With remote working comes freedom. Freedom of choosing where to work. Often, freedom of choosing when to work. However — with freedom comes responsibility. So how much freedom is too much freedom when it comes to managing your schedule as a remote worker?
There’s no such thing as too much freedom if you know how to use it. That’s our take on it anyhow.
Working a nine-to-five office job can feel constricting, especially for those independent thinkers who need a little space to do their best work. A remote job, on the flip side, can provide the right about of independence.
Channeling some structure into your remote work schedule isn’t a bad thing. In fact, as far as we’re concerned, channeling some structure into your remote work schedule can be one of the best moves you make as a remote employee. However, the beauty of being a remote worker is that you get to call the shots in making a schedule for yourself and your work.
Need some pointers on how to do just that? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
Determine what days of the week you want to be working.
As a remote worker, you shouldn’t be working seven days a week. It will burn you out, and it will burn you out quickly. Give yourself at least one day a week where you don’t do any work-related tasks. If you can manage it, give yourself a couple days a week off from work.
Once these days are determined, you’ll know what days of the week you will be on the clock. Stick to this schedule. Obviously, if a doctor’s appointment, special event, or holiday get in the way of this schedule, you can re-adjust it for a certain week. However, for the majority of the time, your weekly work schedule should be a disciplined practice that you put into place.
Decide what tasks you want to complete on what days.
Maybe you have to make three conference calls every week. Maybe you have to write up a blog post every week. Maybe you have to make 50 sales calls every week. Whatever your tasks look like, spending some time to determine when you want to do them can be hugely productive.
For example, maybe you want to schedule all three of your conference calls back-to-back on Wednesdays because that’s a good midweek check-in point. Or maybe you want to write up a blog post every Friday morning because you have a plethora of ideas from the week that led up to it. Or perhaps you want to make 25 sales calls on Monday and 25 sales calls on Tuesday because you’re still high-energy that early in the week.
Determining what time of the week is best for each task will help you stay disciplined and on top of your workload.
Stick to your schedule, rain, snow, or shine.
We’ve already said it once, but it’s so important, we’re saying it again. Once you’ve figured out your work schedule, stick to it. If you push back work to enjoy a day off, it can quickly become a habit, so do your best to stay on track with the schedule you establish for yourself.
If something does come up in your schedule that you want to work around, then plan accordingly. It’s always best to complete your work before you take a day off, that way not only can you enjoy your time off more, but you don’t run the risk of pushing your work back even further.
Freedom is a good thing, but so is discipline.
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This article was originally published on Remote.com