Deciding to embark on a remote work path, many newcomers often present a picture that looks a little like a real freelancing. At first, everything looks and goes well. There is no need to work on schedule, listen to the boss’s notations, and tolerate the attention of unpleasant colleagues.
To find a job – a vast freelancing exchange with hundreds of orders from employers of the world, which you need to try to catch in the network. You get the project into the work and do it at a comfortable time for an excellent price. You sleep, eat, you work.
You can also read: How to become an interior designer?
But so, alas, it does not last long. The apparent benefits can quickly develop into bad habits, resulting in reduced productivity, procrastination, and other “beauties” of remote work. And if you do not fight with them, you can be left without decent earnings on the stock exchange and finally become disillusioned with freelancing.
To remain productive, you should self-discipline and self-organize. And, most importantly, to understand that although remote, it is a job that requires following specific rules and requirements.
Table of Contents
The concept of productivity and the factors influencing it.
Many people talk about how to be more successful, but a few think it depends on personal productivity. This relationship is evident in the field of freelance.
The term itself appeared in the English-speaking environment and meant the best animals giving good offspring. Then he moved into the sphere of production, and not so long ago, became popular in conjunction with creative activity.
Productivity is the ability of an individual to create a certain amount of action or finished product per unit of time. It is not an innate quality, so that everyone can develop it.
If we talk about the factors of influence on performance, you can get an impressive list. For each case, it will be it’s own. Any freelancer has an impressive list of such factors. And better to know them and fight them to stay effective and successful on any freelance service.
Time control.
This is the first thing that remotes face when they try to increase productivity. Lack of a clear working order threatens the failure of deadlines and deadlines, fatigue, and poor performance.
This can be corrected by starting with the setting of working hours, especially the morning rise time. It has long been proven that in the morning, we are the most active and able-bodied. Hence the simple solution – to get up before 8 a.m. This will help to work more efficiently and have a good impact on communication with customers, which are available during traditional working hours.
You can also read: How to find and maintain a work-life balance?
Be sure to take breaks, but in strictly set hours, so that the body gets used to the routine.
Combating distractions.
Continuing the theme of time, it is impossible not to touch on an essential point of the home office – external stimuli. Working in the native walls, it is difficult to overcome the temptation to go out to smoke, drink a cup of coffee, make a sandwich or do the cleaning when you want. Added to this are personal phone calls, social media posts, a favorite TV series, and a neighbor with the same as yours, craving computer games. All these distractions kill performance.
You can also read: Lazy to work: How to get rid of this condition?
It is essential to learn to abstract and focus on the task without reacting to anything. Naturally, this requires exceptional endurance and discipline. Start by disabling the audio notifications on your phone and the laptop. End with 15-minute breaks to view messages, mail, calls, the internet, and other distractions.
Remote office.
Tune in to productive work at home is not easy but doable. It is enough to allocate a place that will become a working space with all the attributes to do this. The remote office must be as far away from the bedroom and kitchen as possible. Otherwise, the brain will not fully perceive it as a work office and will not switch from the mode of “home” to the way of “work.”
You can also read: How to organize remote work of employees?
Wearing a business suit simultaneously is not necessary, but in pajamas to remain categorically impossible. Neatly stay behind your laptop, even if no one sees you. Don’t forget to wash, brush your teeth, brush, shave and apply makeup. This will help to tune into the working way and become a responsible performer.
Forming short-term and long-term plans.
The secret of the time-management lies in planning. And for productivity, it also makes a huge difference. Even a minimum schedule can help you complete tasks more efficiently without wasting valuable time. Make it offline on paper or online in special programs.
Ideally, it would be best to make plans for 24 hours, 30, and 365 days. At the same time, it is realistic to evaluate the forces and capabilities. It will also help shape the customer’s timing and calculate how much it costs to consider professional services to reach the desired financial wealth. Planning is a good tool for success.
Taking care of physical and mental health.
All of us burn out sooner or later, no matter what our favorite job. And often, because we do not know how to relax in pursuit of success or financial well-being. As a result – the fall out of the work schedule and the loss of all the above goals. Do not fall for this bait – you need to relax. Better with health benefits. And there are two great options – more walking and communicating.
With the first and the second, freelancers often have great difficulties.
Do not close in four walls, spending a day at the computer. Be sure to get out every day to get out on the street, not just move and relax and unwind. On the way, you can meet a friend or relative. And even better – to go together to a cafe, a cinema, but at least in a sauna! It helps to zero out and give out some new extraordinary ideas.
Create a better version of yourself.
Being productive is even easier if you have a lot of knowledge and skills. And not just a chest of school and university information and new, fresh, unknown things to you. To do this, you need to read a lot, attend professional seminars and training, learn something new.
You need to improve and enrich yourself constantly. Every day you have to be better than yesterday. It’s inspiring and extraordinarily motivating. It is much more interesting to be equal to yesterday’s self than to any media personality.
Who needs a race for productivity?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to work on the floor of strength and feel confident in free-swimming. If you decide to choose freelance as the only way to earn money, you will have to work on yourself. Otherwise, you will have to give up such an idea because you will be left without orders and money very quickly.
But it is also not necessary to conclude yourself in a rigid framework. Try to find a middle ground, when you will be comfortable and pleasant to work without fanaticism, but with interest and passion.
If you feel tired, be sure to rest. Productivity is not plowing at the end of forces but a reasonable schedule in which there is a place for joys and weaknesses. It allows you to remain a successful and happy specialist!
Do you consider yourself a productive freelancer?
