Getting ready to work outside of the (home) office
One of the great things about being a freelancer is that you have often have the option to work wherever you want. Many of stick close to home — either in an actual home office, or a quiet corner somewhere. When the weather’s warmer, I take a laptop or a netbook out on to my enclosed porch and work for hours.
Sometimes, though, we need a change of pace or a change of scene. That could mean taking off to a library, a coffee shop, or a co-working space. But simply decamping and setting yourself up at an open desk or table isn’t going to help you get more done. There are just as many distractions outside of the home office as there are in it.
If you need to get out of the home office, but also find that you lose a little (or more) focus, you’re not alone. Here are some things you can do before hand to get ready to work outside of the home office.
Have a plan
Don’t just head out the door thinking I’m going to get some work done today! You won’t. At least, not as much as you want to. You’ll bounce around various projects or tasks and only get bits and pieces done.
Map out what you want to do. Focus on one or two tasks. These should be the ones that you have to get out of the way as soon as possible. It could be an article or blog post with an upcoming deadline. It could be some copy that a client wants in the next day or two. Or it could be several thorny sections or chapters of a manual that you’re working on.
No matter what you need to get done, make a list. Put the top or top two items on it. If they’re small tasks, then put three or four on the list. What goes first will depend on you. I like to tackle the easiest tasks first. Once they’re out of the way, then I can concentrate on the more difficult one(s). Some people I know do the opposite.
A list is good, but also have an outline. The outline is a detailed breakdown of everything that makes up a task. Put only the bits of work that you want to tackle in the outline. That way, you won’t get too overwhelmed.
You don’t need to get fancy. I usually write everything down in a Moleskine notebook. Speaking of which, I should break out that new one …
Travel light
As I mentioned in a previous post, hauling a lot of gear around town isn’t fun. Try to keep things to a bare minimum:
- A laptop or netbook
- A mobile phone or smartphone
- An MP3 player
- A paper notebook and pen
Remember, you don’t want to be that guy or gal.
Deal with distractions
There are always going to be distractions. It could be people talking, background or outside noise, or just people walking around. The co-working space that my business partner and I use has all of the above. Plus the occasional dog wandering around the space.
Some ways of dealing with distractions include:
- Carrying an MP3 player and a good pair of headphones handy. Just don’t play the music too loud. The sound that leaks out could distract others
- Choosing a table or seat away from high traffic areas. If you feel comfortable doing it, sit with your back to the door
- Working during off-peak hours. That will vary from space to space, and could take a while to figure out. In some cases, there might not be an off-peak time
- Learning to block out sounds and sights. When I was growing up, my father had a lot of power tools. He always seemed to use them when I was studying or reading. I quickly learned how to keep those sounds from distracting or bothering me. It’s not easy, and sometimes you slip — as I was writing this post at a co-working space, someone at a nearby desk was joking with a friend and doing bird calls. I couldn’t help but stop writing and laugh
Ignore the Internet
Email. Social networking sites. RSS feeds. All are subtle but powerful ways to disrupt your flow of work, whether you’re working in the home office or out of it.
When you’re out of the office, disable the wireless on you laptop or netbook. Turn off your mobile phone or smartphone. Set specific times at which you can check email or Twitter — say, every hour or 90 minutes. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in that time.
Have snacks and water with you
Next to checking email or social networking sites, getting up to have a drink or find something to eat disrupts my flow of work the most. I usually try to have some fruit or a couple of Clif Bars, along with a bottle of water, with me when I’m working outside the house. That way, I can keep hydrated and nourished without significantly slowing down my work.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t eat a proper meal, though. Just try to time longer meal breaks around your work.
Do you have anything to add to this? If so, feel free to leave a comment.
Photo credit: Andrey Kiselev from Photoxpress
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