As we continue our WFH series (don’t forget to take a look at Part 1 and Part 2) we’d be remiss if we didn’t discuss the actual work being done in your home office. Creating an inspiring and comfortable environment is only part of the process — work planning needs to also be a priority. Let’s discuss some tools and habits to help you ‘plan your work and work your plan.” Getting things done is the goal, after all.
Planning Your Life
Planning your daily activities and tasks can help hold you accountable and keep you on track with your short and long term goals. Consider trying out a “power hour” for work planning to plan your day, week, month, quarter, or year.
- Forming the habit: Set aside time to keep up with your planning on a daily basis. When do you feel most energized? Do you prefer planning in the morning? Or writing everything down the night before? The easiest way to form a habit is to attach it to something you already do on a regular basis. Plan your day while enjoying your coffee in the morning or right after you brush your teeth at night.
- Mapping & Time Blocking: If not now, when? Start by listing all your activities and planning when you will accomplish certain tasks. Introduce your task list to your calendar – they should be best friends. This will hold you accountable and prevent time leaks. Try using alerts and reminders to stay on track, since tasks will often expand to fill the time you have.
- Keep the big goals in mind. Tie your short term “to-dos” into your long term goals. You can also use planning time to review your recent activities and accomplishments. And schedule a little celebration when you see progress!
Command Central
These are the tools you must have in order to make it all happen: planner, calendar, to-do list, and email. For business owners or employees, you may also have scheduling apps and project management tools. Keep these physical items on your desk within reach and make sure to keep track of passwords for easy access to email accounts and websites.
We believe a beautiful and well-organized home office will make working from home more fun and will increase your productivity. It may take some effort to define your personal office style, create your perfect layout, and make sure you have the time management habits in place to support your goals but if you approach it step by step you can successfully transition to this new normal.
Feels like too big or confusing a project to handle on your own? Call in your favorite organizing team to the rescue. We offer in-person, hands-on organizing sessions where we work with you to design and execute your ideal home office. We also offer virtual sessions where you get all our organizing expertise but you provide the elbow grease. With a good internet connection, your home office and mine are only a screen away.