The number of employees working from home in the 60 days from mid-March to mid-May increased from 31% to 65%. And according to a Gallup poll, more than 50% really like it and want to continue working remotely once the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled.
Just think … no commute time, fuel expense, parking fees, work clothes, water cooler gossip, endless non-productive meetings. Who wouldn’t like working from home?
Okay, I guess if you have toddlers or school age kids stuck at home, it’s not all that easy. But once day care is back and schools are open, think of the productivity enhancements and the opportunities to better balance work and home life.
If you think working remotely is in your future, check out Dean Bokhari’s 26 tips for maximizing productivity and avoiding distractions. Read or listen for yourself. Here’s the link: https://www.deanbokhari.com/working-from-home/.
My productivity favs are: 1) maintain a workspace, 2) set regular working hours and 3) make a list of one to three actionable and time-bound tasks. These are no brainers.
What gets in my way? Non-working tasks during working hours and e-mails. Bokhari suggests checking e-mails just three times a day. That’s it. I’ve not ever counted how many times I check e-mails in a day, but I know it is way more than three times.
Then there is putting in a load of wash. Taking something out of the freezer for dinner. Playing with my puppy. Internet distractions. And the list goes on.
All in all, I’m way more productive working from home. It does take discipline and it’s not the best work environment for everyone. But it works for me.