It’s no secret that we’re living the “digital age” and technology is rapidly advancing. Ten years ago, remote work was almost unheard of. You were either in the office, in the field, or your tasks weren’t getting done. Now, with the click of a button, documents, e-mails, and presentations can be sent; video calls can take place. While not every line of work can transfer digitally, we have seen just how much business can take place through virtual outlets since the start of COVID-19.
The pandemic is something we couldn’t have planned for, and while it caused nearly all businesses to make adjustments, it has shown just how powerful work from home can be. There are many benefits to this type of labor, including flexibility and the opportunity to work wherever there is reliable wifi. However, in order to be successful, you have to figure out the best routine to keep yourself organized, productive, and on-track. This can be difficult in the beginning, but no fear – we are going to leave you with some of the most efficient methods we developed during our digital business months at 45 Inc!
First thing’s first: Figure out everything you need to accomplish!
You can’t create a sufficient schedule if you don’t know what you need to achieve. Start off by writing down all your daily and weekly tasks. This can be messy; really focus on getting it all jotted down! Once you’re finished with your list, neatly write them out based on days and order of importance. Now, you have a clear idea of your responsibilities and we can move on to the next step.
Time management is the name of the game.
If you find yourself constantly feeling rushed or unable to follow through with your responsibilities before they are due, this is a sign that you need to focus on time management. One of the easiest approaches to this method is simply timing yourself. Track how long each type of task takes you to complete. If you’re unhappy with the outcome, set small goals. For example, “I want to finish this task in 45 minutes instead of an hour.” You’ll be surprised at how much you will achieve once you give yourself clear goals. We also encourage you to tackle your hardest projects first. Then, you will feel relieved they are done and the simpler ones will feel like a piece of cake!
Eliminate distractions
2 words: social media. Ah, one of the wonders of this technological era. It’s a beauty when you can use it for business and to keep in-contact with others, but it’s a curse when you need to focus. If it’s not necessary to have your social media outlets for work, log out during your shift! If you might need them here and there, we suggest turning off your banner notifications so that you’re not continually tempted to shift your attention away from your duties.
With the social media taken care of, it’s time to move onto your setting. It can seem like a cozy option to lay in your bed while working, but it’s not the most productive! You’ll do much better when you get up, get ready, and move your scenery elsewhere from your bedroom. Try to find a space with as little background noise as possible so that you can truly tune into what you need to accomplish.
Let’s get organized!
You’ve defined your daily and weekly responsibilities, fine-tuned your time management, checked off the hardest projects, and eliminated distractions. Great job! Now, we are ready to move on to organization. We’re all human, and that comes with the (sometimes) burden of complex and overwhelming thoughts. We aren’t meant to create and keep track of a million to-do lists in our heads. We need to transfer them to a better outlet.
To begin, we recommend finding a calendar of some sort that works best for you; whether handwritten or digitally, give yourself a dedicated space to place your deadlines, events, dates to remember, etc. Next, create a system or utilize an app where you can braindump all the information we’ve gathered above (tasks ranked by importance, time each task takes, personal deadline goals, hard deadlines, events) and neatly arrange it. There are plenty of similar platforms out there. Monday.com has been our go-to to keep not only our personal goals in-check, but the entire team’s as well!
Pat yourself on the back and get STARTED!
Congratulations! You’ve created a personal system to set yourself up for success when working from home. Now, go through the motions and show us what you’ve got!
We hope this 4-part method helps you smoothly transition into the line of digital work and really allows you to see what you can achieve when you take the time to focus on your process. For more business tips and updates on the 45 Inc Birmingham team, we invite you to visit our Facebook!
