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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

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I’ve been working remotely for six years now, so when the pandemic began, I felt ready to work from home and stay productive. I know that wasn’t the case for everyone.

Making the shift from an office to full-time remote work isn’t easy. There’s so many factors that influence productivity, and figuring out how to stay on top of things in a new set-up isn’t easy. So back at the beginning of the pandemic, I created a LinkedIn Learning course on this topic for people who were just thrown into WFH. It’s called Organizing Your Remote Office for Maximum Productivity.

I also recorded an episode of my LinkedIn Live show, Inside Scoop, about how to evaluate your remote work setup and make changes to improve your productivity.

Now that working from home is a permanent reality for so many of us, I want to challenge you to take stock of how it’s going for you. Consider these questions:

Are you as productive as you want to be?

Does your workspace help or hinder your productivity?

Are your digital systems organized in a way that supports your productivity?

Reflecting on these questions can help you locate where you may need to reconsider your strategies for productivity. Below are five ways you can become more intentional about your remote work productivity.

 

1.)     Identify your productivity style.

How do you work best? This is something I wrote all about in my book Listful Living. Here are some questions to get you started:

• What time of day do you do your best thinking?
• What in your office sparks joy?
• What is the view from your desk?
• What kind of lighting makes you feel your best?

Whether it’s having a view of some green space or lighting a candle, making small shifts to your workspace can have big effects on your productivity. Think about working in an office with harsh overhead lighting and no windows. That can really diminish productivity because it saps your energy. I want to help you build the opposite in your home office. The goal is an intentional space that is inviting and supportive.

I use these tips myself. In my new home office, I needed to really consider where I should arrange my furniture. It took a few tries to get my desk into a spot that felt right!

 

2.)     Create a video studio.

If you work remotely, your home office doubles as a video studio. You’re probably taking all kinds of video calls to conduct meetings and check in with your clients or colleagues. So take a moment to think about what kind of equipment and backdrop you need to appear professionally on those calls.

It’s important to up your game when it comes to virtual meetings — we’re way past the days when having your cat run around behind you was acceptable! Good video quality and audio quality, combined with a neat and professional backdrop, makes all the difference. 

I shared some of my favorite equipment and video tips here. Remember, you don’t need to spend a lot on this all at once. Just think about what improvements are important to you and go.

 

3.)     Set boundaries.

One of the biggest challenges for remote work is setting boundaries. Just because you aren’t clocking in and out of an office doesn’t mean you should be available 24/7!

It’s so important to set clear expectations with your colleagues and clients about when you will and won’t be available. This might look like an email signature sharing what hours and days you are reachable by email and phone, or automatic responses if someone gets in touch when you’re on vacation. 

 

4.)     Organize your digital life.

Remote work requires using a variety of communication platforms, from Zoom to Slack. Whether or not you have control over which of these platforms you use, you can always revisit the way you’re using them and take advantage of their features. For instance, do you use email folders? Do you send audio messages to colleagues? 

It’s essential to think creatively about digital platforms and communication if you’re working remotely. Being organized is important because your colleagues might be spread out across the country or the world — they can’t just pop over to your desk to ask you where a file is located.

 

5.)     Make an on-the-go strategy.

Working remotely doesn’t just mean working from home! You might be working from an Airbnb, a hotel, or the home of a family member. Having a checklist of items you need to bring to do your work from anywhere will save you so much time and trouble. This is something I go into in two of my LinkedIn Learning courses: Enhance Productivity in a Hybrid Work Environment and Be an Effective Hybrid or Virtual Employee. 

 

You can watch the full episode of Inside Scoop for more strategies!

 

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

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Moving is one of those things that seems destined to be stressful. It can be emotional, hectic, unpredictable, chaotic… you get it. But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

 

I’ve moved two times in the past year, and I want you to know that it is possible to make moving a little easier.

 

Here are my moving hacks:

 

1. Set yourself up for success.

The truth is that you probably have a ton of stuff in your home right now that you don’t use and don’t need. And when you’re actually packing up to move, you may not have time to be making decisions about what to save, what to toss, and how to organize what you’re keeping. You can set yourself up for so much less anxiety if you organize and get rid of what you don’t need before it’s time to pack.

 

In fact, before my husband and I moved out of the Manhattan apartment we’d lived in for almost ten years, we hired professional organizers to help us get everything in order. We used Swoon Spaces and they made our lives so much easier. Once we’d pared down to the essentials, it was so much easier to find and use everything. We spent about five hours with the organizers and when they left, they took all the things we decided not to keep and donated them for us. Doing this ahead of time means you’re moving less stuff, unpacking less stuff, and you’re not buying things you don’t need or can’t find.

 

Check out the recent television interview I did with PIX11 News in NYC with my best tips for moving.

 

2. Chunk your tasks — and be realistic.

This comes from my time as a TV producer. I would always work backward from the deadline for a segment going on air. It’s the same for moving. Once you know your moving day, you can begin creating lists with respect to all the deadlines — calling the movers, reserving an elevator if you live in an apartment building, etc. 

 

Then, aim to give yourself (and other people who are involved with the move) a couple of things each day. These should be realistic tasks that you can actually get done in the time you have.

 

3. Get out ahead.

When I moved from Miami back to New York, I shipped a bunch of things ahead of time with a company called Lug Less. They ship luggage and you can just fill up a suitcase and send it off. The only thing to note is that the luggage actually arrived a little ahead of schedule — just something to factor in. 

 

I also recorded an episode of my live-stream show Inside Scoop all about moving and how to do it without pulling your hair out. Check it out here. 

 

 

5. Label everything. 

Whether or not you hire movers, make sure that your boxes are labeled by room. If you do have movers, like I did, having color-coded sticky notes on each box (green for the kitchen, etc.) means that your movers won’t have to ask you where each box goes. I set up a little key on the wall with the color for each room and that meant I was freed up to work on other tasks while the movers went to work. The movers loved it too!

 

I also went a step further and made a searchable spreadsheet noting what was in each box. So for example, if I needed a spatula, I could search “spatula” in my spreadsheet and find that exact box it was in. That made things so much easier in the first few days!

 

6. Sort by “need now” and “need later.”

When you move, there will be some items you need right away and others that you won’t need for weeks or months. Labeling boxes by priority was another way I made sure I could easily access the most important things without having to open every single box. 

 

Another way I made things easier on myself was by packing overnight bags. That way, my husband and I had a few days worth of clothes and essentials so that we had what we needed separate from all the boxes. 

 

7. Optimize your space.

One of the best things I did before I moved was hire a virtual designer. It was more affordable than you might think! I used a company called Havenly. You send them the dimensions of the room and what you’re using it for, and they help you think about furniture and arrangements. This really helped me figure out what pieces should go where — and what I needed to buy to make it work for my needs. And don’t think you need to own a home to invest in this kind of service. I’m renting right now and it was so useful in helping me make the most of my office. 

 

Whether you just want some professional advice on storage or you need people to come in and actually install a whole organization system (which I did when I owned an apartment in NYC!), I highly recommend having a professional help you optimize your space. It’s so worth it in the long run!

 

Check out the entire episode of Inside Scoop here for more on how to make your move less stressful!

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BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

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