Working remotely? Here’s how I did it
I think I’m doing a bang up job in this remote working thing. Really, I think I am.
Before I started working as a freelancer, I absolutely, from the depths of my heart, hated the commute. Metro Manila traffic and public transportation are simply too horrible to even describe, let alone go through, so I really found a way for me to be able to work from home.
The great thing about working remotely, at least for me, is that I don’t have to do the commute thing. Which means that I am not annoyed or haggard when I start working, and that I don’t worry about battling my way through commuting hell after work.
The challenging thing about working remotely is building the discipline to be able to work at a place you’ve always associated as the opposite of an office – your home.
Here’s how I did it.
Stick to a schedule
First thing’s first: create a schedule and stick to it. One mistake I made when I first began freelancing was that I got hung up on the idea that I can work anytime I want.
Trust me, it’s very easy for “just one chapter before I start working” to turn into “finished reading the book in one day.”
I ended up working a lot of nights and early mornings to make up and meet my deadlines.
So, I stuck to a schedule. As a freelancer, I worked from 9am to 6pm. When I joined e27, work hours are from 10am to 7pm, which means I do some stuff (gym, breakfast, sometimes bank runs) in the mornings and some other stuff (grocery shopping, classes, meet-ups) in the evening.
There are times something comes up during my work hours and I have to deal with those, but I usually make up the lost hours after. Mainly, I stick to that work schedule.
Having a routine really helps a lot.
Designate a work space
No matter how tempting it is, never work in bed.
The bed is for sleeping, leisurely reading, and sex. Do not ruin the sanctity of the bed by bringing work on it.
When working at home, it’s important to designate a work space that gives you ample room to move about, enough surface area to spread out your work, and have a noise level that allows you to concentrate on your work.
I live in a 80 sqm house with 2 rooms, a kitchen, and a large square common area that’s meant to be a living room and dining room. My flatmate (who also works from home a lot) and I plunked a huge round table at the center of that common area and added some comfortable chairs.
Mainly, the agreement is that all common areas are work space (also meal space) while our rooms are our respective living spaces. It helps a lot because right now my brain is conditioned that when I step out of my room and situate myself at that table, I work (or eat).
Go out
The beauty about working remotely is that you don’t need to work just in your home. As long as you’re productive, can meet deadlines, and are easily reachable, you can pretty much work anywhere.
Sometimes I need a change of scene to get the brain moving when I write, so I sometime head out to work at a cafe. I pretty much have a regular cafe (and table) I work out of on days I don’t feel like working at home.
Then there are days I’m actually out of town. Or the country. Like the time I spent 2 weeks motorbiking across 4 cities in Vietnam and still work occasionally to meet deadlines. The trick is to find a hostel with good internet and a common area away from the partying.
Working from home ≠vacation
The operative word in “work from home” is “work”. You are not on vacation. You are working remotely because the people you work with trust that you are responsible enough to deliver even though you’re at home.
Treating it like a vacation would backfire on you. Think about the last time you were on vacation? Lazy, yes?
This is also something that you need to remind other people in your life. Some may think that working remotely means you have a lot of free time to spare. Make it clear that you are working just like everyone else, except that you get to avoid the commute.
Remember to get a life
On the flip side, remember that you have a life outside of work.
It’s very easy for your work hours to bleed into your personal time especially if you have a lot on your plate. One minute it’s 5pm and the next time you look up it’s already 9pm and you still haven’t had dinner.
That’s why I usually schedule meetups with friends or classes in the evening, so I would be forced to manage my time and not get stuck on work until midnight.
Remember that at the end of the day, work is a tool that helps you build a life, not life itself.
Of course, this is from the point of view of a single, virtually no responsibilities person. So it’s kinda easy. What if you have a family? What if you have kids? How are you going to be able to work remotely?
I don’t know. Ask me again when my status changes.
How’s your remote working experience?
