Let’s face it. Nowadays, working from home looks vastly different than it has in the past. Staying on task has more challenges. The “to do’s” have become endless. We live in a world where busyness is equated with success. That doesn’t mean that it actual is. Today, we’re taking about how to stay productive while working from home.
And the fact that you’re taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this means that I’m not going to waste any more of your time than I have to. So let’s dive in, shall we?
Write Out Your Schedule
Call me a bit old-fashioned, but I much prefer putting pen to paper to relying on technology for everything. Don’t get me wrong, I still keep all my records electronically. But when it comes to staying organized and on-task, writing out your schedule on paper has really helped me streamline my work week.
As a full-time Private Photo Editor for the last 3 years, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Busy season for me means managing up to 15-20 galleries at a time – most of which are weddings. I tried keeping it all organized with an Excel spreadsheet. That didn’t cut it. I tried using my iCal so I could access it from any device. Nope. It wasn’t until I started writing everything down manually that I felt like I really had a hold on things.
Keeping track of my workload this way then translated to writing down any and all tasks (both business and personal). Seeing everything laid out on a piece of paper in front of me helps me to “divide and conquer,” as they say. I quickly single out tasks that are priorities, and those that aren’t.
Once you have your to-do’s listed by priority, then you can begin tackling each job 1-by-1. This leads me to my next piece of advice:
Stop Multitasking
The world today makes us feel like the busier we are, the more successful we are. On the contrary. Do yourself a favor, and get out of this trap while you can.
Multitasking is just a fancy word for “doing a good job at getting many things done.” What you should truly value is doing a really great job at doing each task separately. Have you ever heard the phrase:
“A Jack of all trades and a master of none.”
Well, that’s just the point. Multitasking does not equate to success. Doing everything you do to the very best of your ability because you are intentionally focusing on accomplishing only that task – that’s success!
Some easy tips for putting a stop to multitasking:
- Write your tasks down and label them by priority – focus on accomplishing only one task at a time from most important to least
- Set aside time each day for the same task – if there are tasks that need done on a daily basis (ie…checking emails, blogging, returning phone calls, etc), create a designated time each day to address those to-do’s. For example, I check, and respond to, emails every day on my lunch break.
- Set timers – if you’re overwhelmed by your list of to-do’s, consider setting timers. Set 30-minute or 1-hour timers. For that half hour or hour, focus on one specific task to get done. Once the timer goes off, stop the current task and start another, then focus solely on that for a set amount of time. Often times, you’ll find that when you have a designated timeframe for accomplishing a task, that you actually work more efficiently and finish the task faster than you normally would.
Designate Your Workspace
When working from home, there are a multitude of workspace options. Let’s talk about how to stay productive when you can quite literally work from anywhere.
I suggest designating a specific workspace. That could mean an office. But if your house doesn’t have room for that, choose a specific room or chair to consistently work from. Our house is less than 1,000sqft. We sort of have an office space, but it doesn’t get as much natural light filtering through as our living room does – so I choose to work from a recliner in our living room. Don’t judge.
Your workspace doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy to be productive. It just has to be a space that inspires and motivates you. For me, that’s lots of natural light. A bright workspace is a happy workspace in my book.
This leads us to my last tip on how to stay productive while working from home.
Minimize Distractions
This day and age, we have so many ways for our attentions to be pulled from whatever it is we’re trying to accomplish. Phones, TV, internet and social media are four big ones. So how do we ignore all these things when they’re literally right in front of us all day long?
Turn off notifications
This is a big one that was a complete game-changer for my productivity. Start by turning off all notifications on your computer.
For Mac users, go to System Preferences > Notifications and toggle the switch that says “Allow Notifications.”
This will turn off all sounds, badges, and even the little icon notifications telling you how many unread messages you have waiting for you.
Turn your phone off
This may seem drastic. But for some people, it’s absolutely necessary. Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have the self-control to not pick up your phone every 15 minutes out of habit, “just to check,” you should really consider just turning it off altogether.
Again, if you’re a Mac user, and are connected to internet, your phone calls will come through your computer anyway. Same for text messages. If you’re worried you’ll miss something that’s actually important, keep it on silent mode. If there’s nothing pressing happening in a few hours time, just turn it off. Trust me. You’ll enjoy it.
Say “No” to push notifications
Often times, when you download a new app to your phone, it’ll ask you if you want to receive Push Notifications. This is a huge DON’T. I repeat, do NOT accept push notifications.
When your phone is on, push notifications are just a way to grab your attention. It’s what our phones are designed to do! Everything about our phones, and technology today in general, is designed to pull our attention away from life.
Just try going to the store without your phone sometime. I bet you’ll reach for your phone at least twice, even when it’s not there.
Research has shown that every time your attention gets pulled away from a task that you’re trying to accomplish, you spend at least two minutes addressing whatever it is that distracted you in the first place. Think about how many times your phone dings with a new notification every single day. That extra time, for some people, could add up to an hour or more of time spent being distracted during your workday. Whaaat?
And because of this, I no longer have any push notifications set up on my phone. For iPhone users, go to Settings > Notifications > Select an app > Toggle the switch for “Allow Notifications.”
Be in “Alignment“
Now this may be a completely new concept to you, but bare with me. It’ll all make sense. I promise.
I was listening to the Life With Amy and Jordan Podcast while working on editing a wedding the other day. Their very first episode speaks to being in “Alignment;” a concept they learned from a book they read called 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam.
This concept of “alignment” basically states that you have two different ways of accomplishing tasks. In its simplest form, some tasks requires brain power, and some don’t. The goal is to be doing one of each at the same time. This is called, “Alignment.”
For example, when I’m editing a wedding, I’m a robot. I work on autopilot. It doesn’t take much brain power for me at all. Therefore, I have the capability to use my brain power for listening to an audio book or podcast. I can easily concentrate on what the speakers are saying, and take in all the information, because I’m editing on autopilot. Make sense?
This would NOT work if I had to visually watch something in order to understand what the speaker is talking about. This would not be considered Alignment, because I need my eyes for editing my clients’ weddings.
Find tasks on your to-do list that can compliment each other in this way. Listen to a podcast while folding laundry, exercising, or cooking dinner.
That’s it, folks – 4 simple tips on how to stay productive while working from home. I can assure you that once you begin implementing these into your daily work life, you’ll be seeing a tremendous increase in your productivity.
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