Everyone struggles to be productive, especially when you Work From Home.
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“Quality is the pride of workmanship “ Edwards Deming’s this quote is all about bringing real value to whatever you do.
You can do it only if you are productive enough.
It is easy to get distracted, starting to scroll social media when you pick phone just to check the time, opening multiple tabs and getting lost in the name of “Research” etc.
Working from Home might sound like that you will keep enthusiasm & will save a lot of time and work but it is rarely the case.
However, following best practices and utilizing technology can help you to make the most out of the day.
Here I am going to share some rules, techniques, and resources to be more productive while you work from home –
Tips and Rules To Increase Productivity
1) The rule of CP: Let me give you this rule to get the most out of your day. CP refers to Clarity and Priority. You need to have Clarity of all the jobs you are going to do the next day, next week, or next month. You don’t need to list down everything. Even a broad idea is more than enough.
Once you have it, now prioritize your actions. Use the rule or 80/20 which you must be already aware of. Additionally, you can also use the rules of 10/90 and 1/99. 10/90 is about focusing on those 10% tasks that bring 90% results and 1/99 is about focusing on 1 task that will bring 99% results.
2) The rule of FFF: FFF means Focus For Flow. As you have prioritized your actions, it’s time to begin focusing on them one by one. This focus will lead you toward a Flow. Flow is the peak of a productive state. Once you are into that flow nothing can stop you to be productive.
However, you have to keep practicing for it as distractions may get failed distractions in the initial attempts.
3) Plan earlier: If you are failed to plan you are planning to fail. Remember it and write it somewhere you can look see often. Plan your next day’s tasks the night before. But don’t create long lists of chores. Even 3-5 small to big tasks are enough. Then give them a number on the scale of priority.
So when you wake up the next morning, start right away with the supreme one.
4) Use the best technology: Before you get to work, keep in check all the latest technology to stay away from stress and distractions. A slow internet connection, corrupted software, etc. will drain your energy in no time.
Therefore, be choosy with the tools, technology, and hardware you use while working from home.
5) Set the place: Have a separate place to work in your house. It can be just a chair and a table. Get ready as you would go to the office. You don’t need to be fancy. Just take a shower and dress nicely, and you are good to go.
6) Start instantly: Don’t use small tasks to kill the time. After setting the place jump on to the first prime task immediately. You don’t have to finish it in one go. Just start anything.
For example- if you are going to write an article, open your doc and write 3-10 lines right away, don’t think just write whatever pops in your head.
Take a break after this, but starting right away will lead you toward the flow and will eliminate all the tiny tasks that you were going to use as excuses.
In a way, it leads to centralizing your thoughts on work rather than distractions.
7) Do not deluge yourself with information in the morning: Stay away from the news, checking social media, or even messages in the morning (or right before you begin working). Excessive information will evacuate your energy.
Hence, leads to laziness.
8) For Night-persons: You don’t need to get up at 5 AM to stay productive.
If you are a night person all you have to do is to follow the rules mentioned. Besides those here are a few more tips –
- Have dinner early
- Have a healthy snack while working
- Keep the distractions away
- Stretch in between
9) Rest is the key to being efficient: A 10-15 minute nap is more than enough to get refreshed just like your PC does. An afternoon nap is a good idea when you are stuck somewhere. But to avoid long sleeping, use an alarm. Set an alarm for a 10-30 minute nap and get up to the work right after waking up.
10) Set time for MY TIME: MY TIME is crucial to be efficient, energetic, and productive.
Have a strict rule to spend some MY TIME. You can do anything in this period such as –
- Walk
- Read
- Exercise or Yoga
- Meditate
- Listen to Music
- Watch or Read something funny
- Use social media
- Talk to friends and family
- Have some relaxing time
11) Sleep is the secret to being Energetic: Never skip on sleep. Set a strict time to go to the bed and abide by it with discipline. 7+ hours of regular sleep can bring a lot more wonders than you can imagine. It is the key to productivity and creativity.
12)Use the latest tools: There are numerous tools, software, and apps to be more productive. You can use specific tools in your job such as writers can use writing tools, designers can use designing tools, etc. These tools will help you to be organized and focused and keep things in order.
Here are 5 must use tools to get the most while you work from home
ProofHub: ProofHUB is a project management software to help you and your team stay organized and assign tasks.
You can upload documents and organize the workflow to control collaborations with others.
Focus Booster: Focus Booster software helps to avoid distractions so you can stay focused and get the work done instead of procrastinating.
Calendar: Planning your day as a remote worker, is underrated. A calendar app such as google calendar or Calendarly will help you to stay organized all day, week, and month.
Toggl: Toggl is a time tracking software. You can integrate tens of other tools with Toggl to track your time and not waste it.
Evernote: Evernote will help you to keep notes. It is available as an app for both desktop and mobile. Whenever you get an idea, new task, or resource for your research, just make a note and let Evernote remember it for you.
You can also make your to-do list on it and set reminders.
Book Resources: Reading is the best way to get into the flow and learn anything.
Reading books inspires us to take actionable steps.
Here are some must-read books to learn to be focused and productive
- Eat that frog by Brian Tracy
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- The 4-hour work week by Tim Ferriss
- Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt
- Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time by Jeff Sutherland
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
- Extreme Productivity By Rober Pozen
- How to be a productive Ninja by Graham Allcott
Final thoughts
Motivation fades away instantly. Discipline and consistency is the only way to implement anything. To build a habit of staying productive, repeat all the tips and techniques you get to know.
Search for your inspiration and try to follow the ways by making a routine and endeavor to keep yourself motivated.
Soon, you will have better quality work and more time on your hand.
FAQ
Does working from home increase productivity?
Yes according to research, productivity is increased by 13% while working from home.
What are the 3 important productivity tools?
Evernote
Calendar
Microsoft Office
What tools do I need to work from home?
- Fast Wi-Fi or Internet connection
- Team Communication apps
- Scheduling tools
- Cloud storage
- Email Management Tools
- Meeting or Video Conferencing tools
