10 Remote Side Hustle Success Secrets
By Emily Brungard, davies + dixon design guru
Like most millennials, my 9-to-5 job isn’t my only job.
I work full-time in marketing for a tech start-up in Indianapolis. I also work as a part-time designer with davies + dixon. Until recently, I also worked a few shifts each week as a server at a local restaurant in Carmel, Indiana.
With the exception of my waitressing gig, a lot of my work revolves around the ability to get things done without physically being in the same place as the rest of my team. The d+d team is based in Seattle, and unfortunately, I can’t fly out to see them every night when I log on to work. Whether you call it remote work, being a digital nomad, or something else, I get the same question over and over when I talk to people about working a side hustle: “How do you do it?”
I believe a key component of being a successful, productive employee in today’s world is the ability to work from anywhere. Here are my top 10 tips for successfully working while maintaining location independence:
1. Have a Dedicated Workspace
This might mean your bed, or your couch, or an actual office. For me, this means trying my hardest to work from any place that isn’t my bed (I can at least try to have some kind of work/personal life balance, right?). If space is limited, find a desk or table that’s specifically for your work. A designated workspace means that you have room to spread out your work materials so that you can reach your most productive state. It also helps you get into the right mindset — when I go to my designated workspace, I know it’s time to get to work.
2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Change of Scenery
Sometimes I need to get out of my apartment to do my best work. For some people, that’s a daily necessity (and why coworking spaces and other “third places” exist). No matter where your day-to-day work gets done, a change of scenery can be the perfect solution to getting over an inspiration rut.
3. Schedule Meetings in Chunks
Have you heard about the maker vs. manager theories of work? If you’re a maker like me, chances are that you thrive when you’re able to work for long, uninterrupted periods of time. That means no emails, no meetings, no Slacks, no texts… do I need to go on? In an effort to make that happen, I try to schedule meetings in chunks, with blocks of availability and longer blocks of head-down work time. At my full-time job, our team has implemented “Maker’s Day,” a day where we try our best not to have meetings in an effort to get more work done, more efficiently. Of course, a day without meetings doesn’t always happen, but it’s a good start.
4. Don’t Work in Pajamas
“Dress for success” is something I’ve taken to heart since I was in middle school and my mom told me that I couldn’t wear leggings to school (like the cool kids did). Is your productivity affected by the clothes you wear? According to science, kinda. For me, my best work outfit is one where I don’t feel like I should be asleep… which means getting dressed, even when I don’t plan to leave the house that day. It’s just like having a dedicated workspace: it shifts your mindset.
5. Take Breaks
It might be tempting to squeeze as much as possible into your remote-working hours, but I’m a big proponent of scheduling breaks. For example, after working on a design project for an hour or two, I’ll take a short break to recharge and manage my energy. Getting out of my home for a bit and taking a walk is a quick, healthy way to boost energy levels for the rest of the day. Plus, it usually means I get a chance to grab a cup of coffee or a juice from a local Indy shop!
6. Embrace “Do Not Disturb”
Setting my MacBook and iPhone on “Do Not Disturb” mode has been a great way for me, as a notification-sensitive millennial, to get things done with fewer distractions. Switching between tasks can result in as much as a 40 percent loss of productivity, according to the American Psychological Association. By blocking out incoming emails, messages, social media alerts and other notifications, I am able to focus on efficiently getting one thing done at a time.
7. Have Set Hours
Working remotely can sometimes make you feel like you always need to be “on.” You see your computer nearby, and you have a nagging urge to check your email, even though you’ve worked all day. One key to a successful remote work set up is setting beginnings and ends to your workday. The next, equally as important key to successful remote work? Sticking to those hours!
8. Check In Regularly With Coworkers
Just because you’re not sitting across from your coworkers doesn’t mean that your work relationships should suffer. Technology has made it easy to stay in touch with coworkers, so take advantage of video calls, chat apps and emails! As mentioned before, I work in large chunks of uninterrupted time. I also prioritize communicating with colleagues by taking breaks and checking Slack and my email.
9. Find Your Peak Productivity Hours (And Don’t Miss Them)
Are you a night owl or an early bird? I know that my most productive hours are in the morning, which is why I arrive at my office earlier than most. That way, when I hit a mid-afternoon slump, the most pressing pieces of work are out of the way. If your company offers a flexible work schedule, then it’s critical to determine your peak work periods. Knowing when you work best can help you get the most out of your day.
10. Find Meaning in Your Work
It’s just a fact of work — you’re not going to be passionate about every single minuscule task you complete each day. But that shouldn’t be a cause of despair if you’ve found meaning in your work. “Working with a sense of purpose day-in and day-out is an act of will that takes thoughtfulness and practice,” according to HBR. Finding meaning in your work might mean learning a new skill that will allow you to produce better work, it might mean connecting service to your job, or it might mean establishing new relationships. Think about what brings you fulfillment and try to build a connection between it and your work.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of taking your work out of the office and into your home, the coffee shop down the street, across the world, or anywhere else, what are you waiting for? More jobs can be done remotely than ever before with the help of technology (davies + dixon Co-founder and Prez, Kelsey Dixon has proven that).
Have any additional remote work tips? Tweet us at @daviesanddixon!
