The Exciting Adventure of Remote Working

Hi 👋🏻
I have been remote working for the better part of the last 19 years. I want to start by saying, “it can be quite challenging”. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Achieving life/work balance is challenging enough to pull off when you are in an office, let alone surrounded by your personal life. I usually get a similar response when others hear I work from home: “you’re so lucky”, “that must be great”, “I wish I was able to do that”. My response most of the time is, “it works for me because I made it work” and that’s what we have to do.

I have been a problem solver to the core since I can remember. I am fascinated by the work that goes into solving a juicy problem. I am constantly refining and reorganizing ideas, routines, processes. Even finding the best way to stack the dishes is interesting to me. It is not who I am, but it is a result of who I am. I am motivated to do better and if it isn’t better, I do my best to respectfully accept or move on. Designing for me is the invention, process and result to which we solve a problem. Remote working is a problem and below I target two very important topics that may help motivate and guide if the opportunity of remote working finds you: Life/Work Balance & Productivity.

My home office workstation in San Francisco, CA USA

Life/Work Balance

Yes I turned it around. Why? Because “Life” should always be the foundation. The better we enjoy the process of finding an emotional, physical, and dare I say spiritual healthy life the more we will be able to follow the guidelines that make us the most productive version of ‘ourselves’.

Health
Practice conscious eating. At home it may be more convenient to snack versus at the the office. And that is what it really comes down to isn’t it? Convenience. It can make or break a balanced work life at home. Making a healthy eating routine can be convenient too. Work with informed friends or people like eastern/western nutritionist to get the most accurate information on what enables you to achieve or maintain a healthy body.

Hygiene plays an important role in setting the stage of not only “work mode”, but adds to having proper and your ideal self care. Something like flossing after each meal can help create a time stamp or checkpoint for the day. This can motivate us to get the next work task done. And please — drink the proper amount of water for your body type.

How to Calculate How Much Water You Should Drink A Day - Slender Kitchen

An active mindset for work will grow stronger when you continue or introduce a physically active routine. Start small, perhaps with an hour walk after work to decompress instead of going from computer screen to TV screen. Again, seek suggestions from informed friends/colleagues or professionals to adjust your physical activity the best way for your body and peace of mind.

Comfort and Focus
The first step in “getting to business” is having the right comfortable set up. This goes for your workstation as well as how you suit up. Work at a desk, avoid beds or couches. It is very important to draw a line with spaces that represent ‘work mode’ and spaces that you should use for personal time. What you wear is up to you, but I find it crucial for it to be different from what you wear during personal time. This can be challenging with a family at home, but even if it is a polo shirt versus a t-shirt the mind will start to adjust to your partitions.

What can be distracting to some can generate inspiration and focus to others. I am a firm believer that when we are honest with our abilities, our self imposed limitations start to shrink. Music can get us motivated. Movies and TV can offer entertainment and provide nostalgia, but it is up to you which one supports the daily productivity you desire to have. I personally listen to music all day and this can change depending on what task I am performing. For example — currently I am writing so the music is low in the background. It is motivational and helps drown out other noises. When I am in “production mode” I sometimes listen to classical or movie scores to paint a picture in my head but not distract me with lyrics. I also find it enhancing to watch a favorite TV show on one of my monitors — never a new show. It plays and I rarely stop and watch. It is something I have seen many times that may bring a laugh to fill the lonely moments that isolation may bring (The Office, Scrubs, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development, Friends, etc.).

Communication
Honest and direct communication is the goal. You will be surprised how things change once “body language” isn’t there to help. Ask questions and seek to understand even if it seems repetitive. Practice follow up summaries when provided with feedback, guidance, or instructions. Repeating your perception of what was said can avoid the amount of times we misunderstand. This applies to work colleagues, family and may even help promote a healthy and more accurate “Social Media” presence.

Have a family meeting and set the right exceptions before assumptions are made. Set boundaries on your work spaces and schedules. Set the right importance, privacy and security. This will contribute to the proper amount of trust and clarity needed to have a healthy and balanced personal life.

Remember, practice makes progress and do your best to not allow fear to get in the way. Seek those that have what you want and try to do what they do.

Productivity

Like most things productivity is a matter of perspective and expectations. I believe it’s important to be clear, not only to others you work with, but to yourself so you can accurately define personal accomplishments everyday.

Integrity
Our integrity helps define us and is an indication of our capacity to grow and be counted on. Being remote and at home can be tricky. Everything around us is personal so how can we differentiate work from personal life/tasks? I have a timer/stop watch during my work week that I use. Every time I do something personal I turn it off (use the toilet, walk the dog, eat lunch, play a game, etc.) This helps me track my “actually” production hours. I believe that with an honest and accurate vision of what we do, we can then better match our ‘actual integrity’ to our ‘intended integrity’.

Discipline
Time management and focus can be a challenge. Try and set up a schedule as if you are going into the office. A time that matches the office hours is ideal so that the participation with others can remain level and consistent. A “business owner” mentality is something I practice to keep my discipline strong and healthy. When I am working from my home office, I wear my owner and CEO hat. It is up to me what is produced and how healthy my personal life is. Taking responsibility is the key.

Why Success Depends on Thinking Like an Owner

Reporting
Make a habit to set up consistent reporting routines. Perhaps start by sending a recap on Fridays and then follow up with that progress on the following Wednesday. Check in regularly. Remember that they can’t see you and the path to proper expectations is continuous. There is no such thing as over communicating unless it is getting in the way of your productivity.

Open door
We can not replace the feeling of walking up to a colleague to chat, but we can get close. I use services and apps like Skype, Messenger and Slack to facilitate this.

Offer a direct line to your communication service of choice. Quickly respond during work hours. It helps to let others you directly work with know how you will be keeping your door open to them. Again — set proper expectations. Don’t be afraid to ask questions even when you don’t know how — just say, “I don’t know how”. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the kind and helpful responses we receive when we are open to help.

Tools and Services
Our tools are our friends. Being comfortable working remote means peace of mind that you are being efficient and protecting your valuable work. Make proper back ups(Time Machine, setting up a redundant Raid, etc.). Use the right services and accessories to be efficient. Audio/Video/Text applications like Slack and Skype. Accessories like your own Apple Pencil, AirPods, second monitor or wireless charging dock may provide the right convenience. Don’t be foolish and cheap when the right tool will increase productivity and comfort. Time is money and the right tools will help and save you time. Wifi speeds should match your momentum — reassess your connection, make sure it is right for your needs and workflow. Become comfortable with using VPN for secure and internal connections.

In Closing
Trust the process of adjusting to remote work and be kind to yourself. Adapting is natural for us, but we each have our own way of achieving comfort. Always be true to what makes you unique and special. Enjoy finding new ways that remote working can make life better. With change comes a refreshed perspective and new opportunities.

Thrive and be the change — best of luck.