I did it, I wrote a (mini) book about working from home. I’m so proud of, “Home is Where The Work Is” I’m giving it away so as many people as possible can read it. (See link at end of article for free book.) This article is everything that didn’t make it in the book.
• CLUTTER. In my new mini book I wrote about piling with a purpose and pointed out that Einstein’s home office was quite cluttered—and that we may be geniuses if we like some things out and about. I’m going to amend that here. Neatness is important for a large portion of the population so when on a video conference call, create a clean zone or use a virtual backdrop.
• FOCUS. If you love coffee or drink a lot of water, try moving the coffee maker or water cooler into your office (unlikely) or pour a thermos full of coffee (and a Yeti of water) so you can tap into them as needed. Why? The less trips to the kitchen, the better. Often a coffee break is an excuse to not do our work and our kitchen is full of tempting distractions—and food. Lots of food.
• EQUIPMENT. Spending money on equipment for our home office is not always necessary, but a couple of items I think are worth the money. A good chair, quality headphones, and reliable router (or three) are givens. But a stand to hold your phone and a stand to raise your laptop to eye-level are good investments. Nice, but not always necessary is a good printer, charging station (with USB ports to save space), and a second monitor. • TIPS. Some quick tricks that work and don’t cost a dime. Use an ethernet cable if your router is fussy. Put a piece of painters tape over your camera if you don’t want people to see you before you’re ready. Clean your lens from time to time. If you like to work late into the night (or early morning) you can set computer to send your e-mails to send at a more reasonable time.
• ZOOM. Make a homemade sign that you can hang on your door (or nearby) to let others know to be quiet and not disturb you. Close all of your apps and set your phone to airplane mode to avoid notification sounds. Have any light source focused on your face instead the back of your head. Reduce the video quality if bandwidth is an issue.
To get your free copy of “Home is Where The Work Is” go to: https://www.remoteworkerresource.com/monthly-freebies
Comments