It has been 2 years since Covid-19 hit. Singapore has gone through many phases from working remotely, going back to the office to a total lockdown. It has left us mentally exhausted from the ever-changing rules which require us to adapt to a new set of regulations as quickly as we can.
Often when you work from home, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. It can be a blessing and a curse. Working in a digital marketing company enables me to work remotely from the start even before covid hits, so I adopted these habits early and it has helped me to get through the working days.
With this guide, I’ll show you how to develop good habits, be more productive and enjoy your time working remotely or at home with five essential tips:
1) Start your day well
Many of us spend the first hours of our day in bed, but there is a huge difference between a messy bed and a clean one. In the early morning hours, before the sun rises and when your mind is fresh, it's easier to get up, and get ready for the day. Grab a fresh set of clothes (no PJs! look presentable even though you will only have social interactions through a computer screen) Eat a hearty breakfast. Even better start your day with a 15-minute exercise and a little bit of caffeine. This simple ritual makes a difference.
2) Invest in a good Project Management tool
Time is money, and managing time well can cut down your stress levels. There is plenty of good project management tool that does its job. But the one that I personally recommend is Asana. Asana is the only project management tool that has a built-in system for tracking your tasks, setting your priorities, and delegating work to the right team members at the right time. Its features are designed to help teams collaborate better.
This is a project management tool that is easy to use. If you want an easy way to manage your projects and tasks, this is a good option. Click here to register Asana.
3) Use Whatsapp Group Messenger only to communicate admin and urgent matters
Whatsapp is not just for communication with family members and friends, but also with business contacts. Only use Whatsapp with your clients to communicate urgent and admin matters. All other client's work-related tasks should be move to a Trello Dashboard.
4) Use Trello Dashboard, 1 board per client
Trello is a project management app that allows you to organize your ideas, collaborate with your teammates, and prioritize the most important tasks. With Trello, you can break down large projects into manageable parts, share your boards with team members, and see what's getting done. Trello is available everywhere - on the web, on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Chrome OS, Kindle Fire tablets, and more. You can also use Trello along with other apps you already use like Google Drive and Slack. Use 1 board to represent 1 client. Divide each board into different columns like the image below:
Shift each task to the next board according to your priorities and allow your client to do the same when they have given their feedback on each task. Click here to register Trello.
5) Use Everhour or Clockify to track time
Be accountable! Track your time for every task at hand even going through emails, attending meetings, organizing, and delegating projects. With that, you are able to track how many hours you clocked in while doing work. The best part is you are able to see a summary or an overview of the number of hours worked for each client. Click here to register Everhour. Click here to register Clockify.