You have landed a role that has you working remotely. What now? Maybe you are looking forward to
carrying out your flexible work life, or maybe you are anxious about being isolated from your co-workers.
No matter what you are feeling, working remotely can be an awesome opportunity to take control of your
work-life balance. To get you on the track to being a successful remotie, be prepared to make a few
changes including: setting boundaries, creating a schedule and sticking to it, and learning how to self
motivate.
When experiencing a change in your work routine, it is important to establish healthy boundaries in order
to settle into your new lifestyle. These boundaries will vary for each individual, but it is important to
consider what sort of environment you will require to do your best work. If you live with other people,
what are your dedicated work hours when you will require minimal distractions? If you have direct
reports, when are appropriate times to call? Setting boundaries will help you and your co-workers
establish healthy, sustainable routines that can help everyone find success in their remote roles.
In addition to boundaries, it is important to create a realistic schedule for yourself and stick to it! If you
haven’t used a planner in the past, now is the time to start. It can be easy to fall into monotonous routines
that leave you feeling unproductive. To combat this, create a schedule that you are excited about each
day. If you don’t have meetings, schedule a time to take a quick walk over lunch. If you have a gap in
your day, schedule a time to journal and reflect. With more flexibility in your schedule, creating structure
in your day can keep you feeling productive and accomplished.
Finally, transitioning to a remote role can mean losing a sense of motivation. Whether it be validation
from your boss in the form of a passing comment, or feeding off the hard work of your co-workers,
working remote can mitigate these forms of motivation. However, learning how to self-motivate while
working remotely can be a great practice! Self motivation can take the form of setting personal goals, or
rewarding yourself for completing tasks. Anything you find that keeps you going the extra mile is a great
thing to capitalize on in order to motivate yourself. Additionally, setting up communication channels
between your coworkers and bosses can be a great way to share your successes and validate one another
for the great work you are doing.
Working remote can be a big career shift that elicits many different emotions. Whether working remotely
is something you have strived for, or something you found yourself required to do for no fault of your
own, it is important to take note of boundary setting, scheduling, and staying motivated. Instilling good
habits at the forefront of this transition can help create a smooth transition into your new remotie lifestyle!
