How to Be productive working from home series - Set yourself up for Success

To be productive working from home you need to set yourself up for success, meaning that there are a few important but simple things that you need to work on to start with:

  • Your mindset is the #1 secret to great productivity working from home

  • Getting your basics right: get your working space sorted

  • The ‘Please do not disturb’ Code is a simple way to reduce interruptions and distractions

I have also a bonus tip for you at the end to reduce the overwhelm.

These are the foundations for great productivity working from home. You can grab your FREE Take Action Checklist here right now.

 
 


In following blogs I will share with you how to ensure you focus on what really matters, how to trigger your creativity, how to build a framework to maximise your outcomes and achieve wellbeing through a balanced work-life.

Through this series you will get my system to gain a whole 1 day of your time back… to spend as you wish when your are productive working from home. Let’s get started!

 

Not enough hours, so much to do ... How to organise time?

Do you feel overwhelmed from working from home? You haven’t got enough hours in the day.

You don’t find the way to create the difference between working hours and off-time. Your whole day feels like work. You can’t switch off.

You feel the pressure to be constantly working to prove to others that you can be great working from home.  

Working from home is new to you and your are really lost to get into a productive rhythm. You get constantly interrupted at home.

Your to do list does not reduce. It seems to get longer and longer. You are anxious that you are not making enough progress. You are not sure you are doing the right things, or enough of them. You fell overwhelmed.

You feel that others are judging you because you work from home, they do not judge you on your merits.

And you know you need to manage your time better. Be more productive.

You want (and need) to get to a balanced life, where you achieve your goals, are recognised for your successes and have downtime for your family and friends.

 
 
 

Productivity when working from home: A simple system to improve your time management… without overwhelm

You dream of being productive to achieve your goals stress-free.  

You want have more time… you know you need to be better at time management.

I have been a home worker for 17 years, solo working and with teams across different continents. I have experienced many highs and lows in my working from home journey. I have worked from home for large corporates and for my own business. I have helped many people to be super efficient and explode their productivity through major transformation programmes in the corporate world.

Let me share with you what really works for great home working in this series!

Because it is a dream to get the maximum from working from home in a balanced way.

Don’t miss any of the blogs in the series where I share my time management system for home workers.

 

gain a whole 1 day of your time back… to spend as you wish:

  1. Setting yourself up for success. Your Starter Kit to become more productive at home
  2. The #1 thing you need to be productive
  3. The 4 steps to focus & achieve your goals
  4. Great hacks to help with your creativity
  5. The 3 key actions to maximise your productivity…
  6. The 3 pillars to your wellbeing while working from home

At the end of the series, I will give you a super useful checklist to help your day-to-day.

Simply subscribe to my email list by getting my free visuals … they are a jump start from me to help you with your content marketing creation!

 
 
 

I have been there… so much stress and time wasted!

I have been there too, oh yes! Working like mad, with endless to do lists, people chasing... So overwhelmed that I was even forgetting important things to do.

My ‘oh my God’ moment happened when I worked through the night while being by my son hospital bed after he had a major surgery. Some days after, when he recovered, I promised to myself that way of working (and living) had to finish!

Since then I have made a commitment to myself (and those around me), to approach home working and time management differently. 

By working in multimillion productivity & efficiency programmes with small and large teams, I have built deep understanding of the key things that make a real difference for time management. I also understand how difficult it can be to change habits and stick to new ways of working. It can feel like a huge mountain to climb… Believe me, you will get there… faster and more easily than you think!

I will share with you in this series my framework to manage your time more effectively to achieve a balanced life while working from home and being successful.

 
Isabel Talens: Visual content creation & training for your online business. Internet & content marketing, mindset, content creation, productivity and online business strategies for growth.
 
 

Gain a whole 1 day of your time back… to spend as you wish when your are productive working from home

Work smarter to work less and achieve more.

At least 20% of you time can be better spent... Think about it, that is a whole 1 day saved for you to decide what to spend it on! How many key opportunities could you go after with a whole one day? Do you know how less stressed that feels?

A whole day??????????? You must be thinking I am joking. That is the average efficiency that one can gain by following the system. Like with anything, you get what you put on.

And less stress unleashes your mind to feel better and be more creative, productive, successful and happy! 

What you do with the time gained is up to you! Spend more time with those around you, launch a new business idea, develop a new product, enhance the services you provide, create more content, help others… The choices are limitless.

Ok, here we go! Let’s cover the 3 key foundation changes to make you super productive and happier while working from home. Remember, this is just the start of the journey. These are 3 important elements to start making changes to how you approach homeworking and time management. More to come in the rest of the series.

 
 
 

1. the number one secret to productivity when working from home

So to believe in change and maintain your motivation, you need to have a handful of quick wins: things you do that make a difference rapidly! They will be the basis for changing those bad habits we all have.

 

Going back to the example of the diet

If you have made a few changes in your diet and you start loosing weight after a few days only, you will be more motivated to continue with the diet. Otherwise, if after two months, we keep on sacrificing plenty and the scale still shows the same weight... you are very likely to give up on it.

So to maintain your commitment, you need to maintain your belief… and to maintain your belief, you need to see results (even if they are not big) quickly enough.

Is that all? Is it that simple?

There is another important technique to help you stick to the changes.

The second key point to maintain your commitment and achieve sustainable change (meaning that your habits and behaviours change), is to keep the changes your are following simple. What do I mean?

 

Our diet example

If the very first things that you are asked to do is to start calculating the calories of everything you eat, based on the weight of what you cook, and understand the daily content in fat and sugar, for instance... your meal preparation becomes so complicated that you will give up quickly.

If, alternatively, the diet simply said (just for the sake of the example): "stop eating bread, pasta and potatoes for 2 weeks...", that is so much simpler to give to a go.

Disclaimer: the above is just an example, not a real diet. Please don't cut your bread, potatoes and pasta consumption as a result! :-).

My commitment to you in this series is to give you actionable, simple quick wins that you can make happen that same week! 

In return, you will promise yourself that you will give them a go.

 

Take action

  • SAVE to your phone the "Take Action Checklist".
  • AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, look at the list for 5min and promise yourself that you will do 1 of the actions that day. No need to pick one.
  • AT THE END OF THE DAY, look the list again for 5min and see whether you have done 1 of things that day.
  • WELL DONE! Even the fact of looking at the list is helping your brain get reprogrammed for change.

Get here your Take Action Checklist:

 
 

And remember, this home working series is NOT to work more.

It is to work smarter and feel a sense of self achievement.

So what next?

 
 
 

2. get the basics right: get your working space sorted for great productivity working from home

I can hear you saying... getting your working area sorted... this sound quite basic! Yes, it is and, still, it is important to do.

Notice I did not say quite purposely your office.

The place you work from may be quite fluid, especially if you are an online entrepreneur or a content creator, or have not work from home before.

You may have an office in your home or not. You may work from a desk in your bedroom. You may be on the go, travelling, and that means your desk is in a new hotel every day... Maybe you are in a shared working space.  Or you may be working on the sofa…

No dedicated office, no panic! You don’t necessarily need a dedicated office to be productive.

 

For example...

... many Youtubers are just using little corners in their homes. I have a desk in our living room. My husband has his in our bedroom.

Your working environment is just the place that you associate with where you get yourself set for work. You can have a few places where you work, not just one.

I personally prefer the garden or the sofa when I am in creative brainstorming mode, and will work by my desk for the rest.

Independently of where you work from, some basics will help with your concentration and productivity.

Your working environment puts your brain into gear unconsciously. So the basics below can feel obvious… but wait, before you skip them. Just think how many times you don’t follow them!

 

Take action (quick win)

  • TOOLS: Have your tools (laptop, charging cables, hard drives, note books, pen tools...) handy.
  • LIGHT: Ensure your room light is good to work. Natural light is great but if you can’t be by a window, ensure you have good lighting around.
  • CHAIR: Sit in a chair that is comfy (preferably a desk chair). While you can work in other unusual places from time to time like a sofa, a sun bed, a plane seat (I do many of these)… ensure that the majority of the time you are sitting in a good chair to reduce the potential for back pain.
  • SITTING POSITION: Be mindful of your sitting position: be upright and ensure that your lower back rest against your chair.
  • SCREEN SET UP: Set your screen at eye-level if possible. This will help reduce the risk of neck pain.

Certain people work better with music. I am one of them! Although it does not work for everyone, I suggest you test it. Music helps me isolate from the surroundings and my brain is far more focused.

It is important that you feel comfy, both physically and mentally. While it is great you work in a good chair most of the time, it certainly can help with mood and concentration to change from time to time during the day, to break the routine. A change of the working environment can help with your creativity (more about this in a coming post of this series).

 

Take action

  • TRY working with music a few times and see if it helps you concentrate. This might not work. It is worth trying.
  • BREAK THE RYTHM, from time to time (every 90min-2hours). For example take a short break, change your working environment...

Enjoy the freedom of deciding where to set your working space! Brainstorming in the garden, terrace or living room are great opportunities when home working. Try them, it feels good!

 
 
 

3. hacks to reduce distractions & interruptions to improve productivity working from home

Avoid interruptions as much as possible: a huge important principle to improve your home working productivity. I really don’t need to tell you this. You know it. Even before considering other time management techniques, let’s combat distractions & interruptions.

I say “combat distractions” because you will see great improvement in your home working by just applying some simple techniques. And yes, interruptions are somehow unavoidable from time to time. The objective is to minimise them.

There are 2 types of interruptions:

  • when others interrupt you (either at home or online)

  • when you get distracted

 

When others interrupt you (either at home or online)

The key is to create a set of simple rules so the people around you know you do not wish to be interrupted… and ensure that you feedback to them when they respect the rules. It is all about changing behaviours in others.

Seems theoretical? The easier comparison possible is the one with children.

 

For example

With kids, we explain to them very early on to say "Thank you" when they get something. And then the first few times that they say "Thank you", we praise them ("Well done for saying thank you!", "Good boy/girl!").

You need to apply the same principle with those around you that are in the habit of interrupting too often.

  • Explain to them how you will let them know you don't wish to be interrupted (what I call the DO-NOT-DISTURB CODE).
  • Thank them the first few times they have not interrupted you, and from time to time afterwards.

The above is a simple change management approach that reinforces positive behavioural change. Many times is easy to forget the positive feedback loop but the feedback is actually more important than setting rules. This applies both for physical interruptions in your work space, as well as phone calls or online disruptions (mail, messages, WhatsApp, social media...).

Now, let’s look at some easy ways to signal to others that you don’t want to be interrupted: “The Do-Not-Disturb Code”. These can be many things. Whatever works better for you and those around you depending on your environment and circumstances. Here are a few examples of how to signal to other “Please do not disturb”:

 

The Do-Not-Disburb Code - a few examples

  • Close your door, and let the others at home know that you really need them not to come in when your door is closed, because you are working and can't be disturbed.
  • Or put some headphones if you can’t close a door because you are in open space. Let others know that when you have your headphones on, you are kindly asking them not to interrupt you.
  • Or simply just tell them when you are working. Sometimes we assume it is obvious we are working but others don't really know. So what is really important is to establish a simple code that the others know and respect.
  • And don't forget the feedback loop:
    1. First you explain that the less interruptions, the more time you will have for them.
    2. Then, when they do not interrupt, you say "Thank you" and do something with them to demonstrate that thanks to them you have time to be together.

For online interactions, this is more challenging as people these days have an expectation to get replies almost instantly. 

It is in your hands to change those expectations!

 

The Do-Not-Disturb code - more examples

  • Put the phone on plane mode and away during those important moments you need to keep concentrated.
  • Allocate slots during your day to catch up with messages and emails, so that you don’t stress out about it.
      I find the best times for this are the times of the day you find more difficult to concentrate on bigger / longer tasks (for me that’s right after lunch!).
  • Do not forget to set expectations: Explain to the people who interact with you that you will respond to messages and emails once or twice a day, not necessarily immediately. They might struggle at the beginning. Don't give up. They will get used to it.

In a nutshell, to minimise interruptions, communicate with those around you to establish simple signs that show you are available (door open, no headphones, mobile on…) or not (door closed, headphones on, phone on airplane…).

When you let people around you (physically or online) know your ways of working, they will start working around your availability. Setting their expectations is the starting point to reducing interruptions.

 

Take action (quick win)

  • PUT IN PLACE A SIMPLE "Please do not interrupt" CODE with those who are likely to disrupt your work (for example, door closed, headphones on, 'away' on messenger, phone on plane mode).
  • PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY (...even better on silent or on plane mode).
  • DO EMAILS & MESSAGES TWICE A DAY: Allocate slots in the day to do emails and tell people about it.
 
 
 

When you get distracted

Finally on interruptions, sometimes we are the worst offenders! Haha! What do I mean?

When we are trying to work on something either hard or that we really don’t want to do... we have an easy escape these days... our phones! Yeap! This is where we grab it and start looking at social media, emails, DMs... anything that help us escape from that thing we are doing we really do not fancy doing.

 

Take action (quick win)

  • TAKE MINI-BREAKS every 90minutes to 2hours where you relax for 5min.
  • AND REMEMBER PUT YOUR PHONE ON SILENT in between breaks.
 
 
 

Productivity working from home: let’s recap

When you feel there are not enough hour, smile! Now you have the foundation to build from and be super productive without overwhelm.

Remember:

1. Your mindset is the #1 secret to great productivity working from home

  • HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE: 10min a day to check on your commitment to change.

    • PUT in your phone the "Take Action" list (click here to get the list).

    • AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, promise yourself that you will do 1 of the actions in the day.

    • AT THE END OF THE DAY, check whether you have done 1 of actions.

    • WELL DONE! Even the fact of looking at the list is helping your brain get reprogrammed for change.

2. get the basics right - get your working space sorted

  • SET YOUR WORK SPACE at home to work for you:

    • TOOLS: Have your tools handy.

    • LIGHT: Ensure your room light is good to work.

    • CHAIR: Sit in a chair that is comfy for your back.

    • SITTING POSITION: Be mindful of your sitting position.

    • SCREEN SET UP: Set your screen at eye-level if possible.

3. The ‘Please do not disturb’ Code - Interruptions and distractions are a no-no

  • PUT IN PLACE A SIMPLE "Please do not interrupt" CODE for those who are likely to do so. For example:

    • Close the door

    • Put headphones on

    • Change your status to 'Away' on your computer / phone Messenger

  • PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY and on silent. Minimise your email app.

  • DO EMAILS & MESSAGES TWICE A DAY: Allocate slots in the day to do emails and tell people about it.

  • TAKE MINI-BREAKS every 90min to 2 hours where you relax for 5min and can look at the phone.

 
 
 

4. Bonus tip: A balanced work-life increases productivity working from home

Let me share this bonus tip as part of your foundation to your working from home success.

 

Did you know?

In the US, the working hours of office workers working from home increased by 3 hours (40% more!!) following the coronavirus lockdown, according to Bloomberg. In the UK, France and Spain, it increased by 2 hours.

When people start working from home, they work more hours than when doing the same job from an office. Home workers tend to overcompensate and work longer hours. Many times there is an unconscious feeling of guilt and a desire to constantly demonstrate (to yourself or others) that you can do a great job from home.

This is even more true for you online entrepreneurs, who, as you know well, have so many different functions to do by themselves in a day.

The good news are that it is also a fact that you, as homeworker, can be far more productive and you can be far more in control of your own time.

 

did you know?

Back already in 2012, Nicholas Bloom (Stanford University), published a study on productivity when home working. The study was done with a major Chinese company. The experiment was carried out due to the expensive costs of the office space real estate. The company, before deciding on whether to roll out the option of home working, wanted to assess the workers productivity when working from home.

They initially tested with a limited number of employees working from home only once a week. They concluded the workers working from home showed a productivity increase of 13%.

The company then roled out working from home to the whole company as an option. 50% of the employees in the initial experiment took on the option to work from home.

Further analysis showed that their productivity working from home increased by 22%.

So if you are at the phase of home working when you feel overwhelm, not necessarily productive…

  • first, remember than you are in fact more productive working from home

  • secondly, in addition to what we have covered in the blog, let’s put in place a simple action: set yourself an end of the day time and stick to it!

It is very easy to delay when to stop working when you are home… there is no train to catch, no time you are expected to be back home, no best time to leave because of traffic… sounds familiar? So you keep on going far beyond the time you would have stayed in an office. The same is true between week and weekend, or even holidays… How many times have you worked over the weekend or when on holidays?

Home workers often experience great difficulties to separate the work time from the personal time. You can feel you are constantly “on”.

 

Take action (quick win)

  • SET YOURSELF AN END OF DAY TIME and... stick to it!
  • SCHEDULE NON-WORK ACTIVITIES at the end of your set work day. This should help with forcing yourself to stop when you said you would.
    • This is easier to stick to when you commit to do things with others.
    • For example, you will sit with the kids to help with homework, or exercise in the gym, or call a friend, or go for a walk with your partner... the list is endless.

Don’t forget to get your FREE Take Action Checklist:

 
 
 

Well done! You have your foundation. What next?

Now into action. Remember to look at your Take Action List to become super productive when home working at the beginning and the end of the day.

Have you at least implemented one of them? If so: well done!!!!!!! If not, do not despair, keep on trying. Changing habits requires perseverance, and nothing better than to keep on trying again and again. Remember, it easy and simple, so just give it a go.

Please let me know in the comments

    What is your biggest time waister?
    • people interrupting you
    • or you getting distracted with your phone

And remember to get my free visuals and subscribe to my email list so that you don’t miss the next blogs in this series.

 

gain a whole 1 day of your time back… to spend as you wish:

  1. Setting yourself up for success. Your Starter Kit to become more productive at home
  2. The #1 thing you need to be productive
  3. The 4 steps to focus & achieve your goals
  4. Great hacks to help with your creativity
  5. The 3 key actions to maximise your productivity…
  6. The 3 pillars to your wellbeing while working from home

Above all, don’t get anxious about time management and productivity! Disregard those who do not recognise your value just because you work from home. Prove them wrong with your successes!

And enjoy the journey to gain a whole 1 day of your time back… to spend as you wish! This is just the beginning! More to come in my next blog. Thank you so much for your time. It is a privilege to know you are reading my content. Don’t forget to comment on what is your biggest time waister and grab my FREE Visuals Collection.

 
 
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Hi! I’m Isabel!

 
isabel-talens-digital-marketing-content.jpg

Visual content creation is my passion

The sea is my happy place!

 

For years and years I have created and produced content, in particular visual content. You can find me very often with my cameras and tripod out and about! 

My passion: to help you with your online presence and drive business growth through my blog and visuals collections (marketing templates, styled photos & video).

Ah, I have also worked for 24+ in the corporate world, leading quite a mix: transformation, marketing, coaching, sales, productivity, programme management, investments and product management. 

I love sharing all these skills with you in my blog.

I am also founder of Agavea Properties, our family holiday rental business.  My husband and I lead it with the passion with one goal in mind: serving our customers to create a memorable holiday experience for them.

So there you have it, that’s me! Ah... I almost forgot, my happy place is by the sea. 

Thanks for being here with me!

 
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