Welcome to the Pursue You Podcast, where we are empowering you to continually reflect, design and pursue who you were created to be so you can give the gift of your best self to your family, community, and business!
Today we are going to talk about work-from-home hacks. I will say, this quarantine life has thrown us for a loop in so many ways but one of the biggest ways (especially for those of us that are used to working outside our home) is being thrown into working from home! As a Realtor, I spent many of my days working from home. I definitely feel I have a lot of experience with this. I want to share some of it with you so you can learn to navigate how to work from home: How to set expectations, design your days and communication with those in your world and become the most efficient and productive. I put these top tops together to make work-at-home work for you!
Before you start assess where you are! Assess your day. See how you are running a standard day. How are you working? When are you doing it? What distractions do you have? What works and what doesn’t work? Have a blank sheet of paper next to you and note your time blocks: Every fifteen, minutes, every thirty minutes, every hour. Maybe it works best for you to do this at the end of every day or every week. Use this assessment period to monitor how you are working currently and where there is room to grow.
[5:08] Hack your rhythms. Are you finding yourself productive first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon? When are you at your best? When are you more tired? Knowing and acknowledging these rhythms will set you up for success. Think outside the box! Don’t feel confined to the typical 9am-5pm work day. Be mindful that we may need to break out day up in the way that best works for you.
[7:47] Hack your environment. Your environment is so important. It is important that we create a work environment, or a bunker as Gary Keller describes it, that is so protected that no one can get in or distract you. For me, this means I am turning off my notifications and closing the door behind me. You start to see things in your environment that are a distraction from what you should be doing. Have an environment that supports your tasks at hand.
Environment Key #1: It is important to consider those around you in these rhythms. If you have family members or little ones around, you may need to adjust YOUR rhythm to align with THEIR rhythms for you to use your time most productively. Communicate clearly so they know how they can best support you.
Environment Key #2: Set up a proper workspace! Find a space where you can close your door. Find a space where there is a focused workspace. This will help those around you better understand when you are working and when you are not. Invest time in making your physical environment work for you because the efficiency and mindset that come from it are so powerful.
[15:54] Hack your habits. When you are assessing your day, what are some habits that you are keeping that don’t serve you in your work-from-home life. You may find new habits that weren’t a challenge for you before. For example, when I work from home, I find myself drinking a ton of water. Maybe it is my love for water or maybe it is an excuse to get up? Either way, it also means that I am visiting the bathroom much more often, which is another distraction! Now that I have noticed this habit, I am more intentional about how much water I drink. Other examples are Facebook, conversations on your phone, laundry, dishes, etc. Assess them now. Ask yourself: Do you need these chores/tasks done? OR is it easier than the work you need to do and you are using it as a distraction? Take note and hold yourself accountable.
[22:58] Time-based success list. Gary Keller discusses how a to-do list is not helpful but instead make a success list! On a to-do list not everything has the same level of importance. The 80/20 rule, a passion of mine, explains how 20% of the activities are responsible for 80% of your results. Those 205 add value to your life and business and real move the needle. The 80% tasks need to get done but are not as impactful. Split your tasks into these two categories: 80% and 20%. The things in the 20% will likely require more focus and will be more negatively impacted by interruptions. When I am building my time-based success list, I know which ones to tackle in certain parts of my day. I plan my 20% tasks during times when my environment is quietest and I know I will be interrupted less.
This is not a perfect science. In my world, I know kids wake early from their naps and people on my team need me at a moment’s notice. So, set yourself up for as much success as possible. If the majority of your tie working from home isn’t working for you, dig deeper on your habits, dig deeper on your environment. Give yourself some grace with kids, with expectations and workloads. The more we can design our days and our weeks successfully, the more easily we will get through this and the more encouraged we will feel along the way.
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Episode 27: How to Navigate Your Mind and Soul in This Unprecedented Time