After years working out of an office, the past few months have been a tough transition. I'm now working from home raising money full-time so we can get to Ireland. I've had to re-evaluate, re-situate, and restructure my life to find my "sweet spot" of creativity and productivity. I fight distractions like tv, quitting early, and the ability to eat at any time. At times, it gets quite lonely.
3 things that have helped increase my productivity and creativity working from home.
1. Routine: Without a "work-like" routine, I'm less productive and creative.
- 6:00am: wake up, work out- 8am: shower, breakfast, and bible (not simultaneously)
- 8:55am: make a pot of french press coffee
- 9:00am: turn off lights in the house, (the thermostat is programmed as if I'm gone), take coffee into the office, close the door
- 9:02am: plan my day using my to-do list program, Things (http://culturedcode.com/things/), "Things" runs my life
- 9:15am: work and don't leave the office until lunch
2. Atmosphere: I have found that atmosphere is one of the most important things for my productivity/creativity
- desk - cheap, functional, and stylish (Walmart)
- decor - inspires creativity (especially original works from friends)
- low lighting - use only lamps and sunlightlight a scented candle (something soothing but manly)
- if I'm not on the phone I'm listening to music
3. Tools: To quote a great friend, Nick Callaway (http://nickcallaway.com/), "Right tool, right job."
- 15" MacBookPro - a must
- Acer 21" monitor (a necessity for graphics, looking at large spreadsheets, and multi-tasking)
- 1T Western Digital ext. hard drive - backing up your files is too easy not to do
- 500G G-Drive(mini) for large projects and old files
- iPhone4 - flawless syncing with MacBookPro, hundreds of thousands of apps to make life easier
- iPad 3G - perfect for meeting with pastors, blogging, and reading (pics, videos, notes, etc.)
- Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset - imperative for calling 30-40 pastors a day
I could tell you more but you get the idea. Those are just a few ways I have been able to adjust to working at home.
- How have you had to adjust to new work environments?
- What are things that help or hurt your creativity/productivity?