It is the beginning of a new year, and you probably have a tone of resolutions. Probably you are determined to eat healthier, exercise more often, reduce your alcohol intake, and cut down on your budget, and so on. If you are a remote worker, this is also a good time to improve how you work. The following are a couple of New Year resolutions that will help you become more productive as a remote worker.
Become Flexible
Many people like planning ahead and working according to a fixed timetable. However, life is full of uncertainties, and working this way can be very limiting. It is highly likely that new projects or requests you had not accounted for will come up. During such an occurrence, you will be forced to make new plans or changes you had not thought of before. Changing your plans and timetable may mean putting aside other priorities, especially if the new task is important. Being fixated on set plans can decrease your team’s productivity and cause you to waste time. In this modern, fast-paced workforce, you need to be flexible in any situation if you are to outdo your competition and come out on top.
Identify And Eliminate Distractions
Regardless of whether you report to someone or are answerable to yourself, working remotely demands that you stay accountable and time-conscious. It is difficult to resist distractions while working from an office, but it is even much harder when working remotely where no one is keeping you in check. Some of the practices you can adopt to resist distractions include; blocking certain websites on your laptop when you are working and keeping your phone off or in a separate room from your work station. If you are working in a setting with distractions, try moving to a different work station.
Invest In Workspace
As a remote worker, you are probably working in your bedroom or a home office room with a desk, chair, and computer. Since working remotely does not feel like going to work, you need to change the scenery into one that programs your mind to work mode. Working from home always comes with many distractions. Things like pets, crying babies, to chores, will take your mood off the job and ruin your morale and productivity. Try finding another location like a working space that is away from home, and that keeps you focused and increases your productivity.
Expand Your Networks
You may be satisfied with the team you are working with or wherever you are sourcing for jobs. However, in any industry, it pays to have many connections. The more people you are connected with, the more opportunities you are open to. Resolve to expand your circle by participating in networking events and blogs and working from co-working space. Regardless of what remote work you are involved in, connecting with other people helps to grow your business.
Increase Face To Face Time
Calls, texts, and emails are the backbone of modern communication. These tools help us to reach out to one another across great distances and are important to our job productivity. However, long-distance communication has its share of flaws. Sometimes, certain things are best explained face to face to avoid misinterpretations or miscommunication. Human beings communicate with each other through facial expressions, body language, and other features that can only be experienced through face to face contact. These features provide meaning in ways that voices and text cannot.
Therefore, this year try communicating with colleagues and clients through video calls to capture every detail of the conversation. Conversations are more efficient and productive when you can express yourself clearly. Furthermore, your co-workers feel more connected to you when they can see you, and this forge lasting bonds and increases team cohesion.
Engage In Productive Leisure Activities
One of the upsides of working remotely is that you do not have to commute. Most importantly, remote workers are not confined to some office space. Try enjoying this freedom by getting outside once in a while. Break the monotony of your job by going for a walk, jog, or going to the gym. A remote job should rescue you from a sedentary lifestyle; therefore, you have flexible schedules. Whatever you do, resolve to make your remote job allow you to catch up with activities you did not have the luxury to do when working at an office job.
Summing It Up
In this modern era, working from home or remotely has become a trend for many industries. The days of coiling up in the office and having to go through with 9 to 5 schedules are over. Nowadays, most jobs allow workers to operate remotely. As a remote worker, you should exploit such freedom by doing things differently. Let your New Year resolutions as a worker revolve around flexibility, avoiding distractions, finding a better workspace, expanding your networks, face to face communications, and engaging in productive leisure activities.
