Author: Catherine deVrye
Having left a secure executive position with IBM for the insecurity of starting my own business, I sometimes struggled Working From Home before expanding into ‘real’ commercial office space to accommodate staff and here are my Tips for Working From Home-or in your Own Business. Now, like many others, I find myself back working from […]
Having left a secure executive position with IBM for the insecurity of starting my own business, I sometimes struggled Working From Home before expanding into ‘real’ commercial office space to accommodate staff and here are my Tips for Working From Home-or in your Own Business.
Now, like many others, I find myself back working from home and offer some tips, gleaned over many years, to those experiencing this for the first time; thankfully with benefits of technology that weren’t available 25 years ago.
Initially written to help a friend starting his own business, 95% is applicable during this time of working remotely…but admittedly, I don’t have school age children to simultaneously home school!
As a caveat, my decision was my own choice and not forced upon me by any crisis. And, of course we all have unique circumstances as we adjust to this ‘new normal’ and some of the following tips may not be relevant to you but you’ll find at least a few that will work for you as you work from home-or try to find work from home:
Discipline: Self-discipline is vital, especially when you’re accountable to no one but yourself and your clients; or less accountable to a remote boss. Ironically, you go into your own business for the flexibility of working independently but without the healthy discipline to show up and put the time in, you won’t last long. Time is your main finite currency and can’t be wasted on TV, social media or endlessly tidying cupboards.
Routine: Flexibility is indeed a bonus of working from home but for maximum productivity, you need some routine in place—not the one imposed by others but the self-imposed schedule that you stick to most work days. It may not be 9-5…but set that alarm for a regular start.
For example, my day starts at 7 with a hot lemon drink and listening to the news as I skim emails from overseas that arrive overnight. Urgent ones are answered and the rest prioritised before putting on laundry and going for swim; followed by quick, healthy breakfast and ‘real’ work may not start til 10 when I sit down at PC to fully focus.
Boundaries: Tell friends and family you’re there for them in an emergency but that you need to limit social chit chat to certain times of the day, before or after your working hours (whatever they may be). When I started working from home, I had to remind friends that I was self-employed-not unemployed! And even if you are unemployed these, it may be part of your daily ‘job’ to actively seek a job. Devote the discipline, focus and time to do so; as endless hours on the phone complaining about things won’t help.
Focus/Prioritise: If you need to concentrate on a big project, put the phone on silent in another room with a recorded message of when you’ll return calls. Obviously that won’t work for all occupations but most of us don’t really need to be in response mode 24/7.
Visible Goals, Purpose, Outcomes: To avoid being easily distracted, have your important goals, outcomes and purpose clearly visible; a constant reminder that all tasks should contribute to those ends; and that it’s not necessary to reply to every email or read every article that comes across your virtual desk.
Daily to do list: As well as the big picture plan, have a daily to do list. Commit a certain number of hours per day to your key big goal and other tasks that require completion. Maybe 3 key things that must be done that day and 5 more you’d like to do. Rather than chance it to memory, you’ll not only achieve more but have a sense of satisfaction as you tick things off; rather than say: ‘I wonder where the day went?’ (and until this Covid-19 crisis, cleaning or cooking certainly were never on my ‘to do’ list, as most was outsourced)
Outsource: As far as possible, focus on your big goals and outsource more mundane tasks, those you don’t like doing or ones that others can do better than you…cleaning, data base, bookkeeper accountant, IT Specialist, Virtual PA etc. Play to your strengths and get help with your weaknesses. I wish there was a good online virtual cleaner at the moment!
Batch tedious tasks and calls: For greater productivity, ask: ‘What will be my best use of time today? Tomorrow? This week? This month?’ For example, I have a ‘Finance Friday’ to handle all things financial, rather than deal with bills and invoices as they arrive.
Deadlines: At business school, I vividly remember reading ‘The Peter Principle’ which amongst other things, author Laurence J. Peters postulates that most tasks expand to fill the available time.
Nothing happens without a deadline; or very little. As a writer and professional speaker, nothing focuses my mind and my work activity more sharply than a deadline from a publisher or approaching conference, when the luxury of creative thinking vanishes to give way to completion; however imperfect. So, it’s necessary to set self-imposed deadlines for important tasks
And by the way, there is never enough time for entrepreneurial thinking people to do all the things they’d like to do.
Clear the clutter: It’s an old habit from my IBM career, when the most respected company in the world at the time insisted on a clean desk policy before employees left the office. It’s served me well even when I’m the only person who might ever see that messy desk. Messy desk equals messy mind so my home workspace is clear at the end of each day (whenever the end of that day may be) with my ‘to do’ list ready for the next day to start afresh with a clean slate.
Maintain High Standards: Don’t let standards slip. OK, there were times the laptop balanced on my Qantas pyjamas when working on my next book about travel but rationalised that got me in the mood since I won’t be on a plane for some time to come! But it’s easy to slip into the groove of hanging around the house like a total slob.
I know one person who walks around the block and back into his home office at 8:30 every morning; and another who still dons lipstick while home alone, even if no zoom calls that day…whatever works to help you work in this new environment.
Personally, I’m looking for time delay lock on the fridge but the best I can do is to physically shut the door to the home office and set a timer that I won’t even think of leaving the chair even a second before. Yes, more discipline.
Practice a Healthy Lifestyle: ‘How do you find time to exercise?’ some people ask. It has always been an essential activity for me. It is not a waste of time and an integral part of daily routine regardless of what work pressures may loom; as we can’t take care of our clients or family if we don’t take care of ourselves! This may sound somewhat obsessive but I actually have it at the top of my daily ‘to do’ list and the mere fact of checking it off gives me a strange sense of achieving at least one of my goals for the day.
I also have ‘Stretch’ on daily list as a reminder to occasionally give those shoulders and neck a break.
‘But I’m juggling things like a one armed paper hanger, flat out like a lizard drinking and other clichés’ protests a friend wrapped up in his own busi-ness of being busy. (and that was before Covid-19)
‘My only escape is a glass of wine at dinner,’ he moans. That one glass becomes two which turns into a bottle to help him sleep, leaving troubles temporarily corked until he awakes with a foggy head to see them piled higher than ever. With alcohol sales more than 30% higher than normal during this health crisis, take care not to create another medical issue for yourself.
Performance review: No longer the annual or quarterly appraisal by the boss? At the end of each day, have a 60 second review as you brush your teeth and honestly assess those last 24 hours. We’re all prone to beat ourselves up for what we haven’t achieved because of some frustration (often a result of technology and/or bureaucracy glitches beyond our control). Take the time to reflect, and possibly journal, all the things you have achieved and everything that you’re grateful for, even if it hasn’t been a perfect day.
Time out: ‘How do you ever get any work done when your office has such a gorgeous view?’ asks a client. Dare I admit that sometimes the ferries arriving at the wharf or the surf rolling in are barely noticeable –unless I stand up to stretch those shoulders and neck.
‘My boss is a bitch.’ I joke but in spite of my focus on discipline, sometimes we do indeed need to be a little gentler with ourselves.
When enough is enough? Admittedly, that’s a lesson I’m still working on but most self-employed/self-starters always have a steady stream of new ideas which means that ‘to do’ list is completely done. Even if I live to be 200, there are still books waiting to be written.
So do take some time to smell the roses or appreciate that view.
Rewards: Apart from the obvious financial rewards of working productively from home, set your own rewards when you reach certain goals. It may be an annual dream vacation (when travel resumes) a monthly manicure (when that resumes) a weekly TV binge or a daily treat.
Speaking of which…I’m off for a sunset walk (at least two meters apart) with a friend who always makes me laugh. And as she juggles her professional career with housework, homework for two kids and an unemployed husband at present, she needs all the laughter she can get; so I’m sure she’ll likely chortle at some of these tips, offered by one with the luxury of solitude.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Stop shoving Do-it-Yourself Options technology on your customer that serve you, but not them! I drop in to my local Wells Fargo branch to get a document notarized and the teller at the counter directs me to scan the QR code on the poster nearby to get on their “digital waiting list.” I say […]
Howard Saunders, a leading retail keynote speaker was wrong. FORGET COVID. THIS IS THE KILLER VIRUS. I thought that the crescendo of hysteria that’s been festering like a planet sized boil in the wake of Trump and Brexit would dissipate once a serious crisis came along. It’s like we’d been massaging a giant zit with […]
A former 9-figure corporate CEO gives you 10 powerful questions to help you seal the deal in your next interview. Just like dressing professionally, showing up on time, and wielding a firm handshake, asking the right questions can make or break the outcome of a long-awaited interview for a super-coveted position. Asking no questions at […]
A lot has happened in the past few years since my book, We’re Really All In This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Belonging, was first published in the spring of 2020. I completed the manuscript for this book (which was just released this week in paperback) at the end of 2019. I […]
Clarity Certainty and Hope. Many have spoken about VUCA times, where it all becomes Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. We had a large taste of it in 2008, during the global financial crash, but the Coronavirus has really challenged every nation, and every person. We will share some thoughts and insights that may help you […]
We are all spending a lot of time inside our homes. How much do you REALLY need? For those whose homes are a disorganized clutter zone, this could be stressful and result in more anxiety than isolating already brings to the table. If you are constantly tripping over stuff on the floor, and having to […]
What do you think the most important question for leaders today? And what’s the most effective way to structure the conversation to derive the right answers? As background, we’re living in an incredibly fast-moving world. Some are saying it’s a world of exponential change where we’re getting these mega shifts across industries because technology is […]
Motivation in Motion – 7 Steps to Help You Stay Motivated Being and staying motivated are two completely different things with different obstacles and benefits. Everyone, particularly those in the selling profession, have certain things which can keep them motivated. Here are seven steps to help you stay motivated personally and professionally. 1. Dream Bigger […]
No results available
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME