How to Prepare Yourself to Thrive as a Full-Time Remote Worker
6 ways to plan for a future without conventional offices
Earlier this year, many unsuspecting cubicle employees got their first taste of remote work.
It became an interesting experiment for some.
For others, it meant more family time and less commuting. But for most, the change in working patterns represented a massive shock.
Their familiar office routines had to make way for new rules and novel ideas. Their communication channels changed. And most importantly, they suddenly had to face different responsibilities and hold themselves accountable.
Nobody knows whether cubicles will soon be a relic of the past or whether employers will want to exert more control in the upcoming recession.
But one trend is clear: remote working arrangements are here to stay.
Whether your cardinal wish is to return to the office or work remotely forever, there are some helpful ways to plan for an uncertain future.
As a digital nomad, working in Airbnbs, coffee shops, and airport terminals has been an integral part of my professional life for years.
My work routines have no dependency on conventional office setups, making changes of scenery a piece of cake.
No matter if you have to work from home or want to travel full-time, the following remote working principles will bolster your productivity, discipline, and diligence.
On this basis, here’s how to prepare yourself to thrive as a full-time remote worker.
1. Learn how to separate your work habits from the usual office environment
The secret to thriving as a remote worker is to disconnect your working routine from a rigid office environment.
As such, your habits cannot rely on specific factors that only exist in a conventional office.
As an example, if you only feel productive next to coworkers, you’ll need to find ways of replicating that feeling without your colleagues.
Constant communication can be helpful in this regard.
In that same vein, some people cannot switch to work mode without the visual clues that they are in a working environment.
In this context, a specific office background, familiar faces, and work-related furniture often play their part.
The solution is to mirror these visual clues as best as you can in your remote working location.
Set up a dedicated home office if you have space. Change your desktop background to imitate the one you have in the office. And finally, wear the same clothes you would wear in your office building.
The challenge resides in building a routine that secures your productivity without requiring an actual office.
2. Train your focus to withstand distractions
One of the biggest struggles for first-time remote workers is to remain focused outside of their usual office.
No matter if you travel or work from home, you’ll face distractions. And these distractions will kill your focus without the right safeguards in place.
If you want to secure your work output in any location, you’ll need to train your mind to laser-focus on work, no matter the environment.
Going on one-task sprints, meditating regularly, and automating as much as possible are fruitful tools in this regard.
3. Learn how to become accountable to yourself
Accountability is a critical part of remote work.
As an employee, you’re used to being accountable to your boss. Depending on the company, your superiors will choose different methods to ensure your assiduity.
By working remotely, you stamp out several methods of control. Because no superior is physically present, one form of accountability ceases to exist.
Consequently, you need to replace that form of accountability with personal methods that don’t rely on the physical presence of your superiors.
Accountability journals, goal-setting worksheets, and direct lines of communication work well in this respect.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll be accountable from start to finish, and remote work will add another layer of responsibility.
As an entrepreneur who works remotely, you’ll need to transfer your accountability systems from the office to your remote setup.
Give yourself and your employees incentives to remain accountable anywhere.
As an example, many successful leaders promise to reward their remote employees if they deliver more detailed reports when they are not in the office.
Along those same lines, nomad entrepreneurs who achieve particular objectives thanks to self-accountability often reward themselves with travel experiences.
4. Sort our your remote working gear and technology
Remote work might not become your full-time lifestyle, but it could nonetheless play a part in your future working arrangement.
That’s why sorting out your gear and technology is a no-brainer.
The right laptop, chair (if you work from home), noise-canceling headphones, and other elements like goal-setting notebooks can have a positive effect on your overall productivity, no matter if you’ll continue to work remotely or return to the cubicle.
Akin to remote working gear, the right technology is of paramount importance.
As such, getting the most useful apps, software, and ways of communicating is an ideal way to prepare for a future as a full-time remote worker.
5. Identify your best remote working spots
Much like finding the right gear, identifying your best remote working spots is a great way to plan for a future away from the office.
Some people move mountains at home while others love the cozy atmosphere of a hygge-inspired coffee shop.
The crucial point is to find out where you work best and plan for a future in that location.
In the future, you may have to work remotely two days a week.
Wouldn’t it be great to know your most productive location beforehand?
6. Build a results-oriented mindset, not an office routine
Finally, if you want to thrive as a full-time remote worker, you need to adopt the right attitude.
You need to forge a mindset that will prioritize results, not office-related habits.
In this context, most corporate office buildings have unwritten rules.
When I worked in a large law firm, there was an unspoken norm that nobody would leave at night before asking their seniors if they needed any more help.
In practice, it almost always led to juniors waiting for 30–60 minutes before getting hold of their senior.
In most cases, these 30–60 minutes didn’t yield any results. They were merely part of old-fashioned office etiquette.
As a remote worker, these routines cannot interfere with your rhythm. Nobody will be there to check them, and you’ll lose valuable time if you adhere to them.
What will matter, however, are results.
In conclusion, to thrive as a remote worker, you need to prioritize results, not office routines.
These routines and unspoken rules won’t matter outside of the office. Your achievements, on the other hand, will.