By Jeff Pincus, Chief Utility Player
As WFG’s resident recluse, I’ve been practicing social distancing for my entire adult life. The prospect of not leaving the house for the next couple of months sounds to me like what my normal next couple of months would have most likely looked like anyway.
I have been wrangling with Joe for a decade to let me work at home full time, so other than the fact that we’re in a worldwide health crisis, the markets are tanking and Disney World is closed, this is really my dream come true.
But, in all seriousness, let’s focus on the topic at hand: what the heck is a Chief Utility Player, anyway? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure, but compliance wouldn’t let me call myself the Office Factotem so this was the next best choice.
I was going to have some sort of witty transition here to talk about my work at home tips, but I really can’t think of anything. How about, here come the tips!
SERIOUS PART OF THE ARTICLE STARTS HERE>>>
Many of you reading this are not used to working long stretches at home, so I wanted to share a few tips that I’ve picked up over the years:
- Keep a normal work schedule – treat it just like you’re going to the office, just skip the commute
- Instead of your morning commute, excercise instead – after a good workout and shower, you are focused and energized to start your day
- If you don’t have a home office, DO NOT work at the kitchen/dining room table – choose a designated work area to get in the right mindset (if you are easily distracted, preferably a place where you can close the door)
- Keep the same morning work routine as when you are at the office – if you usually start your day meeting with another team member, you can still do that using Skype
- Take your normal lunch break – keep the time the same, don’t stay at your desk and take advantage of being at home with your family
- Stay organized with tasks – you’ll find that time flies when you work at home, it’s much easier to get into “the zone” when no one is popping into your office
- Work through your evening commute and then stop – have a super productive day, then enjoy your evening with your family
- Lather, Rinse, Repeat
OKAY, NOW BACK TO THE LEVITY>>>
Do you know what I really hate? Movies that end without closure. I don’t want to try to figure out what happens next, I want them to tell me what happened.
THE END