How To Stick To A Schedule When Working Remotely

Being the master of your work time has its perks, but it also has its downfalls. When it’s completely up to you when you’ll handle your work obligations, procrastination can easily take its toll.

Is the last-minute work stress mandatory when working remotely? Of course, it’s not!

Creating a schedule and sticking to it can make you a productive remote worker. But that’s easier said than done. Do you truly want to be consistent with your work schedule? Then, take a look at the following tips on how to stick to a schedule when working remotely. And more importantly, implement them in your life.

 

Be Consistent with Your Work Time

Get your internal body clock wound up for work by setting your work hours at a certain time of day. For example, if you are more productive in the morning, dedicate to your work when you wake up. However, if you are a night person, the afternoon can be your prime-time for work responsibilities.

Maybe you can’t work at the same hours each day, but you can at least focus it on some part of the day.

Why is this useful?

Because our mind responds to habits. If you get used to working in the morning, your mind will resist less with time.

 

Add a Pre-Work Routine

While we are on the subject of habits and how they get us going, here’s another helpful habit that will make sticking to a schedule a little easier. Create a pre-work routine such as drinking coffee, writing in your journal, a quick exercise, reading a few pages of your book, etc. This habit should be something relaxing and motivating. 

Once you pump your energy, you’ll be more inspired to get to work. Not to mention that you will get used to handling your work obligations after this routine. It will become like an automatic follow-up action. 

 

Prepare Your Work Area

Dedicate a space that will strictly be for working. That means no more lounging on the couch while going through new real estate listings (this goes for all the remote realtors out there). Your work area doesn’t have to be an official office. Even having a simple work desk in your bedroom will do the trick.

Separating your workspace from a relaxation space will make it easier for you to shift your mind into work mode. Put some motivational quotes or pictures on your desk to remind you why you should stick to your remote schedule.

 

State Your Priorities

Jumping from one task to another will diminish your productivity and make it hard for you to stick to the schedule. There is also that nightmare scenario when you just don’t know where to start. Because of that, you waste an hour trying to figure out what to do instead of doing it.

To avoid this confusion, prioritize your daily tasks. For example, start by checking your appointments for the next day or getting urgent paperwork done and then go on to calling potential clients. 

Amy Perez, a writer at TrustMyPaper and BestEssaysEducation, shared why prioritizing her to-do list makes her more disciplined and productive: 

“Start your day by conquering the most important challenges and then you’ll be more motivated to finish everything else you have planned. When you set your list of priorities the night before, you can start your new workday actively.”

 

Find a Work Environment That Suits You

Some people thrive in solitude while others work best when surrounded by other workers. If you fall into the second category, you might want to explore other possibilities aside from working alone from your home. 

A great solution for those who need a busy work environment is a co-working space. Going to a co-working space can make you consistent and provide you with a work environment that boosts your productivity.

In case you don’t have a co-working space in your town, you can go to a local coffee shop.

 

Get Enough Sleep

Did you know that 89% of self-made millionaire sleep at least 7 or 8 hours each night? Sleep is crucial for re-energizing and staying alert during the day.

If you don’t get enough sleep at night, you can easily mess up your schedule with an unplanned afternoon nap. Or simply, you won’t have enough energy to stick to your planned tasks.

Lin Anderson, a psychotherapist at Family Addiction Specialist, shared why sleep is so important:

“Sleep is an especially important and often underutilized component of brain functioning. Adequate sleep will result in working more efficiently and effectively and subsequently being more productive and saving time in the long run.”

 

Minimize Distractions

When the time for working comes, everything that might ruin your focus needs to go. That means, using apps like Stay Focused for blocking distracting apps, stating to your family not to disturb you while you work, and letting your dog outside so he doesn’t jump on your lap every 5 minutes.

Distractions can be a real productivity killer, and they can be the main reason why you can’t respect your schedule. Make time for uninterrupted work by eliminating any possible interruptions. You can even share your work schedule with your closest friends so that they don’t call you during those hours. 

 

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, these tips will help you set up a productive work schedule that you will respect. Remember that you have to adapt every action so that it maximizes your energy and desire for work. People respond differently to different solutions. Therefore, give these tips a try and work out a schedule that will turn you into a diligent and organized remote worker.