Helpful Hints for Working Remotely
I have an inkling I’m not alone when I say that the thought of working remotely added what felt like ‘extra stress’ to an existing stressor. Somewhere along the start of my programming journey, I taught myself that working remotely was something to be achieved once I had reached a certain level of expertise, like it was a reward that was off there waiting for me once I had accomplished x, y, z…
While working remotely might not be for every type of learner and contributor, I’m here to debunk the myth that you need to be an expert in your field to have this opportunity. Fresh out of the code school, my first working experience was a remote internship — and here I am still going strong! Below are some tips that helped me take this opportunity head on.
- Rhythm a better way of thinking of a schedule
Defining a daily rhythm was key to my success of working remotely. The time I sat down at my computer, had lunch, and concluded my work day was within the same time frame each day. I told my team a head of time when they could expect me to be available, and it helped me stay accountable to this rhythm. In this, I had certain practices to kick start and wrap up my day. The start of my rhythm each day was to write out what I planned to accomplish i.e. write GET, POST, PATCH, DELETE requests for given API, correct specific bug that was discovered at the end of the previous day, research and decide on library to handle background jobs, etc. Each task was measurable and could clearly be stated that ‘Yes, it was accomplished’ or ‘No, not yet.’ Defining what is essential to accomplish that day helped me focus and tune out the static of the never ending to-do list that I’m sure we could all write. If I was having a hard time allowing myself to set the nonessential aside for a day, I would write these tasks down on a weekly goal list. This allowed me to give it just enough attention to address that it’s there and needs to get done, but also not take up too much brain space trying to not forget about it and clouding up my mind from what is essential for today.
2. Reward motivate yourself when others aren’t around to give you this
A bonus of writing out my goals for the day was seriously that I got to cross them off my list when I accomplished them. I don’t know about you, but this is a serious mental reward for me — I’ve heard that this act releases endorphins in the brain, but I haven’t seen the source of this research yet. I can say that I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true, this small act does feel like a reward for me. If you aren’t a to-do list person, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. It’s one of the most positive things I can do for my productivity, especially in environments when there isn’t someone checking in with me to make sure I’m getting my work done or a room full of co-workers typing away around me. Knowing how to reward and motivate yourself when you’ve accomplished a task or are pushing through a difficult problem are important skills for the remote worker. I’m content with the satisfaction of getting to cross a task off my list and visually see my progress, but this looks different for every person. Maybe you’re reward is another cup of coffee, a walk around the block, or some positive affirmation because you’re right, you are rad.
3. Reflect what was accomplished vs what did you think you would accomplish?
As apart of my rhythm of wrapping up my work day, I would reflect on my list of tasks and see what I imagined I would accomplish in comparison to where the rhythm of my day did go. This was another assurance of self discipline to make sure I stayed in rhythm through out my day, but also a way to see how my progress was matching up. Was I being overly or underly ambitious in my mornings when I wrote my daily goals? Both can be dangerous ways to lean when working remotely. If unattainable or unrealistic goals are being set, your days will feel less productive, your motivation might dwindle, and it might feel harder to keep going without the support of others on your left or right. If your goals are too low lying, you won’t be utilizing your time effectively for your personal development or for your project’s work collectively. When it comes down to it, only you really know how you spent your time and brain power during that day. In my reflection I ask myself, are the steps I am taking today moving me closer to the person I want to be in the future?
4. Reassess what will keep the fuel on the fire?
This part is crucial as you don’t want to wait until the fire has already died to try and throw more fuel on it. I would reassess daily at the end of my reflection time and see what I could do to better serve my productivity and motivation for the next work day. Maybe I felt easily distracted at home that day, so tomorrow I would start off with a change of scenery and work from a favorite coffee shop. Maybe I’ve been stuck on what I was working on, so I need to communicate to my team that I need another set up eyes. Maybe I felt jittery at my desk, so I’ll wake up earlier to go for a bike ride before sitting down at my desk the next day. What are the actionable things I can do to set myself up for a better rhythm?
In the end, I feel lucky that my first work experience was remote. I’ve gained confidence in myself as an independent programmer and learned about what is important for me to be successful. I feel this has only opened doors that I may have shied away from before. If you hesitate to take remote opportunities due to a lack of confidence, I hope you might find curiosity and courage through my experience and some of the strategies that helped me. Best of luck out there! ✨
