Work Together Anywhere

CHAPTER 4Remote Working 201: Perfecting Your Game

“As a remote worker, you have to combine working with getting enough rest. You have to know when you’re procrastinating and then consciously stop. Sometimes it means powering through, and sometimes it means taking a break. You need the self-knowledge to be able to take care of yourself properly.”

—MAARTEN KOOPMANS, owner, physicist, team lead, and software developer, Vrijhed.net¹

In the above quote, Maarten Koopmans touches on the fundamental task at hand: self-knowledge. In the end, rising to any challenge comes down to knowing what you’re made of—and constantly striving to improve.

As for the goal of perfecting your game, working remotely falls under three umbrella headings: how to deliver what your employer needs, how to tend to your own needs, and how to be a team player.

How to Deliver What Your Employer Needs

Referring back to the top traits of successful remote workers, our watchwords for this section are: motivation, organization, productivity, prioritization, and time management. First up: starting each workday.

MOTIVATION AND SELF-DISCIPLINE

“It takes discipline to do your work when there’s nobody there telling you what to do.”

—BEN LINDERS, trainer, coach, and advisor²

There’s a sense of discipline built into an on-site working environment. When working remotely, we have to come up with our own motivation and discipline. Fortunately, the advice on this is pretty unanimous:

• Have a set routine in the morning. ...