By Jenifer Brown
Due to all the effects of COVID-19, there are more people than ever working out of a home office or at least home based if in field service. Adapting to that change and managing your time is even more crucial to achieving your goals and moving up in your career.
Personally, I have worked out of a home office for 25 years. I can relate with those who are getting used to working in this environment. I always found it interesting that many would say to me that “you have it made” since I am working from home and scheduling my own hours. To me, the opposite was the case. It was difficult for me to put down my work and stop for the day. However, we all need a “work and life” balance. Here are the top five time management tips that I have found to be successful.
- Have a designated “yours only” office space where household distractions won’t interfere!
- Make sure all of your communication devices (laptop/desktop/phone) have reliable connections with a good reception and are working properly.
- Plan out your day, and even week, ahead of time if possible, to avoid stress and duplication.
- Learn to and practice prioritizing your daily tasks! Note: The night before make a list of the top 10 things you must do the next day! These can be phone calls, service events that have to occur, client or team meetings, etc.
- Set boundaries for your valuable time and learn to say no. For example, with so much work being done virtually, there are tons of conference calls and/or video meetings that can be time consuming and take you away from your “real” work. Perhaps you do not need to be on each one or ask the coordinator to get it down to a 30-minute session instead of an hour.
Jenifer Brown is the president and owner of Health Tech Talent Management, LLC.
