Working Remotely: Top Tips for Success

Working remotely is becoming a more common practice across many industries. Companies with multiple locations, especially globally, enjoy the benefits of having teams spread around the world. But, the virtual working environment can also present a unique set of challenges. By following a few simple tips you can be successful working remotely.

Working Environment

Even though you may be working from home, make sure you, and the members of your family, recognize a certain room or area in your house as “your office”. It is fundamental that you create your own working environment in a suitable place in order to avoid distractions and interruptions during your working hours.

A designated working space can also help create an optimal work/life balance. If you work throughout your home, it can be more difficult to separate your professional life from your home life. Create a space in your home specifically for working so that your brain knows when you are there it is time to work, and at the end of your working day, you can leave your work there.

Daily Organization & Planning

Being well organized is key. The fact that there isn’t anyone next to you telling you what to do next or how something needs to be done, requires that you are extremely well organized so priorities are properly taken care of and nothing falls through the cracks.

My number one ally for organization is my calendar, everything I have to do is written down there and the first thing I do every morning is read my calendar so I know what I have planned for that day (projects to be received from translation or to be delivered to my clients, a quote to be sent to a client for approval, etc.); then I check my email.

Work Schedule

It is extremely important that you have a work schedule set up. And even more important, that you respect it. Flexibility is fantastic, but working in an organized manner with no interruptions in your scheduled hours will allow you to not only be efficient and productive at work but also to have a balance between work and your personal life.

Not respecting your schedule, or worse, not having one, may make you feel working from home is not beneficial because your life is interrupted by work all the time or because your family interferes with your work.

Working remotely from home can actually be a great opportunity to become successful at work while enjoying the comfort of your house, eating healthier, having time for exercise, meditation, etc.

Family Support

The role of family can be crucial for people working from home. For those who are moms like me, working from home can be a real challenge but trust me, I have enjoyed it from the very first day, and it’s just a matter of asking for help.

If your kids are very young and demanding, it is essential that you have a nanny taking care of them during your working hours. If your kids are older and you do not need a nanny, it is mandatory that they, and even your husband and your dog, know that when you are working you CANNOT be interrupted.

Self-motivation

Being self-motivated is essential to working remotely. I think it is absolutely important that you love what you do. I have always found the translation industry very exciting and providing localization services to our clients from all over the world and sharing experiences with my great colleagues from different cultures are things that are very motivating for me!

Commitment

Commitment is a significant aspect of working from home. To me, it means being honest to myself and more importantly, to my virtual team. When you work with a team, your colleagues need to be able to trust you, get in contact with you and count on you. From my experience, if you are committed to your work, working from home and with a team is not only possible but also really enjoyable.

Conclusion

More and more companies are allowing the opportunity to work from home; however, it is really up to YOU to make it work. Set up your working environment, do proper daily planning, respect your schedule, be committed and motivated and you will be able to enjoy the flexibility, proximity to home and family, less stress and better health that working remotely can offer.

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