A Short Guide to Avoid Becoming a Remote Robot
I’m going to tell you something you probably already know if you were compelled to click this link:
As glamorous as every work-from-anywhere Instagram model sipping her midday Pina Colada makes the #laptoplifestyle look, there is a lot of struggle that goes into working remotely. While the freedom and flexibility to own your own schedule and the mental space to bring ideas to life are great perks, at the end of the day, it’s still a job that you have to be present for daily with no one there to hold your hand and tell you when to get out of bed.
One of the biggest challenges I have faced is structuring my time so I am fully experiencing the benefits of working for myself while also being as creative and productive as possible. At first, the idea of systems and planning made me cringe. I felt like they would hold back my creative potential. Eventually, a lack of organization and tasks piled up.
How do I balance client service with working on my own ideas?
How do I avoid interruptions that mess with my creative flow?
How do I stop putting off the stuff I hate but still have to do?
Why in the hell am I still mindlessly scrolling Instagram?
In my first attempt, I mapped out my day hour by hour, squeezing in all the elements of what I defined as an “ideal day.” After a few weeks, I ended up feeling like a robot and the predictability was anything but inspiring.
That’s when I decided to zoom out and think more about the categories of an ideal day and how I can batch my time to be most effective.
My problem became more clear: How do I make sure I’m getting stuff done, taking care of myself, making time from for play, and actively pushing myself outside my comfort zone?
That’s when I developed a framework called “Push, Play, Move, Grow.”
Here’s how it works:
1. Set priorities on Sunday.
Every Sunday, I sit down and map out my week. Instead of defining the hour-by-hour of each day, I outline my weekly priorities and what I want to have accomplished by the following Sunday.
2. Map out Grind, Play, Move, and Grow.
Grind: For each day, I outline my “Top 3,” meaning the three most important things I will have accomplished by the end of the day. Sometimes I’ll map out the entire week on Sunday because my priorities are super clear. Other times, I’ll decide on my Top 3 on a day-by-day basis.
Play: I’ve found that play enables me to self-express, reflect, and give my ideas space, which shows up positively in my work. Making time to create art, get into nature, go on neighborhood walks, read poetry, join a hiphop dance class and the like puts me in a constant state of curiosity and flow.
Move: Movement keeps ideas moving forward so I aim to move my body for at least 30 minutes each day.
Grow: Since learning and growth is important to me, I do something that scares me (almost) every day. This may be asking someone whom I deeply respect for an interview or writing about a topic that makes me feel vulnerable.
3. After I’ve mapped my day, I block certain activities in specific areas of my day.
I know I’m not an early morning person, so after my coffee and meditation, I focus on things that gently get my body moving or that don’t require much creativity or thought. Often times, this is when I get my routine-but-must-be-accomplished items checked off the list.
Around 2:00pm, my creativity and productivity hit their stride, so I’ll schedule creative meetings with my team or meet with clients to go over their projects during this time. Almost all of my UX design projects have been completed between 2–4pm.
By 7:00pm, my social side is at it’s most active, so I head to a yoga class or meet with friends for dinner.
Above all, when it comes to reaching peak productivity, it’s all about experimenting to figure out what works best for you and creating a balance without too much restriction, less we lose our creativity. Isn’t that why we chose to work remotely in the first place? Do you have more tips that have helped you on your road to successful remote work? Leave them in the comments below!