The Earth Day festival grounds in Santa Barbara, California, were packed. Big-name corporations and small-town grassroots tabled side-by-side, peddling the same message: with so many easy ways to go green, anyone in any work situation can do something for the environment.

The significance of this idea was not lost on the revelers, who take commitment to environmentalism seriously. Earth Day is Santa Barbara's largest festival, having started four decades ago after the 1969 oil spill (the third largest spill behind Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez). Since then, the movement has only grown as new issues have come to light and as more and more people discovered ways to reduce our impact.

Of these advances, workshifting may be one of the simplest to follow that has immediate benefits for both the individual and the environment. I work at Citrix Online in Santa Barbara, where these advantages of workshifting are well-known. As employees, we appreciate the chance to workshift, for reasons as diverse the workers ourselves. And as residents of Santa Barbara, we recognize our responsibility to cut down on our carbon footprints. Workshifting helps combine these interests, simplifying our obligations to both our jobs and our environment.

Many others in Santa Barbara are well aware of this useful combination. According to the 2005-2009 American Community Survey, close to 7 percent of workers here worked at home. That's more than who took public transportation, walked or biked. It's also three times the national average. In a community that helped start Earth Day, workshifting has taken hold.

This year's Telwork Research Network Study on the benefits of workshifting reveals the whole picture. The study splits the United States into three groups - nation, businesses and individuals - and then analyzes how workshifting supports each. Among the myriad of statistics the researchers produced on saved costs and employee bonuses I found environmental figures that are startling in their reach. The country could:

Reduce greenhouse gases to the equivalent of the entire New York state workforce off the road

• Cut Persian Gulf imports by 46%
• Save 281 million barrels of oil a year
• Reduce road travel by 91 billion miles a year

Clearly, the environment could use a little workshifting.

As our dependency on fossil fuels continues to grow, I can only foresee the practice of workshifting becoming more and more important. The cost of gas will ensure this change occurs; just watch - as the prices climb higher this summer, everyone and their dog will be looking for an alternative way to work. Here in Santa Barbara, we've already been forced to accept that reality. The award for the most expensive gas sold in the country regularly goes to the station closest to me, and the city as a whole currently fights for first place with Honolulu as the most expensive city for gas on average. Coupled with the Earth Day movement, it's no wonder why so many people here workshift.

Help make a difference in your local community and change your commute if you haven't already. And if you start hearing complaints of high gas prices from neighbors, clue them in, too. Can you envision how your local city would be if more people workshifted? How do you think it'd change things?

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

I'm a pacing queen. Not of hallways and offices, but of miles on my feet at a steady, predictable clip that can stretch for hours. I'm a believer in watches, and chrono settings, and perfectly spaced intervals of pathway.

Then one day my watch croaked about 3 minutes into a 2-hour run.

Time management is great, and it can be a critical tool to keep us from getting lost in tweets or stuck listening to someone ramble on for 20 minutes in a meeting. And there's a whole industry built up around helping us block out critical task time, organize for efficiency, and even take breaks. Workshifting's own Heather Rast has talked about testing Pomodoro to try to get her to-do list under control.

There are even apps to guide us through brainstorming "exercises."

As a workshifter, we spend a lot of time creating systems to keep ourselves focused and on track. They're safety nets, barriers against the chaos of an unstructured life. I've written about it too. But innovation doesn't happen in 25-minute chunks. Sometimes we need to stop doing stuff and just concept, create, go with the flow, and see what happens.

The day my watch croaked I just kept running. It was exhilarating, and I came home brimming with energy and new ideas to test out.

Can you work without a net?

Photo Credit: prescottspies

Although I may not have read every entry that has been published on Workshifting.com, I have read enough of them to glean a solid idea of the types of individual who choose, and often fight, to walk down this road of workshifting still less travelled.

So, I began to wonder - how many of us who now cherish our workshifting lifestyles had to once try to convince ourselves to acclimate to the constraints of a former, more-accepted "9-to-5" gig, and in many cases suffered in silence? I reflected on my senior year of high school, where I felt such intense pressure to succeed in AP Calculus - somehow it did not matter that AP English and AP History could be aced while I was napping, because my entire self-esteem and worthiness seemed to hinge on that darn Calc class. And it simply was not in my DNA to master Calculus. Had I known then what I know now, I would not have wasted time in an area that simply did not mesh with my inherent strengths and passions. Rather, I would have focused on growing those strengths and passions instead of using up precious energy swimming against the Calculus current and draining my mental reserves.

So, what does AP Calculus have to do with workshifting, you ask? How many of us - and I quote - "did not know what we were missing (!!!)" until we found our way into a flexible work schedule? How many of us still feel we are stealing a guilty pleasure whose riches do not befall the everyman just because we can decide whether to work from 4 AM to 12 noon or 2 PM to midnight, or whenever else we may choose? Why should it matter as long as our deadlines are met and our clients satisfied?

A veteran of the 9-to-5 world, I struggled with my own perception of these competing lifestyles well into my workshifting tenure, not sure if I deserved the privilege and certainly concerned about how long I could justify it and make it last; until along came a veteran workshifter and graphic designer who simply stated to me: "I do my best work when I am in charge of my schedule and do not have to watch someone else's wall clock." Constraint was the poison to her creativity...as it was mine....but, it took her simple statement to propel me out of 12th grade AP Calc and into the present: where one size does not fit all. And it's in the present where I've learned that the people who set their own stopwatch and prioritize the use of their own time and talents will always win the race.

What challenges did you face in choosing workshifting for your lifestyle?

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

Can flexible workplaces change the way we do business? This question was recently explored during a mid-morning discussion on Minnesota Public Radio.

Best Buy and The Gap are no strangers to a results-only workplace environment, or ROWE, and progressively more companies are discovering the benefits of this type of arrangement. Rather than placing emphasis on such particulars as when and where employees do their work, the focus is on employee results. And, big surprise, it turns out that workers are actually happier, more productive and loyal to their employers under a ROWE model.

But regardless of the many benefits, there are managers out there who are resistant to dipping even a toe in ROWE waters. Perhaps it's because flexibility of time and place alters the makeup of a traditional manager's raison d'tre, which is to see with his own eyes that employees are toiling away at their desks.

But whether or not these industrious employees are actually working on work-work at their desks seems secondary to their proximity to said desks. Employees who look busy might not be working at all, but instead busily tending virtual farms, intently checking team scores or absorbed in the latest online issue of their favorite magazine. Even so, settling into a desk at the designated time appears to trump the relevance of results. Quite frankly, in some work environments, it's less about working and more about keeping up appearances.

This could explain why the notion of results-only is considered by some to be a radical shift from the traditional workplace model. Of course, it certainly shouldn't be. It seems silly to even have to write that. Employees are hired for a particular job with the expectation that they will, in fact, get the job done efficiently and effectively.

I've had my share of jobs that were bound by firm start and end times, but the job functions themselves weren't inherently tied to a particular time of day. And the tasks I was hired to do - writing, editing, proofreading and researching - were definitely not bound by place. Even so, there was no doubt that I was expected to be present and ostensibly working from start time to end time.

I don't want to shock anyone, so brace yourselves: Looking busy is a workplace strategy employed by many workers in every conceivable industry. It's just shocking, I know. And some people are true masters of this workplace deception, though it seems that avoiding work just becomes another form of work that issues forth its own unique strain of workplace stress.

Pretending to be busy just to satisfy the clock and a narrow-minded manager really is a colossal waste of precious time -- and not just the company's. We workers have just a finite amount of time here on earth. Why squander the best parts of our days looking busy? I have no doubt that focusing on workplace minutia rather than on results, accountability and productivity has made many managers into pricy babysitters and many employees into toddlers who need constant supervision to make sure they're coloring within the lines.

Experts suggest that a ROWE model increases overall productivity because it intensifies an employee's relationship with work in that they feel a far greater sense of ownership and control over their work, and therefore, a greater accountability to producing desirable results. Or maybe they just feel all grown up.

Does your team or company work in a ROWE model? What have been your experiences with it?

Photo Credit: wbaiv

Customer service is an important skill for anyone. Your job description might not have the words "customer service" in it, but service is always part of what you do. Even if you don't face your company's customers, you still have internal ones. These people could be your bosses, other departments, or peers. Since this is the case, let's look at a few tips on how to provide excellent customer service.

Make It Easy

Give your customers clear channels to communicate with you. No matter what method you may prefer-- chat, email, or phone--you need to let people know how to reach you in times of need.

Respond

You need to be available when workshifting. Since you aren't in the office down the hall or the cube next door, stay accessible and respond in a reasonable amount of time. Set deadlines for when you will get back to people and then hold yourself accountable to them.

Solve Problems and Find Solutions

Reactive customer service is solving problems when they come to you. Proactive customer service, better yet, is about finding solutions to issues beforehand. Listening to customers allows you to anticipate potential issues before they arise. In being proactive, you come out a hero.

Remember

Find a way to keep track of customer interactions. On a small scale, a simple spreadsheet may suffice, but if you're a larger operation you may need to use a customer relation management tool. This accomplishes two things:

1. It shows the customer you are in it for the long term when you remember key information and communications.
   
   
2. It helps you save time when dealing with similar issues.

If you work, you are in customer service; it is not an optional commitment. These are just four tips to help you stay ahead of the curve. The sad thing is that customer service is so poor in most places that even if you are just average, you look like a star. And you are not average, so why not start providing excellent customer service now?

What are some of your customer service tips?

Photo Credit: nffcnnr

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe I've been workshifting for almost ten years. That's how long I've had my consulting business. For me, work happens in many different places: home, airports, hotels, coffee shops, and sometimes client sites. One thing I learned early in my consulting life, which still holds true today, is that workshifting is about problem solving.

I'm not talking about the problem solving I do for clients (although that's certainly a type); I'm talking about the everyday problem solving that impacts me. Things like:

• I'm spending a lot of time on accounting and administrative work and not enough time on marketing and sales.
  
  
• I'd like to save more of my revenue for retirement.
  
  
• I need to find more time to read articles relevant to my business and my own professional development.
  
  
• There's a challenge working with [Insert name of person here] that's keeping me from doing my best work.

As much as we may not like to admit it, these problems exist all the time. And in order for us to resolve them, we must problem solve. For those in the workshifting world, the distance often means we have to figure out these matters on our own or reach out to a trusted friend or colleague for advice.

But regardless of whether we handle it alone or with the help of others, we have to know the steps for problem solving in order to manage the process correctly. Over the next two posts, I'll cover the six steps to effective problem solving. Today, let's talk about the first two, which deal with gathering information.

Analyze the situation

Ask yourself the following questions about the problem:

• Who is involved?
  
  
• What exactly is wrong?
  
  
• When did the problem first start happening?
  
  
• Where is the problem taking place?
  
  
• Is there a pattern to the problem?

To use the professional development example above, I have to determine if I'm the only person involved or if there are other people/responsibilities keeping me from reading more. I also have to be honest with myself and determine if this is a time or a motivation issue. It's important to decide if this problem is related to a change in the travel schedule--less travel time means less time to read in airports and elsewhere--or if it's something else. The solution is not as simple as just saying "read more." Figuring out the details about the situation will help move you closer to solving the problem.

Identify your goal for fixing the problem

Paint a picture of what things would look like if the problem were corrected. Ask yourself another set of questions to help formulate your goal:

• What would look different?
  
  
• What would feel different?
  
  
• What would be different?
  
  
• When is this happening?
  
  
• Where is it happening?

Let's use a different example: spending too much time on accounting and not enough on business. The best-case scenario might involve less paperwork, better time management when bills are due, and less stress about ensuring invoices are sent.

Asking yourself targeted questions and being honest with them will produce the answers you need for the next four steps, which involve developing and implementing a plan to correct the problem. I've always found these first two steps to be the most difficult. Sometimes I'm not ready to talk about the problem; other times I just don't want to deal with what's going on.

But once I'm ready, I've sometimes faced situations where the only thing I wanted was to just not deal with the problem anymore. Obviously, that's not good enough. I need to have some sort of goal for fixing the problem.

So the next time you've got a problem that's bothering you, don't just rush to do something. Take a moment to think about the situation and what you'd like to see happen. This creates the foundation for actually solving the problem.

Photo Credit: themanikone

"I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time." - Charlie Brown (Charles Schulz)

Up to 90% of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related symptoms and the major cause of stress is worry. We all know that worrying serves no purpose, but that doesn't make it easy to stop a worry habit. Here are 9 techniques for worry busting:

Swap worrying time for thinking time

Nuroscientists have proven that worry is worse than useless when it comes to resolving big problems--it is counterproductive. Worry impairs our reasoning abilities. If you have a big worry, think about it instead. Get into problem solving mode. It helps enormously to talk to someone else while problem solving rather than to try to do so in your thoughts alone.

Walk down the memory lane of your previous worries.

Can you remember what you were worried about this time last year? If you can actually remember them, which were worth the worry? Remember the old saying: "Today is the tomorrow that we worried about yesterday."

Brainstorm all your worries

Brainstorm all your worries, big and little. Now for each worry write down what you can do about it. Don't just sit there worrying--do something about it!

Accept the worry

Accept the worry when it is beyond your control.

Write your worries down

Write your worries down and ask a friend to read each one out loud. As they do so, ask them to role-play the worry. They should act as if they are you, and you play the devil's advocate to challenge each worry. The aim of the game is for you to have the final say as the devil's advocate. The purpose of this is to retrain your mind into positive, solution-led thinking.

Play with your worry voice

Play with your worry voice. Give the voice a character with a life.

For the sake of illustration, I like to call mine Dobby (after the negative little house-elf from Harry Potter). Now try having a conversation with Dobby, who might start off like this:

"But master, what if the Dark Lord comes tonight?" Hear Dobby's high-pitched, little whiny voice, see his big ears and his wringing hands. He's a bit ridiculous, isn't he? How would Harry Potter respond to Dobby?

How will you respond to your Dobby equivalent? Give him a bloomin' good kicking, that's how. Kick that Dobby voice NOW!

Turn the volume up and down

Turn the volume on the worry voice up and down, change the pitch of the voice, get it to sing. How about getting the voice to sing its lyrics to the tune of Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky"? Once you've had a good old play, go back to the volume and turn it right down until you can't hear that worry voice at all!

Halt the repetitive worry cycle

When your worries become almost mechanical, with a rhythm that goes on and on (when you're getting the same thoughts again and again), do something physical or just plain daft. Here are a few ideas:

• Run up and down the stairs.
  
  
• Snap an elastic band on your wrist--ouch!
  
  
• Sing the alphabet backwards in the style of Pavarotti.
  
  
• Touch your tongue to your nose, wiggle your ears, raise one eyebrow, try a handstand (best done at home rather than at work for this one). Just do something physical that requires some concentration. I bet you can't worry at the same time!

The possibilities are endless; the key is to get out of your own way!

Perform a worry autopsy

Write down what you are worried about in a notebook. What is the worst that could happen because of these worries?

• Think about how you would handle this worst-case scenario.
  
  
• Decide where you have control over this worry. What can you do to reduce the chances of this worry becoming a reality? Where can you take action?
  
  
• Look at the worrisome thoughts that you feel you can't take any action on. Which of these have you inflated or distorted? Which have little basis in reality?
  
  
• Write opposites or alternatives to the worrisome thoughts.
  
  
• Learn the alternatives by heart. Each time you catch yourself worrying replace the original worry with the new positive thought.

Photo Credit: Photo Plod

I'm not your typical home-based worker. What do you imagine when you think of a home-based worker? I used to think of a work-at-home mother, because my mom worked from home through most of my childhood. Times have changed since then. Younger people are working from home and you no longer have to rewind a movie. Yes, I'm not very old, but I'm at least old enough to remember VHS.

I've spent the last eight months working from home on the East Coast for a company on the West Coast and it's been really tough. I'm moving back to the West Coast in May, so I started thinking about what I can take away from this experience. What has workshifting taught me? And probably more important to this post specifically, how did I progress my career while I was in my 20s and almost 3,000 miles from company headquarters? Here's what I've learned so far about workshifting your way up in a big company:

1. Over-communicate even at the risk of being annoying.
   
   This one was tough for me. I'm the type of person who only sends or presents material when I think it's perfect. But that doesn't work remotely. People don't ask for your opinion as often as they would have when you're across the country. I found that some people within the company were duplicating my efforts because I was waiting to share my vision for something. Every morning I think about the projects I'm working on and then immediately think about who I need to touch base with for those projects. Set up weekly meetings even if you don't have a formal agenda every time. Open communication inspires new ideas and different perspectives. Without proactive communication from home, you're likely to get only two perspectives: yours and your dog's.
   
   
2. You need at least one hour each day without interruption.
   
   I assume many people would say you need more but let's start with just one. In the corporate office, I would move from meeting to meeting with very little time in-between to spend working on my initiatives alone. The move to the East Coast changed this dramatically. My West Coast coworkers aren't in until 8:30 AM (PDT), and that's on a good day. In the mornings, I get almost all of my action items taken care of before I even start a meeting. This helps not only by increasing my productivity but also by allowing me to focus during meetings without a laundry list of items spinning in my head. You're never too busy to sacrifice one hour for no interruptions.
   
   
3. Find sponsors within the company and find reasons to work with them.
   
   There are a handful of people within my company that I regularly connect with on a deeper level beyond the scope of my day-to-day work. These people become critical to your success when you go remote. I work with people like this for a few reasons. First, they make my job more enjoyable. You miss the personal connections when you work from home. Working with people that take a genuine interest in you and your development can make even a phone call more engaging and delightful. Second, these people sing your praises. When you're not in the office every day, you need advocates who think of you, drop your name in conversation, and elicit your feedback when they're working on something tough.
   
   
4. Make more presentations.
   
   Yes, I get paid to say this, but I truly believe it. Being remote does not mean you can't present your ideas. In fact, it's meant the opposite for me. One realization I had immediately after I left the corporate headquarters was that I didn't have to be in the same room as someone nor schedule a special meeting to deliver my ideas. I actually presented a project to our executive staff over an online meeting during my first month in DC, and that project has since become one of my most successful to date.

The world has changed. Ideas and results are clearly a priority over face time now. What's holding you back from your next promotion? Working from home is no longer an excuse.

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

I've survived seven Minnesota winters. And during the many long, blustery winter months, I have had the pleasure and privilege of workshifting daily. That means I have not had to leave the house in the dark of the morning to coax my car to start. I have not had to feel the cold, stiff car seat beneath multiple layers of sensible winter clothing. And in the premature dark of winter evenings, I have not had to join the hoards of motorists on icy highways eager to return to the warmth of home.

But that doesn't mean I haven't known the joys of commuting in my pre-workshifting life.

Bus

There were winters on Chicago's lakefront that would knock one flat with the sheer force of an arctic blast, not unlike the Peppermint Patty commercials. With a bundled face pointed stoically in the direction of the lake, I set out every morning to catch my early express bus to my downtown office. When traffic was heavier than usual, the ride took 45 minutes. Rainy days meant no seat. In fact, I was lucky in any inclement weather to push my way through the door of the bus and inch my feet across the driver's "squeeze past or get off my bus" line. A good day was finding a clean seat with minimal etched graffiti and trying to read while jostling down the street, swaying with sharp corner turns, and steering clear of people's bags and briefcases as they moved down the aisle. And then there were days when the express bus was late or had gone past my stop 10 minutes early, leaving me at the mercy of the regular bus, which made stops on seemingly every city block.

Train

Sometimes I switched up the routine and grabbed the Red Line (part subway, part elevated train). The experience was similar to that of the bus, but the views were different. When we were underground, the view was confined to the people in the car; aboveground, the view was a blur of dizzying backyards, balconies, and second-floor offices. It wasn't a bad commute unless the train was overly crowded--or when it was hot, late in the evening, raining, cold, or an hour before/after a Cubs game--which was, of course, much of the time.

Bike

There were times, too, when I biked to work along the Southern California coast. The exercise was a perk, but without a shower before the workday, my commute stuck with me all day. I didn't have a private office at the time, so storing work clothes or even changing out of riding clothes posed a professional challenge.

Carpool

Right out of graduate school and before the days of busing downtown or biking down the coast, I was simply eager to join the workforce, regardless of the commute. One of my grad school buddies pulled a favor and got me a series of interviews at her company. My friend had a car and lived a block away from me. If I got the gig, she said, we could carpool together. On the day of my interviews, she picked me up at 7:30 AM. My first interview was scheduled for 9 AM. We hit the highway along with tens of thousands of other people and began a slow crawl into the belly of the suburbs. An hour later, we pulled into her company's parking lot.

Looking back, I realize that my early working life was sharply focused on my work commute and the associated stress it caused me - running late, not running at all or simply being uncomfortable. Getting home felt so good. Maybe that's why now being home all the time feels even better.

What was your best (or worst) commute?

Photo Credit: keith011764

Listen up, consultants and solopreneurs. It's time you learned to carefully, thoughtfully say No.

That's right. In this economy, when the cost of gas is up and hourly rates are down and the check isn't quite in the mail as promised, you need to learn to say No.

On the cheap

Erika Napoletano (aka Readhead Writing) covered part of my meaning in her recent post about the C-word. She addresses the stunning paradox between the less tangible soft services those of us in the communications/web space provide and the more concrete services delivered by a surgeon or dentist. And while we'll moan from the anesthesia and the bill, we won't quibble with the doc. His bill is his bill, and we know darn well we have to pay it (after all, we went to the best guy we could afford - who do you want working on your body, eh?).

So why the heck do prospective clients quibble with our proposals or say things like, "That shouldn't take long, right? You can still do it within your allotted hours." Sure shooting they don't say to the surgeon "You can do a little nip/tuck while you're in there, can't you?"

Who's zooming who?

Someone in the SoloPR LinkedIn group started a thread the other day about a client of hers pushing boundaries in just this manner. Seeking the advice of fellow solo practitioners, the consultant described a situation where her client keeps asking for more and more work but is closed-minded to adjusting the monthly retainer to accommodate the additional tasks. In fact, the client takes umbrage at the idea, despite the pro's meticulous itemization of tasks and requisite hours. The edge of the sword - the client remits payment on time, and for this the consultant is grateful, making her reluctant to push the issue to square up scope with compensation.

What kind of situation are we in when we can't present a well-considered case to a client? Especially, as with the case with this consultant, a client of 2 years? A bedrock of trust and respect should be poured by that time. Furthermore, where does gratitude enter the equation with timely payment? For services rendered throughout the month, isn't timely payment a fair shake? If there are questions, shouldn't it be on an item level rather than a broad stroke shortchanging of time requirements?

Enough already

Say it with me, kids. No.

No to the price-minded, unless you're ready to let that price become your standard rate for that client and those they may refer to you. I'm not suggesting that you leave good judgment at the door or practice price gouging - on the contrary. Just be aware that if you discount your hourly rate by 15% to land the project, it could be very difficult to get the client to see you as worthy of full price, no matter what the results are.

No to the manipulative, assuming narcissists who may draw you in with a seemingly defined project, to then put you through your paces with add-ons and extra stipulations (and drama!) while denying you a fair right to re-estimation. These are usually the ones that offer up assurances of repeat business right off the bat, at first handshake. The carrot before the stick. Only their kind of business will end up costing you time you can't recoup and keep you running like a hamster on a wheel.

Keep your dignity and sanity when you smell this type of situation brewing. Some opportunities are worth the risk in order to gain exposure to a new pool of prospects, nab a portfolio-worthy piece, or fill in gaps between assignments. Other opportunities are just plain risk with no reward.

Photo Credit: AshtonPal

Workshifters are an independent lot. We have to be, since we're writing the rules for the way we work--and likely the way more and more people will work in the future. Yet lots of people don't get it, don't get us, and don't believe that you can actually get stuff done when your office is alternately a home room, a park bench, a coffeehouse, and Seat 22B on a plane.

Today's post comes via a comment from Jon Humberstone, who posed the following question:

"I have worked solo for many years, and it is still a challenge to stay focused, disciplined and productive. However, I chose to work for myself specifically so that I wouldn't have to work 9 - 5. I resist the idea that I have to work a specific set of hours in order to be productive. I'm still searching for a more personalized way of creating patterns, routines, and strategies that help me stay productive without having to adopt the very work schedule I wanted to avoid. Thoughts?"

My reply: Being solo and working from home (or anywhere else you choose) isn't about avoiding routine--it's about being able to set your own routine.

I've found that, without some structure, it's hard to stay focused. So maybe you optimize around your biorhythms (I'm way more productive in the a.m.), or prioritize around key tasks or gym time. When I'm training for a race, for example, I look at the calendar and try to figure out the best day to run weather-wise. Then I try to block out that time on my calendar each week. And I often work on Sunday mornings, because it's quiet time when my mind is clear to write.

That's my two cents. What advice would you give Jon?

Photo Credit: khalid almasoud

As an admittedly and often frenzied workshifter and project manager, I have many conflicting priorities - which, by definition - all take priority! So, I often find myself turning to personal growth and guidance techniques for solace from the chaos, and routines and rituals to help me stay productive. In a recent article by career consultants, Three Giant Leaps, I was reminded that:

"Before you can become who you are meant to be, you need to sift through who you have been. So much of what you need to know about the next steps to a better career future can be uncovered in your history."

I could not agree more, and this statement would also resonate with anyone who spends time in self-reflection ...but, it led me to wondering how many of my fellow workshifters consciously chose [or in some cases, lobbied for ] this particular modus operandi based on their past experiences in the traditional workplace. Whether one had a corner office or cubicle, was a high profile executive or grunt worker - surely we all reached a point where we just knew. We knew that the road to productivity was not only open from 9am to 5pm; we knew that just one ounce of flexibility could lead to gallons of extra output, and we knew that sometimes, we could place life/family/fun before work but not necessarily at the expense of it.

There is no shame in knowing oneself, what works, what does not and having the courage to create a new model for yourself against societal norms. Because, it all comes down to one fundamental truth: if you heed , respect and nurture your best working environment, then your output will reflect your best work - and any employer/contractor should want nothing less.

How did you know that your next step was workshifting?

Photo Credit: Lachlan Hardy

Since I started working from home full time about 3 years ago, my lifestyle has undergone some pretty significant adjustments. Finally, my time is my own - I can make my own schedule, and carve out time in the day to fit in all of the personal and work responsibilities I have. Most days, I feel like I'm accomplishing more and doing most of it in less time than it used to take me when I worked according to someone else's schedule. It's fantastic!

But, like all home-based workers, I still struggle with finding and maintaining my focus at times. We all know the typical advice for staying focused when working from home - things like minimizing distractions like the TV, Twitter and Facebook, and separating your office from the rest of your house are helpful in making sure that when we're working at home, we're not hardly working. But there are a few other things that I've found exceptionally helpful in becoming a more effective home-based worker.

Find Your Best Time

We all have it. The time of day when we are at our best. Some people are morning people. They are like the army - getting more done between 5 AM and 9 AM than most people do all day. I fall into that category. Sometimes I'll put in a good 3 or 4 hours before the phone starts ringing and the email starts chiming. On days like this, I find that I'm generally in less of a hurry for the rest of the day, because I got some of the major tasks of the day out of the way before chaos ensued.

Others might find that they have the same results when working from 2 PM to 6 PM, or 9 PM to 1 AM. Find your magic hours each day, and try your best to work during those times. You'll find when you work in your best time, you can often get twice as much done in half the time. And that is a pretty good place to be!

Be Comfortable

One of the things I love best about being home-based is that I can work comfortably. That means, I can wear comfortable clothing, sit in a comfortable chair, and take my breaks in comfortable spots too - whether by a sunny window, lounging in the back yard with the dog, or lying down on my bed for a quick power nap.

Take advantage of the comforts of your own home. Comfort equals less stress, and less stress equals a much more positive working experience.

Put Some Processes in Place

When you work at home, it can be easy for seemingly small things to pile up and eventually get out of control. Without the standard office processes and procedures that we have when working in an office environment, it's easy to let things slip. Company policies to keep files neatly tucked inside cabinets, or business processes that include logging and filing incoming mail and creating naming conventions for electronic files exist for a reason - because they help businesses to run more smoothly. If your in-basket is overflowing with last month's receipts, and you are spending hours a day looking for misplaced documents, then you aren't running your shop efficiently.

By coming up with a few in-house business processes, you can ensure that the little things, like filing and tracking, don't suddenly become big problems.

There you have it - just a few simple ways you can help to ensure that the time you're spending at home working is just as rewarding and satisfying as the time you're spending at home living.

Photo Credit: Citrix Online