How to Build a Productive Schedule for Working Remotely
I LOVE companies that see the value in allowing their employees to work remotely. Not only does it show that they value their employees’ lives outside of the workplace; it also demonstrates their understanding that giving those employees a little freedom doesn’t mean their work will fall by the wayside.
America has become a country in which companies routinely place their work goals before their employees’ health, wellbeing, and family considerations. If you do a little googling you’ll see that not only do Americans work hundreds of hours more a year on average than those in other industrialized countries, but we also have no federal laws requiring paid sick days or parental leave, and most people don’t even get paid vacation days. Further, studies show we suffer for it emotionally and physically; these business practices are not innocuous. Just to make things worse, the majority of American families are in situations that require both parents to work outside of the home. What happens when your kid gets sick? How much of your paycheck goes to childcare? In my own experience, I’ve had to pass up job opportunities because the salary they offered wouldn’t even cover the cost of childcare; I would be paying MORE out of my husband’s paycheck just to be able to go to work. Obviously, remote work won’t solve all of our workplace issues, but it’s a great start that gives people the freedom to build their schedules around what matters most in their lives. For some, it means the difference between one household income or two.
Alas, therein lies the catch. How DO you build a reliable work schedule when you are a remote worker? How do you find balance when you are the one calling the shots? Yes, your work must be done, but you’ve also been handed the opportunity to travel, spend time with your family, or pick up a hobby on the side. The world is your oyster! Now what?
The first thing to remember is that transitioning to a remote work life takes time, especially if you have other major responsibilities like childcare to consider. I started building a remote schedule back in 2015; I had a 3-year-old and I was pregnant with my second child when I decided to return to college. Pennsylvania State has an amazing online campus where they offer all of their in-house courses remotely. Getting started was insanely difficult, I won’t lie. Most days I was struggling to keep my son entertained while I then struggled some more to pay attention to my lessons. I would end up staying up most of the night writing papers and finishing assignments, just to get up the next day and start struggling all over again.
The good news is, it gets easier. And if you don’t have kids to worry about, you’re in luck! It might not be such a difficult transition for you. Just keep your gloating to yourself; there are a lot of us working parents out here.
After a couple of months, I figured out ways to manage my time. I would plan activities ahead of time for my son, and I did my work in shorter but more frequent bursts of time throughout the day. If he was busy, so was I. By the time he went to Preschool and I had a newborn, it was smooth sailing. I graduated in the top 4% of my class after having been the primary caretaker of a toddler and a newborn the WHOLE TIME.
Fast forward a bit, and I was on to my next remote venture; Flatiron School. By the time I started my son was a kindergartener and my daughter had just turned 2, but I had it down. I graduated Flatiron after about 10 months, and I still keep the same schedule while working on my own projects. Here is what my day to day roughly looks like:
7:00 am — Wake up, get my son ready for school.
8:30 am — Breakfast & coffee… lots of coffee.
9:00 am — Start working, set my daughter up with an activity.
10:30 am — Take a break, play for a bit.
11:00 am — Back to work.
1:00 pm — Lunch break.
1:30 pm — Back to work.
2:30 pm — Break to pick up my son from school.
3:00 pm — Back to work. This is one of the most productive parts of my working day because my son comes home and my kids will play together and entertain themselves more independently.
6:00 pm — Cook dinner.
7:30 pm — Get the kids ready for bed.
8:30 pm — Back to work. Yes, I make up for hours missed at night. I don’t mind it.
9:00/9:30 pm to whenever — Me time! I read, watch TV, do some DIY magic, or anything else my heart desires.
Look at that! That’s an 8 hour work day. Now, this is just MY example. YMMV. I also feel like I should point out that even while I am working, I am present and available for my kids. They aren’t being neglected while I work. Go back to your caves, internet trolls.
This schedule also often changes; sometimes I have more time to work in the morning/afternoon, other days I have less. But that is precisely the beauty of working remotely; you can make your schedule work for YOU. The key points to remember when building your own remote schedule:
- Before trying to mock schedule anything, make a list of the things that need to be done daily. How many working hours do you need to put in? What time are your standing meetings? Do you want to take an afternoon walk every day? (Jot that down, because self-care can be a priority when you work remotely. Isn’t that nice?) Do you work better in larger, more structured chunks of time, or do you need to split your working hours up to accommodate other daily tasks (like hanging with your kids, running errands, appointments, etc.)? Details people, it’s all about the details.
- Once you have figured out a rough draft of when you want to work and when you need to step away from your computer, keep it with you while you are actually working. What about your schedule is working, and what isn’t? Are there periods of time when you are most productive? Are there times you wish you had been working but you weren’t? Make notes! Change your schedule! Remember, the beauty is in the flexibility. Use it to your advantage.
- Most importantly (for me, at least) start every day with a thorough to-do list. That way, when you DO get to a chunk of work time, you know exactly what needs to be done and you can jump right into it. Don’t waste your working hours trying to decide what to do. The more you plan ahead, the smoother your days will go.
- Don’t be afraid of those night-hours. You’re a remote worker now, remember? That whole, “the world is your oyster” thing? If you have an event or appointment that takes up most of your day, that is OK. Pick up some hours later that night, or block out a few extra the next day. The most important thing about working remotely is that you deliver your work on time. For you, working after hours no longer equates to “overtime.” This is where your self-discipline comes into play. Nights and weekends can help you take advantage of that newly awarded freedom you landed with your remote job; just do yourself a favor and try to save time for yourself and your family.
- Which leads me to: DON’T OVERDO IT. Yes; you can work as many hours as you like. But for crying out loud, don’t start trying to cram in 60 hours of work every week just because you can. We’re trying to SOLVE the problems of overworked Americans, not contribute to them. If you have a week where you are really behind and you need to catch up, by all means, do what needs to be done. Just don’t forget the reason you wanted to work remotely in the first place; Balance.
I hope this is helpful to those of you thinking of starting a remote job. If you are a remote worker and you have some tips I have left out, feel free to share them below. Now, go out and enjoy those oysters!
