the
distractions at bay.
Although many
things will be within reach when you’re at home, do what you can to
not mix
business with pleasure. If you have a TV or a game console, don’t put it in the
same room where you work. Keep the leisure reading elsewhere. If you use
your laptop or tablet for work and games, try
to use it only for work while you’re in your home office, and go to the living
room to play. In the same way that bringing work into the bedroom is
discouraged, respect your work environment enough to keep whatever distracts
you away from it.
However much – or little – you have to do to improve your workspace, what matters is that you keep it that way. There’s no point in a cleanout or room makeover if, within a few weeks, it’s back to how it was before. An environment conducive to creativity and success is not just a matter of creating, it’s a matter of maintaining – until you can again take it to the next level at least.
However much – or little – you have to do to improve your workspace, what matters is that you keep it that way. There’s no point in a cleanout or room makeover if, within a few weeks, it’s back to how it was before. An environment conducive to creativity and success is not just a matter of creating, it’s a matter of maintaining – until you can again take it to the next level at least.
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