As we live through these unprecedented times and many people find that they are in an unaccustomed position of working from home, it is good to remind ourselves of the ingenuity and innovation that exists in each of us.
Working from home for a sustained period can be difficult for anyone not used to it. The change in environment and the many possible distractions requires some real effort.
As someone who has largely worked from home for many years now, I am certain that it does not mean that – with the right preparation – we cannot produce work of the same quality as we would in a group workplace environment.
I was reminded as I sat down to write this piece about a famous musician who announced before a concert that he would be playing one of the most expensive violins in the world.
He proceeded to give a flawless performance of his first piece and as the audience applauded their applause quickly turned to shock when he proceeded to smash the violin into little pieces.
“Don’t worry,” he announced. “It was not one of the world’s most expensive violins, it was but a cheap imitation. I will now play the piece again on the expensive violin.”
As he played, the audience was again captivated, but in truth most people could not tell the difference between the music from the expensive violin and the low-cost knock-off.
And that’s because the quality of the instrument was only secondary to the skill of the performer.
Few of us ever realise that we are an expensive, individually designed, absolutely unique instrument, but in these times of change it’s important to remember that your skills and talents are what you bring to the job and if yours is one that can be done from home – then don’t let the location become an obstacle.
As I thought about this over the past few days, I recall though, how difficult it had been to adjust to a situation like this for me, so I decided to share a few things that I have found helpful in the hope that they may be of use to someone.
Go out to come in
Admittedly this is not something I came up with myself and I think I started after I heard it mentioned on a podcast once. The physical act of going out to come in is a powerful way of getting your mind ready to work from home.
By this I mean – instead of just ambling downstairs and trying to then somehow drag yourself away from the kitchen table, the phone, radio, whatever distraction there is. Go down as if you were going out to work as usual. And then go.
Get out of the house. Go for a walk to get your head ready for work. Or a drive. Just get out of the house and as soon as you come back in the door, you are coming to work.
If there are dishes on the table – ignore them – if you were at the office you wouldn’t see them anyway. You are not coming home, you open the door and get to work.
Be Organised
For that first step to happen, you need in many ways to be organised. Have a space where you can work quietly, ideally where you can close a door and be away from whatever distractions might be there at the time. Make sure you have whatever equipment you need in that space. I converted a small bedroom into an office space, that is now my place of work.
Prioritise
If you are a person who struggles to complete tasks in a work environment, then it will be even more difficult if you are at home.
Beware of rabbit holes like “internet research” and Social Media. Unless there is a reason for using them – stay away.
Make a list and organise your priorities.
Write it down – don’t try to keep that list of things only in your head and use tools like The Eisenhower Matrix to help you know how to make decisions on what’s urgent and important.
Beware of breaks
A great advantage of working from home is the unlimited access to your own favourite coffee, nobody taking the last cup from the pot and not refilling it. That said, if like me, you love your coffee, you need to be disciplined about breaks.
I read somewhere that some people will just bring a thermos of coffee into their workspace – and that could work for sure. If there are other people in the house, I like the chance to have some interaction for a while – but must always remember the possibility of distraction and need to be either prepared to be flexible as outlined below – or really disciplined to get back to the task at hand.
Be flexible
If your work allows it, be flexible with the hours you work. It does not mean you work less, it may just mean you work differently.
I will often get up really early to work when there are no distractions. No phone calls, nobody else at home is awake, I know others who use the same routine just later at night.
So, for instance, if there are kids or others who you need to give some time to during the day, being flexible with the hours you choose to work can often be a great solution.
Stay Motivated
This can be a difficult one for many who work from home. The change in environment, the sense of isolation away from team or colleagues can be difficult.
A simple solution I found to help is to talk! Actually use the telephone that we all use these days as cameras, mini computers for social media and e.mail etc – actually use that to talk.
There are more ways than ever to communicate – but picking up the phone every now and then and hearing a human and exchanging ideas and information, is a great way to keep motivated and keep focus on a task.
The upshot of it is this. Life isn’t boring or work isn’t meaningless and what you invest in the opportunities you give them, will be returned to you.
That’s such an important factor to remember, because while people might often think that changing environment or jobs will be the catalyst to break them from their doldrums, the reality is that unmotivated people often carry their baggage with them.
In the days upon us now, many people have had a change enforced on them – if you were unmotivated in the group work environment, finding it in isolation will only come with real effort on your part!
And finally…
At the outset I wrote that these are unprecedented times and it reminded me of my post from last summer when I wrote how I came across the wonderful French saying – L’heure entre chien et loup – that I had never heard before.
The meaning – ‘the hour between dog and wolf’ – derives from that period of semi-darkness, twilight as it were, when it would be difficult to distinguish at first glance between a dog and a wolf.
It is a wonderfully ambiguous phrase to describe a feeling of uncertainty.
I wrote back then that even at its darkest, the hour between dog and wolf is just a single moment in time.
It will always be followed by the light.
Please stay safe everyone. #BetterTogether
Sunny days
When the sunny days came,
we wallowed in warmth.
And, for a while; everything
was brighter.
In the evenings,
we threw out our arms.
A vain attempt. To stop
the dark from falling.
Sometimes, then,
the sky was painted.
Broad fluffy strokes
of red and orange.
Sometimes it left us
between dog and wolf.
With just a feint hint of stars.
And hope for more.
(Liam Porter 2019)
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