Making the transition to full or part-time remote/virtual office work takes some courage and the willingness to get uncomfortable. While my transition was more of an overnight experience, the gradual approach of slowly breaking-away from relying on the four-walls of your office tomb can be beneficial to anyone unsure of what they need to make their virtual office work for their goals. This week my posts will explore four simple ways to baby-step your way into thinking about working without walls: 1. Identifying and starting with high productivity days; 2. Explore alternatives to in-person meetings; 3. Establish and out-of-office communication and workflow; 4. Clearly define your workspace in advance.
First things first….
Part 1.: _Start With A Few High Productivity Days.
No matter how easy it is for you to try something new, you will undoubtedly run into speed bumps and hurdles along the way. If you want your virtual or remote work to work for you and to truly benefit from the experience, position yourself accordingly. Start by working remotely for one or two days a week to ease yourself into a new routine and ween yourself off your traditional comforts and surroundings.
If it’s up to you, try and choose days that best guarantee you experience a good outcome with your off-site work day, or days of the week. The days of the week can change as you find your rhythm and start identifying the benefits and goals of remote work that are personal to you but stick with the same one or two days for several weeks in a row to give yourself enough time to collect data about what works for you and what doesn’t.
If you are accustomed to the standard M-F week and you are just getting started with working off-site one or two days a week, maybe lean towards what you know until you get comfortable with your new normal. When choosing your high productivity days consider staying away from Mondays and Fridays as a jumping-off points because of their tendency to blend into the weekend.
As your new working world and style begin to evolve and you become more comfortable working without walls you’ll notice a reduced reliance on tangible items that weigh and slow you down like paper, files and supplies. You’ll notice an increased reliance on the basic skill-sets like writing and research that make you a good practitioner to being with, and you’ll see a positive difference in your attitude and approach towards work and billable hours which translate into better business and a happier you.
Tune in tomorrow for Part 2: Exploring alternatives to the time suck of in-person meetings
By, Sahmra A. Stevenson, Esq.
S.A. Stevenson Law Offices, LLC
Email: s.stevenson@saslawOffices.com; Twitter: @SAS_Law; IG: SahmraStevensonEsq; Facebook: @SASLawOffices; www.saslawoffices.com; www.officewithoutwalls.org