After three plus months working from home, I’m starting to really get the hang of it. It’s the discipline factor that took the longest to get a handle on. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, really.
A lack of discipline is the biggest downfall for creatives, especially those who work independently. The old adage of “so many projects, so little time” is a load of garbage. Prioritize them and make them happen. See them through from start to finish, then move on. I’m not saying don’t have a few on the go, but don’t add more to your plate while it’s full. If you’re not sure if you’re doing this right now, write down all of your projects that are in progress. Remove those that aren’t important to you right now — think of them as “leftovers”. You’ll get to them later — and if they “go bad” it’s a sign that you weren’t ready for them. Cook something else up later.
Now what I need to do since I’m more disciplined than ever is to up my game. The next challenge is to integrate actual life stuff into my day, then block out times to do said stuff. For example, I started to begin a workout program this week (a hybrid of two workout programs, Steve Kamb’s Rebel Fitness Guide program1 and the Couch 2 5K running program2). I did so with the understanding that in order to be able to have the energy to get through the day and the health and well-being to add more days to my lifespan, it was a must-do instead of a to-do. I’ll find a way to update everyone on my progress as I get deeper into the routines.
I also realized that I needed to start to schedule things differently. I’m a pretty structured person anyway (as a productivity pundit, that’s pretty much a given), but I’ve always been more of a night owl than an early riser.3 That pretty much has to be thrown out the window since I’m going to be the primary caregiver once my wife goes back to work in a few months. My work day will need to shift from throughout the day to sporadically throughout the day. I figure a good head start on the day will allow me to get a workout in, some writing done and enable me to set up tmot only my day for success, but my whole family’s day for success. Packing my daughter’s lunch has become my responsibility (as in, I’ve taken it on), and fixing breakfast for the family is the next evolution in my morning routine. That way my wife can ease into her day before heading off to work and I can have a productive and meaningful start to my day.
It’s my belief that by taking these steps now, I’ll be able to better separate “home work” from “home life”. And when I accomplish that mission, everyone wins.
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1I’m all for P90X and other systems, but I’m a hearty supporter of anything Mr. Kamb does. And I’ve seen the results of the program. It works. You can read all about his current epic journey at NerdFitness and pick up your own copy of the Rebel Fitness Guide here. He’s also compiled a program destined for those who want to be eventually fit…and you can grab that at my alter-ego’s site, Eventualism.
2There’s an app for that.
3I’ve been using Dave Navarro’s Early Riser program to get started on this habit. So far, so good. It’s worth checking out.
