By Tyler Read, owner of PT Pioneer
Check out these remote work practices to make the most of your career while working from home.
The last few years have witnessed a growing increase in the number of remote workers. The number grew in leaps and bounds when various countries all over the world declared lockdowns in their respective countries. This action halted many business practices and rendered many unemployed.
For those who were lucky enough not to lose their jobs, some of them had/have to work from home. It is termed remote working. If you lost your job, now is the time to start looking for a new one.
Many people prefer the idea of remote working because it means that all their work and meetings can be done from the comfort of their home. For those who are unfamiliar with remote work practices, it might be tedious to adapt to the new situation. Therefore, it is beneficial to find out the pros and cons of remote jobs before delving into it.
The ultimate goal of workers is to be productive enough to meet and surpass goals. But for that to happen, certain elements need to be put in place to make your remote work as productive as it can get.
As a career-driven person, you understand that being productive is the gateway to achieving success. Therefore, your focus should be on how to become more productive while working from home.
In light of this, we have come up with ten ways to be productive and stay ahead of the game while working remotely.
10 Best Remote Work Practices
1. Stick to your 9-5 practice
Usually, you need to wake up every working day of the week and get dressed for your job. Right now, the pandemic means that working in a designated building from Monday to Friday is not recommended. However, you can work from home within those hours. All you need is a workstation.
It is still your regular job except that meetings are held virtually, and you need to look presentable.
2. Maintain good virtual calling etiquette
Your looks are usually noticeable by your counterparts or other people during meetings. When you maintain a great virtual calling etiquette, your meeting ends promptly, and you have the ample chance to attend to other pressing matters.
This way, you can attend to pending matters. It means that you are performing your duties diligently, and you’ve been quite productive. You cannot entertain any form of time-wasting in your career.
3. Write your plans for the day
Many of us still do not have a daily or weekly itinerary that guides our actions. For people who belong to this category, it is easy to switch off from activities, especially activities you do no particularly enjoy.
Instead, get a diary or sticky notes and highlight your upcoming activities. You can add a timeframe, too, when creating your itinerary. Your productivity is poised to increase. Also, doing this shows a relationship between emotional intelligence and your career.
4. Provide regular updates
Since you’re working from home, you must provide regular updates for your superiors. If you have a task you ought to have worked on, but you didn’t, the update you provided will reflect such information.
When this happens, your superior(s) shall call your attention to it, and the onus is on you to complete the task. On future occasions, you’ll be propelled to complete the task before sending a report.
5. Separate work from your personal life
Because you are working from home, there are instances where you might want to mix work with your personal life. However, we strongly recommend that your personal life should not interfere with your work.
Therefore, whenever it’s time for work, everything personal needs to be halted as if you’re in an official establishment.
With undivided attention, you’ll be able to work productively and complete tasks.
6. Form a partnership with your work colleagues
There are instances where you’ll need the help of your work colleagues. Therefore, you must maintain good work rapport with them. It would be best if you formed a partnership with relevant colleagues who are instrumental to your productivity.
Consult these colleagues whenever you need help and do not hesitate to offer to help hands when your work colleagues need your invaluable help. In a similar fashion, you can start network activities today.
7. Eat well
It is vital that you eat nutritious food to provide strength for your body and provide the right motivation to think well. The energy the body needs mostly comes from food. If you are one of those who work all day and eat little or nothing, that needs to change soon.
8. Work during the right schedule
For most remote work, you already have the task at hand. All you have to do is execute it. You can find out the best time for you to work undisturbed and motivated. If you’re a night owl, you can work at midnight. You’ll find out that it is refreshing for you because it’s your choice time.
9. Set goals
While working from home, you should set work goals that will act as a guide on what you’re meant to achieve. If you need help setting priorities for the day or the week, reach out to your colleagues and managers. It’s better to get clarification on this and work on the top priorities first, rather than guess and waste time. It is not looked at as a weakness to ask for clarification.
10. Do not do any work outside work hours
Since you are home, there is no office building to leave when the workday is over. It is very easy to work overtime when working remotely. It can be harder to maintain a work-life balance. Make sure you are taking breaks throughout the day and end your day at the same time. You deserve a rest after working hard. When you take enough rest, you’ll be energized the next day and ready to work again. You’ll find out that your work will be productive because you’re invigorated.
About the author
Tyler Read is the owner of PTPioneer.com, a website dedicated to helping people get started in the personal training industry. He helps people discover, study, and pass their fitness exams. Check out his free videos for the latest trends.
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