5 Steps to Changing Your Mindset: Remote Work is Real Work
One of the biggest issues I’ve had with freelancing and writing at home is a lack of motivation. I struggle mightily with forming a regular habit. How to get my head in the right space and ensure that I put full effort into my work has often eluded me. Something about going to an outside workspace or putting on designated work clothes seems to help trigger the mental transition, but this hasn’t translated easily for me at home. Here are 5 organizational techniques I’ve been working on to cue my brain and stay on task.
- Identify Your Obstacles
When my kids were younger, I wrote during their naps or after bedtime. I worked on establishing a routine for them, and this helped me in so many ways. Now that they’re older, the roadblocks have only seemed to multiply. But I try to identify in advance which times of the day I will either be able to be alone, or when my husband can answer the hundred thousand questions. I spread the word that I’m working, and tell them the time period. Respecting the work schedule is a lot easier if everyone learns the schedule and comes to understand that yes, you’re around, but yes, you’re also ‘at work.’ Maybe you just can’t put on your work hat at home no matter how hard you try. It could even be the word ‘WORK’ that is stopping you. What’s keeping you from producing?
2. Set the Scene…or Change It.
Ring your Pavlovian bell, so to speak. If part of getting ready to work for you used to mean putting on a uniform, maybe set aside a certain shirt that tells both your brain and even your family members, “I’m at work.” Set up your desk to be free of distracting things. Maybe you need your cell phone for your remote work, or maybe you need to hide that thing so you can stay off Instagram long enough to put together a draft article. Personally, I stay on task better with a cup of tea nearby. I am SO much more productive when my desk or table is clear of papers or magazines or whatever other ephemera collect on a mom’s desk.
If you cannot work at home no matter how hard you try, get out of your house. Tons of businesses offer free wifi and don’t really care how long you sit and work. If you feel weird nursing a free cup of ice water at your local Starbucks every day and can’t/won’t buy a $6 cup of coffee flavored sugar, head to your local public library. Our taxes pay for these fantastic resources, and we under-utilize them. Check your own local library, but the ones closest to me offer free wifi and a lot of computers available with internet access. Some libraries even offer additional resources that can help you expand your remote skills.
3. Write Yourself a Schedule.
You get a schedule at an outside job, whether it’s that 9–5 office job, or swing shift in retail. A schedule is established, or written at least a week in advance. Maybe you’re transitioning to remote work or freelance writing because you need a flexible schedule, and you can do that while also establishing at least a basic schedule. For example: with 5 kids, several pets, a working husband, and a part time non-creative job, as well as multiple extra activities, my schedule can vary widely from day to day. But even with these variables, I can sit down and find pockets of time in the week to two weeks ahead. Using some kind of calendar or planner is vital if you live this kind of topsy-turvy life; even more so if you add to it the element of travel. Starting out, and every once in awhile when I get off track, I note down days with specific blocks of time. When I’m on a roll, I may only jot down the days in which I will be able to make time.
4. Make Your Work a Priority.
You can set aside blocks of time each day and still never sit down at the computer to work, if your work gets pushed aside in favor of everything else. For a lot of us, its so easy to tell yourself, “I’ll open the laptop after I do this household chore…” and two hours later, you never sat down. Keeping the house from turning into an active landfill is definitely important. But most people don’t call their boss and say, “Hey, not coming in to work today. I’ve really gotta sweep my kitchen floor and polish the inside of the oven.” When you push back on your freelance time, ask yourself if it’s something you’d call out of work for. If it’s not, then go back to the drawing board on your personal schedule. Now again, many of us want to go freelance precisely for the freedom it gives us. But don’t flex your way out of all of your work time.
5. Log Your Progress.
Some days I sit down and have the Idea and it just flows out so easily. But most days I sit there and pulling coherent words out of my brain is like pulling teeth. Keep notes of what you did. If you spent an hour learning about a new blog platform, expanding on your coding skills, or lining up future projects, jot that down. It counts as progress, so long as you don’t spend all of your time ‘prepping.’ Not getting published or paid can really distract you from your work. Keeping track of what you’ve completed might be more important for motivation in the beginning while you’re in the learning process. Freelancing can be tough for awhile as you try to maintain a steady flow of income-or any income at all. It’s so important to stay focused on producing regular work, and with this will come a more polished outcome, which is more likely to sell.
What are some techniques you’ve developed to help you produce more? What is still holding you back from crafting your freelance career?
Rachel lives and works grudgingly in Southern California with a family full of too many teenagers, and probably too many cats as well. Writing appeals to her because lots of ‘regular’ jobs don’t allow the frequent wearing of t-shirts.
