The following is an article “A Remote Worker’s Guide to Getting the Job Done” by Marc Primo.
These days, more professionals are trading their office desks for a telecommuting job that can offer them better working conditions. Of course, the arrangement can still have the usual deadlines and occasional conference calls with management, but working remotely indeed gives remote workers the opportunity for that proper work-life balance that many of us yearn for.
As best-selling author Nathan W. Morris once said: “It is not that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less”. The same goes when working remotely as telecommuters always aim to enjoy the benefits and opportunities that it presents while still getting the job done by being on top of everything.
If you are yet to familiarize yourself with how telecommuting works, here are a few tips on how you can get the most out of both your work and life at the same time.
Take it from Nike or Shia Labeouf. Just do it. Whenever you feel a bout of procrastination coming on, remember how Nike and Shia (with all his emotion and might) urged everyone to ‘just do it’. Getting started is the most important thing in every endeavor and you should always ask yourself if you’re up to the task especially when it comes to telecommuting. Next to procrastination in “things that can lead you to fail” is ‘overthinking’. It’s alright to be passionate about what you do but try not to stress yourself in the process. You often won’t have to mind much of other people’s work when you are telecommuting so just set your eyes on the goal ahead and just do it the best way you can.
Prepare for the next day. Don’t think that just because you have more flexible time when you work remotely means you don’t have to take a few breaks and won’t get tired. Most telecommuters usually complain about being burned out with too much work on their plate, only to realize that they simply failed to manage their time properly. What most freelancers don’t know is that planning a weekly schedule is easy and can give them more flexibility. By simply jotting down what you need to accomplish for the next day, you’ll get a head start in drawing up a plan and making sense of how you can accomplish it. Just take a few minutes before hitting the sack to list down your priorities and give yourself a full night’s sleep prior to facing another work day with a clear mind.
As much as possible, do not decline work. This would be one of the most important commandments for anyone who is into freelance work or telecommuting. Remote work is also a dog-eat-dog world and the competition among freelancers is only getting tougher as more professionals are transitioning to telecommuting. Don’t deny the opportunities that come your way just because you feel that you have too much work already. Instead, try to network in co-working spaces and find other freelancers who can help you manage your deliverables. Don’t decline work that doesn’t fit into your specialty either. If the opportunity lies somewhere in the vicinity of your expertise then by all means try, and try hard. However, be honest to your clients and try to work out something that can give you a chance to expand your skills. The first set of armor in telecommuting is courage, both in venturing into a rather new and unfamiliar working arrangement and in honing your professional and soft skills to reach your best potential. So don’t be afraid of both and experience the many opportunities that telecommuting can offer you.