Working from home can be a challenge for people who are new to this working from home environment. Most employees suddenly find themselves with extra time since they don’t have to prepare for, or travel to work. That could slash a few hours off of a normal workday. So we are lulled into thinking that we have extra time on our hands and therefore, delve into kitchen projects, tidying arrangements, laundry, or child care as we work from home. We snooze our alarms or get on personal projects unrelated to work, and before we know it – it’s 10 am and we haven’t even started our workday yet.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, nations have encouraged all businesses to require their employees to work from home in response to WHO’s call out to practice social distancing and help curb the spread of the virus. A whopping 88% of business in the US heeded that call. That translates to about ⅓ of the whole US working from home.
That means that a lot of employees are now just a short walk away from bingeing on Netflix, making their own bread, or helping the kids out with schoolwork. How do we keep the workforce focused when there is always a threat of the bed, the fridge, and the TV? We have to keep ourselves accountable at work in order to increase our productivity. Here are a few ways to hold yourself accountable while working from home.
Have a fail-proof morning routine
Routines help keep us on schedule. They get us into a rhythm and help jumpstart productive habits. High performers attribute their success to a good morning routine. Everyone has their own unique morning routine. A sample of a morning routine would be: wake up at the sound of the alarm (don’t snooze), meditate, quick workout, take a shower, get dressed (get out of your pajamas), check your daily to-do list, fire up your laptop and log in for work.
Have a goal
Your goal/s should be SMART, meaning: Specific. Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timebound. Having SMART goals means you have to set time frames for them. Set specific goals in daily, weekly, and monthly timeframes. Don’t forget to write them down and keep evaluating and recalibrating to make sure they are measurable, attainable, and relevant.
Make sure to work in a distraction free zone
Not all of us have the luxury of having a home office. Most people have set up makeshift workstations in their homes in response to the work from home call out. Some have converted the kitchen table to a home office. Some have a dedicated workspace in the living room. Some might just even have a small desk beside their bed. Whatever your workstation might look like, make sure it is in a distraction free zone. Remove the most common temptations mentioned earlier (the bed, the fridge, the TV) so that you can focus on work. If you live with other people, coordinate your work schedule so that you can all have a period of deep work and some time to take calls and video meetings uninterrupted.
What are your fail-proof tips to increase accountability while working from home? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!
Written by Jaie O. TheHelp