I have been working remotely now for a few years, and life is good. I understand that not everybody in this profession is afforded the luxury of working from home, but I was presented the opportunity after a hip surgery, and now I would be reluctant to give it up. It certainly comes with its challenges, especially initially. It’s a balancing act—but if you can make it work and be trusted and accountable, it’s worth taking on those hurdles to get to the right place for yourself, personally and professionally.
Challenges
Potential distractions are everywhere: the kids, my wife, unfinished housework, the television. Noisy kids during a conference call and the cat jumping on my lap are some examples of intrusions I dealt with at first. The lines of work and life can become blurred. So, I set boundaries and built an office in my basement.
The stigma of working remotely was a challenge for me. The jokes from friends about my long commute or how I don’t work as hard because I’m at home are just the tip of the iceberg. I just roll with the punches, even make fun of myself, and make sure my work performance doesn’t falter.
Working remotely can also be isolating. I have several conference calls throughout the week and a weekly call with my team that keep me connected. I’m able to further connect through conversations with co-workers about life events, much like I would with co-workers in an office environment.
To effectively manage my time, I track all my opportunities on a spreadsheet, review action items each morning, rank them by importance, and set daily goals I need to accomplish. Organization, discipline, and accountability are the keys to my success. Having a plan for potential challenges keeps me on task and allows me to enjoy the benefits of working remotely.
Benefits
Working remotely allows me to have a better life balance. Previously, I dedicated roughly half my day or more to work-related activities. I’ve been able to cut that by at least 10 percent and have better balance in my life while continuing to be productive at work.
More Family Time
Since before my first son was born, I knew I wanted to be involved in everything: from doctor appointments to concerts and sports. I have been able to coach my kids in multiple sports and attend school events that I would not have been able to previously without lost work time. Our family has dinner together, and I help with the nightly bedtime routine. If I need to finish a proposal, I do that afterward.
To effectively manage my time, I track all my opportunities on a spreadsheet, review action items each morning, rank them by importance, and set daily goals I need to accomplish.
No Commute
Before I worked remotely, there were times when halfway to work, I’d hit a traffic jam and need to figure out if it was worth it to keep going or if I should head back home to work from there. Other days, I dealt with road rage, tons of snow, and other driving issues. Now, the worst I deal with is stepping on a toy going to my office—which hurts, by the way. I can start the Crock-Pot for dinner, put the laundry in the dryer, or have a contractor come to the house, all with little to no lost work time.
Healthier Body
My overall health has benefitted the most. I’m more rested due to sleeping an extra hour each day. Instead of plopping down at my desk to eat lunch, I take a walk before I eat. I set an alarm to go off every hour, which doesn’t disrupt anyone else, reminding me to exercise to ward off the harmful effects of sitting all day. I save my eyes and my back by not working on a tiny laptop; instead, I use two monitors set at a comfortable height. (Keep in mind that this setup may require a bit of personal financial investment if your company isn’t able to offer everything to accommodate your office space.)
Final Thoughts
Working remotely isn’t for everyone or every company. It takes trust and accountability. It can be a major benefit to an employee’s overall health when done correctly. Working from home has allowed me to be more involved in life outside of work and still do my job well. So, if you have the opportunity and can be prepared for the related challenges, you can improve the balance between your work and your life.
Ryan Lisowe is proposal manager at Clean Harbors Inc., a provider of environmental, energy, and industrial services based in Norwell, Massachusetts. He can be reached at ryan.lisowe@gmail.com.
As someone who’s been working remotely intermittently for years, and full-time for over two years now with a progressive company, I completely agree with “organization, discipline, and accountability are the keys to my success”. While I occasionally miss the “water cooler chat”, the benefits and of having no commute (especially during the long Canadian winter) and thus extra time each day far outweigh any benefits of going to an office. At this point I would find it extremely difficult to go back to that routine!