Working from home gives you a lot more freedom than if you were confined to a desk in an office with the rest of the drones. However, that freedom can backfire when it enables you to be even better of putting off tasks that you never quite seem ready to tackle yet. This can lead to major problems if you keep on delaying it, so if this sounds worryingly familiar, you need help from this new guide to knuckling down and getting on with it.
The good news is that you’re far from alone. Research shows that almost nine out of ten of us fail to achieve everything we set out to do on a daily basis, and it’s not just our fault, there are many factors that get in the way of those big jobs that never get done. Luckily, there are ways to give yourself a better chance of ploughing through your task list, starting with the process by which you choose what to do first.
One of the biggest questions to ask yourself is what the consequences would be of you not doing that job right now, because if there aren’t, then it shouldn’t be your priority. Another key question is whether it’s a priority for your manager, because if it isn’t, again, it can probably wait. Also, is this a job you could delegate to someone else? Once you’ve been through these checkpoints, if it’s still looking like the most important job right now, here’s how to get it done:
Find The Transition Point
One of the biggest barriers to getting started is the ‘transition point’, which is the action you take to really get it underway. If you keep putting that off, you’ll never get anywhere with it. The transition point can be a phone call or a kick-off Skype meeting or even just opening a Word document and writing the title at the top. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be on your way at last.
Get Rid Of Distractions
Working in an office means endless distractions, but being at home can be just as bad if you’re not disciplined about it. Without eyes on you, it’s easy to get sidetracked by a messy home office or endless trips to the kitchen to make a drink or get a snack, or by visits from your kids. So you need to find ways to mitigate all of these before you get started.
Know When You’re Most Productive
Working remotely makes you more of a master of your own working day, so if you pay attention to your ‘ultradian cycles’, you’ll know when you’re most likely to power through a job and when you’re more destined to struggle. So make the effort to track your energy levels over a few days and start planning your work accordingly.
Fight Off Negativity
Most of the time with jobs you’ve been putting off, you’re your own worst enemy and critic, and these feelings of negativity will have built up. So even if you’ve got yourself motivated to really do it this time, there might be a little voice in your head telling you that it’s not going to work out. Visualization can help you get rid of this, so picture that feeling and see it washing away downstream like a leaf on a river.
Chunk It Down
Jobs like this can seem like a mountain that can’t possibly be climbed because it’s just too big. So why not do what mountain climbers do and break the task down into smaller chunks. They’re not thinking about the summit when they get started, they’re aiming to get to that bit up there that’s much more manageable. So create a timeline for getting each chunk of work done and you’ll be on the way to tackling your own mountain, step by step.
Don’t Get Thrown Off-Course
Once you’ve got going, there will still be distractions that pop up and try to stop you achieving your task. When you do get distracted by an irrelevant thought, take a moment to acknowledge it, take a few breaths and get back to what you should be thinking about, with minimal disruption. If this regularly happens, try breaking up your day into 90 minute slots with a break to refocus. Alternatively, you could try the Pomodoro technique, which involves setting a timer for 25 minutes, working, taking a five minute break and then starting again. Of course, you need to make sure any apps or websites that are causing you distractions (including your emails) are shut off when you really need to concentrate.
There’s lots of benefits to working from home, but many of the problems with office working still apply, and the ability to procrastinate rather than knuckle down is one of those. However, with these tips, you’ll be much better placed to really get on with those troublesome jobs and start clearing them off your to-do list.
