WFH During The Pandemic and Beyond: A Comprehensive Guide to Increase Motivation, Productivity and Freedom

Book excerpt: ‘What you can do matters more than where you are. If you have the tools and resources to stay connected to your world you still can make a big difference.’ ** Every positive component of liberty that accompanies WFH also has engulfed complications. For example, when working from home, you have the freedom to establish your schedule. This freedom can be challenging because there is a possibility that your performance is not as satisfying as it should be, or as your employer expects, simply because of the unlimited freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Whether you like to play, relax or work, it is in your control. Challenges are inevitable because WFH does not come with the traditional workplace cultural reinforcement that is essential for a smooth mental transition. You can enjoy a less stressful morning and evening because there is no daily commute involved. Yet that lack of daily commute can cause the mental transition into work mode to be harder. This transition is the crucial factor that keeps you working till late and finding the motivation to start your day. ** ** Creating boundaries is the only solution for every challenge stemming from unrestrained freedom. If this sounds restrictive to you than you have not yet realised that the beauty of these boundaries is that you are the creator of them. Neither this book nor I, at any point, are going to tell you when you should start working and when you should end your working day. Instead, we both will explore the opportunities to achieve high productivity from your working from home day. But, in the end, you are in control, and you will need to think about these boundaries and how to implement them. I would recommend that you create these boundaries like the highway rules. You might be thinking, why should these boundaries be like the rules of the road? Following road rules allow drivers to reach their destination safely, and in the same way, boundaries for working from home will help you to stay focused and productive. It will also help you to avoid the pitfalls of indefinite freedom. ** ** For better productivity, work must stay in the Workspace, and everything else must remain outside of the Workspace. I understand that everyone has a different amount of space and budget available in their homes, and, especially for those who share their home with others, it may be difficult to designate an entirely separate room or area as a Workplace, but it is not impossible. First, we must consider what is essential for setting up an ideal Workplace, and then we can work on individual budget and space constraints. ** **A successful entrepreneur and Working From Home dad, Jeffrey Hamilton who lives in a two-bedroom apartment with his wife and two little girls, tells the secret of his WFH success. ‘When I started my Business consultancy service from home, I invested in a desk that could be closed at the end of each working day. There was a strong reason to have such desk as it prevented me from putting my personal items in it when I was not working and to ensure my clients’ private and confidential information was not compromised. The greatest advantage of having this desk, however, was that it created a clear boundary between work and family time— when the desk was open it meant I was at work. My wife and daughters knew that when I was at work, they should not call me unless there was an emergency. They always waited patiently and supported my working environment. I also was extremely strict with my personal calls and only answered my phone outside of the desk’s opening hours.’ ** Download or get a paperback to read Jeffrey's story and other success stories of Working From Home Mums and dads....