Chapter 5 – Ross Good’s 5 Top Tips for Optimal SmartWorking
What have I learned from working remotely over the last few years? How has it been better for me? For my family? For the quality of life we want for us & our daughters? These are the types of question I ask myself on a regular basis.
Although I’ve worked remotely on & off for the last 6/7 years, it’s always been for someone else. However I’m now Self Employed and have been working for myself & my family for nearly a month now. Let me tell you it’s not easy. Working for yourself that is. There is just so much to do. I’ve ‘To Do’ lists on top of ‘To Do’ lists!
That said, the feeling I have inside me is phomenial. So worthwhile. So fulfilling when you sit back and see what you’ve crossed off your list after a good honest day’s work. You’ll always feel good when you know you’ve put a proper shift in. So good to know that my family are on the other side of the door waiting for me once I’m ready to come in. No commute. No traffic stress. Just family. Happiness.
The Wall
But what do you do when you hit a wall? And you will hit that wall at some point. When it happens, where to you draw that extra bit of motivation you need to get your head back in the game?
It’s happened me already and on more than one occasion. I thought ‘I need to have a procedure in place to help change this whenever it happens’ otherwise I’m gonna be a big ball of stress and I don’t want that. So I got my thinking cap on and came up with a plan that works for me. Hopefully it’ll help you out if / when you hit a wall.
Here are my top 5 tips to help you if / when you hit that wall when you’re working from home. See if they can help you out.
Ross Good’s 5 Top Tips:
1. Get Fresh Air
Immediately. No, I don’t mean just open the window and stick your head out for a minute or two. I mean down tools. Ping your buddies online that you’re taking 30 mins out for a walk (or run). No earphones. No music. Phone on silent. Just you and the fresh air. You’ll absolutely feel the better for it and when you get back, watch those juices flow.
2. Meditate
Long gone are the stereotypes of bald men in robes sitting in a circle humming like headbangers in order to ‘be as one with the world’. Apps like Headspace & Calm, along with Mindfulness in general have completely changed the game of meditation.
You can meditate literally anywhere – on a moving train / in a crowded room / sitting at your desk / lying down. You can mediate anytime during the day or night and you can do it for as long or as short as you like.
10 mins meditation, ideally at the same time each day can make a huge difference over time to you, your demeanour & your outlook on life. This has been scientifically proven. The benefits are numerous with prolonged/regular use. For me, the Headspace app works best.
3. Declutter
Personally I don’t mind a bit of a mess. However as I’ve gotten older I have certainly found that I work better with a cleaner & tidier workspace. It helps me, I feel everything is in order & I’m more on top of my tasks. My wife can’t stand mess. So much so, she won’t sleep if the place is messy let alone be able to work in it. Ying & Yang springs to mind!!
Remember though – it’s not just your workspace I’m referring to. You are working at home. If you have young children like me, this means one thing for sure – serious mess. In pretty much every room and it can happen in the blink of an eye.
So having the house in some order with your washing, cleaning, hoovering etc can also help anyone whose mind is closely aligned to my wife’s mindset. I can easily close the office door and quickly forget about the mess that lurks on the far side but even I have to admit, when I have the place in order, it does make a difference.
4. Bite Size Chunks
No, not your food. Your ‘To-Do’ tasks.
Recently I wrote so many tasks down on Trello, it blew my mind. For my blogging. For my business. For personal development. For my book which I’m writing (watch this space!). I hadn’t a clue which ones to prioritise and my head literally fell off.
So instead of sitting there flapping I took my own medicine (as above). I went for a 20 min walk on my own to clear the head. When I got back in I had a cuppa and I meditated for 10 mins in my chair.
The release of tension in my head was pretty much immediate. I was now in a far better place to select the most important tasks. And it worked. Getting through them wasn’t fast but after breaking them into ‘Bite-Sized-Chunks’ I could work my way through them one by one in order of preference. Annnnnddddd …. breath!
5. Hydrate
I’m gonna sound like your senior rugby or football coach now but the difference between a hydrated body & mind and a dehydrated body & mind is huge. It can completely change the course of your day.
So to help your day run as smoothly & efficiently as possible, get that over sized bottle you bought a few years back that lives under the sink, fill it – drink it and repeat several times a day. If it was a bottle of wine or beer you’d probably have no problems clearing that so do the same with the water and your productivity will thank you for it.
SmartWorking Works
SmartWorking has so many benefits for both an Employer & Employee so if you’re lucky enough to be able to work remotely from home, make sure you arm yourself with anything & everything you need to perform at your best. Your work will reflect your mindset and your work / life balance will flow better than the Nile.
It’s been an absolute pleasure guest blogging for Abodoo. They are doing an amazing job in highlighting the benefits of Smart Working and long may that continue.
A very special thank you goes to Louise and team for allowing me to write for you guys and thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read my posts. You can read more from me at The Stented Papa and also create your very own 100% personalised baby board books over on my business site Booky Wooky.
Read other posts from Ross Good’s Series:
Chapter 1: My Journey to SmartWorking
Chapter 2: My Change to SmartWorking
Chapter 3: ‘Goodbye Office – Hello Home’
Chapter 4: Startups, Health and SmartWorking
Guest Blogger:
‘Ross Good is a Full Time Stay at Home Dad looking after his two girls and dog. He gave up work after needing 4 stents inserted into his heart at 37 due to hereditary Heart Disease.
Since becoming a SAHD, he blogs at The Stented Papa and was the only Irish Daddy blogger finalist for the Best Parenting Award at the Boots Maternity & Infant Awards 2017.
He has appeared in a number of TV shows and has recently started a new business with his wife Mel called Booky Wooky.’