(Newswire.net — January 12, 2020) — In an age when smartphones, laptops, and tablets are becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s easier than ever to work from home. In fact, more and more companies are offering remote positions. Statistics from 2018 predicted that 50 percent of the U.S. workforce would work remotely by 2020. While working from home may sound like a dream for many, it comes with several pitfalls that people should navigate carefully. As an IT staffing professional, John Goullet has experienced the advantages (and disadvantages) of working from the comforts of home. Thankfully, John Goullet offers tips on how to create a healthy work/home balance, allowing you to remain productive throughout the day.
1. Separate your work life from your personal life.
The primary difference between working from home and working from an office is the commute. In most instances, remote workers merely need to sit down in front of a laptop, and they can begin working.
This is where one of the primary pitfalls of working from home comes into play, unfortunately. The convenience of checking emails, instant messaging coworkers, and typing up reports in a comfortable environment can make it easy to lose track of time. Days blend into nights, and before you know it, you’ve spent the entire day working. This can be problematic because it can be challenging to separate your work life from your personal life.
Goullet suggests unplugging by the end of the day. Close your email, work-related messenger apps, reports, and anything else work related and actually “come home.” Doing so allows you to enjoy the full benefits of working from home without feeling chained to your work.
2. Create a schedule and stick to it.
Nothing’s worse than starting your day without a well thought out workflow to keep you on track. Creating a daily/weekly/monthly schedule will help you minimize distractions and maximize your productivity.
For example, you could block off the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for uninterrupted work (preceded by breakfast), take a break from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., and wrap up your day with another block of continuous work from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Find a flow that works for you and stick to it. You’ll find that having a schedule will help keep you focused and on track. Project management tools like Asana allow you to post projects to an online calendar and will send reminders of due dates to both your email and phone, keeping you accountable and on track with deadlines.
3. Set up a workspace.
As a remote worker, you can technically work anywhere you want in your home. However, Goullet suggests designating a specific room and using it for work purposes only, such as a home office. If possible, try to keep your home office away from places of relaxation and comfort, such as your couch, bed, or TV. You want your workspace to emulate a true office environment. If you set up near too many creature comforts, you’ll be more inclined to procrastinate. The goal is to be as productive as possible. When you’re ready to take a break, your couch and TV will be waiting for you.
4. Get away from the house.
Without face-to-face interactions with coworkers and managers, sometimes, working from home can feel lonely. Goullet suggests a simple solution to this problem: get out of the house! Most coffee shops offer free WiFi, which means that you can set up shop in a public setting whenever you need a change of pace. The same goes for libraries. Working away from home allows for a change of scenery. It also allows you to interact with other people besides your spouse, kids, and pets.
5. Invest in quality equipment.
Imagine going to work, but your designated laptop, tablet, and printer are too old to update to the latest security patches and bug fixes. In addition, all of your electronics take forever and a day to boot up and load correctly. It would probably impede your ability to get your work done efficiently. In fact, there may be some tasks that are next to impossible to complete due to hardware limitations.
There is a time and place to save money, but that certainly doesn’t apply to your work equipment. Even if you have to bite the bullet, invest in a fast laptop, a quality printer, high-speed WiFi, and all of the other equipment essential to your job. By no means do you have to buy top-of-the-line electronics; you simply need to invest in equipment that enables you to perform your job efficiently.
6. Keep your business interactions professional.
Skype business meetings are common for many remote workers. As such, it’s essential to make your work environment look clean and respectable, allowing you to maintain a sense of professionalism.
You should also keep all of your business-related interactions on track. Microsoft Teams can be used as the collaboration tool for the internal IT communications. Microsoft Teams pricing is affordable and hence it is preferred by most of the SMBs. Try to minimize talking about personal activities during business calls. This can be tempting, as it’s only natural to bring up certain topics when talking to coworkers. Goullet suggests that you stay focused on the task at hand and keep your meetings business oriented so you can stay focused and productive. You can always catch up with your coworkers in a more casual setting after work hours.
Serial Entrepreneur John Goullet
John Goullet is an entrepreneur who has a long list of successful business ventures under his belt in the IT sector. Kicking off his career as a professional IT consultant, Goullet eventually branched out to IT staffing in 1994.
John Goullet founded the company Info Technologies and grew it to $30 million within five years. Following this success, John Goullet partnered with Gene C. Waddy to form Diversant LLC, the largest African American-owned staffing firm in the United States.
Today, John Goullet sits as the chairman of Diversant, lending his knowledge and experience to help hard-working IT professionals find jobs at top firms around the country.
Avoid the Pitfalls of Working From Home
Remote work can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to make a living while still enjoying the comforts of home. These same creature comforts, however, can often become pitfalls when it comes to your productivity.
The biggest struggle that you will likely have to overcome is learning when it’s time to work and when it’s time to unplug. If you’re like most remote workers, you’ll develop a rhythm that works for you overtime. By employing these best practices, you’ll minimize distractions and maximize productivity.