3 Things To Know About Working Online Or Remotely

By Danielle Wirsansky on July 20, 2016

Different people do better in different work environments, whether going to work with other employees every day or working remotely. While the internet is flourishing, all sorts of new opportunities to work online or work remotely are burgeoning with it. It is not abnormal for someone to work for a company in say, California, while they themselves work in Florida. They never have to go into an office — they may never even meet a real coworker in real life.

But working online or remotely can be a great chance to work for a company you are passionate about that you might never have had the opportunity or even to work at all if you have a difficult schedule or are housebound. But if you want to work online or remotely, there are a few things you need to know in order to be able to do it successfully. Read on to learn three things you should know about working online or remotely.

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Create yourself a work space.

Working online or working remotely can be great because you do not have to travel to an office every day. You do not have to commute. You have options. You get to choose where you want to work. Ostensibly, you can probably work wherever you have a decent WiFi connection. But what is important is establishing yourself a space that is designated for work. Besides being convenient, this space needs to be a spot where you can be productive and get done what you need to get done.

Whatever works best for you is always the best choice. Just because you work remotely does not mean you have to work at home. Maybe you cannot resist the temptation of the TV in your living room. Maybe whoever you share your living space with is not quiet or considerate of your working time. Find the place where you can be your best, whether that is sitting in bed, at your desk, on your couch, the local library, a nearby coffee shop — you name it. Just remember that it is important to keep a separation of your space and time between work and recreation.

Limit distractions.

Even though you are working online or remotely and you have no one to check up on you as you work, you still need to monitor yourself and make sure your distractions are limited so you get done the work that you have to get done. This can be a big factor that influences what location you choose as your workspace. Whatever kind of environment you need to foster in order to be productive, make sure that you have it. Do you need music blasting with a certain beat to stay focused? Play it. Do you need absolute silence and stillness? Find a quiet spot. Do not convince yourself that playing a few episodes of “Criminal Minds” while you work in the background is just white noise.

Is having internet a distraction for you? You can try and block certain websites from your computer for particular times of the day when you are scheduled to work. You can turn your phone off or make it silence notifications. The most important thing is that you get your work done when you need to.

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Stay on track.

It can be really easy to get too relaxed about your job when you work online or remotely. There is no one constantly checking up on you as you are doing your work. You can work in your pajamas lying in bed eating ice cream if you want. Do not get caught up in the freedom and independence that working online or remotely can give you.

At the end of the day, this company is putting their trust in you that you will get your work completed and completed when it is due. You do not want to fall behind and not get the work done that you made a commitment to do. If you are too lax with yourself, your productivity could plummet. And because this company is putting so much faith in you by allowing you to work from home, relatively unmonitored, they will be quick to let you go if you are not meeting their standards or getting their work assignments completed.

Do what you have to in order to stay motivated and get your work done. Have to time yourself? Set goals and rewards? Have a written down checklist? Keep everything organized in a planner? Do what it takes to work or you will soon find yourself fired, unemployed, and without money or a reference. Avoid this at all costs and just stay on track with your work. Find the process that works for you and stick with it.

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