I’ve been working from home for years now, and I can’t imagine ever going back to an office job. I love everything about my work life. The freedom from office hours, the comfort of working in my pajamas, the ubiquitous flexibility, and more.
But a lot of people ask me how I manage to stay on track. Don’t I need a huge amount of discipline in order to keep any sort of structure?
This is a common concern for people considering working from home, and I must admit it was a problem at first. All that kept me disciplined in the beginning was the belief that I had to make this work. I did it out of fear, rather than any particular strategy.
However, driving yourself with fear is unsustainable, and it sucks the joys out of working from home. Over the years I’ve developed strategies to stay structured and ensure I do what needs to be done while staying happy and healthy.
1. Your office is an office
Especially if you live in a small home or apartment, you can find your life spilling over into your office. On the other hand, you could find yourself working in the living room or even bedroom.
I found that I had to completely separate one from the other. If I did anything other than work in my office, it stopped feeling like a workspace and became distracting. If I worked in the living room, it felt unsatisfying to end the day by lounging about where you’ve just been working.
Work in your office and live in the rest of the house. Do not let them coalesce!
Also, consider treating your computer as a work computer. Set rules for yourself on it (no Facebook, etc.) and use another device in your leisure time. As an aside, just as a work computer would require you to use a VPN, it’s highly recommended you subcribe to one for yourself (see this IPVanish VPN Review for example).
2. Keep work hours
There is a tricky balance you need to find between flexibility and structure. On the one hand, you don’t want to be back working a 9 to 5. On the other, you don’t want to work nights and weekends.
I limit my work hours within a 9 to 5 framework. However, that simply means I don’t work before 9 or after 5. Within that timeframe, I allow myself flexibility.
This forces me not to procrastinate and get what needs to be done within “office hours”. It means I don’t leave work till evenings or for weekends. It helps me stay structured and not turn working from home into the nightmare of always being at work.
3. Set goals and intentions
There are two factors in deciding what you need to get done for the day, week, or month.
Goals are specific: write three pages / complete seven reports / watch one lecture
Intentions are broad: be creative / reach out to others / learn something new
You need both. Goals are what ensure you meet your deadlines. Intentions ensure you live according to your internal values.
So, if you decided to work for yourself because it would allow you to be more creative, your intention can be to “be creative”. At the same time, you need to get things done that may not involve creativity. Get the job done while bringing creativity into your day in one way or another.
This way, you will feel fulfilled by your work life, without compromising your paycheck!
