Working remotely is one of the biggest trends in the IT industry right now. People are choosing to work from home, leaving their coffee shop jobs behind, and building their businesses. It’s an exciting time to be in tech and there’s no doubt that more companies will need employees to take remote positions as they expand.
Here is how you can make working remotely work for you!
Treat working from home like you’re going to work:
Going to work from home is a great way to get ahead in your career. Whether you have a small business, are self-employed, or work for yourself, working remotely has been shown to provide more flexibility and better work/life balance.
Set boundaries with roommates, family, and friends:
The first thing that people do when they decide to start a remote working lifestyle is to ask their friends and family for help. The problem with this approach is that it can lead to feelings of resentment and burnout.
When you are committed to working remotely, set boundaries with the people around you so that you don’t feel like you have been abandoned.
Keep your calendar up to date:
It’s important to keep your calendar up to date with all of the meetings you have, no matter where they are. If you don’t, there is a pretty good chance that nobody will know that they need to attend. This is because there won’t be a list of attendees at the meeting location, and usually, meetings take place over several days. Those who are expected to attend a meeting will not know about it unless they have them both on their phones or calendars.
Set goals, especially for the short term:
Set goals, especially for the short term. Make sure you don’t get lost in the weeds and end up forgetting to validate your assumptions. If you are asked to take a look at a particular module, make sure it’s not as a result of blind luck instead of your data analysis that you noticed it first.
Connect with co-workers:
Working with others is a key part of remote working. You can’t do it all yourself, and you shouldn’t. The trick is to make sure that you have the best working relationships you can with your co-workers at any given time – even if they aren’t in the same country as you are.
Create a routine that works for you and stick with it:
Whether you’re working from home or not, you can create a routine that allows you to go about your day effectively. That said, it’s important to understand what drives us to be productive and how we can plan our days effectively.
Take breaks:
Taking breaks is an important part of remote work. There are plenty of reasons why we need to take breaks — but the most important ones are to keep us happy and healthy, and to keep our productivity high throughout the day.
Find an accountability partner:
One of the best ways to conquer the remote working life is to find an accountability partner. Accountability partners are people you can count on to keep you on track and motivated, help you with your work, and maintain a work-life balance so that you can enjoy more time with your family and friends.
Don’t cancel plans too much:
Canceling plans too much will make you less interesting to your team. If you have to cancel a plan, the next time the team plans with you after the cancellation, they may feel like they are dragging on. Be nice and remind them that they need to plan things on their own as well.
Takeaway:
Working remotely can be tricky but these tips can help you adjust!
The bottom line is that successful remote working is not about trying to change who you are. It’s about finding a different way to do the things you’re already doing, and making it work for you, and your employer.
Whether you’re an employee looking for a more flexible schedule or a freelancer looking to grow your business, the internet makes it easier than ever to collaborate with people all around the world, on projects of all sizes.
So take advantage of the opportunities that are out there, and your career will thank you.
