Working from home… Cough… Cough…

By Matter

It is the cold and flu season, you know.

Rather than risk totally taking out my entire office, I was thankfully afforded the opportunity to work from home yesterday. How did I make my day working from home super productive? Here’s a chronology and some tips that you may find useful when you’re also faced with “Should I stay, or should I go…” Yeah, you’ll be singing it all day long now. Sorry!

1. Begin your day just as you would if you were going into the office. For me, it’s early. 5:20 a.m. Ouch. Shower. Skip the shave. Dress in business casual khakis and button down shirt. No shoes/no problem. Cape Cod Times. Can(s) of Diet Coke. Two granola bars. Kiss wife and kids goodbye.

2. Commute 1 foot to my home office promptly at 7:10 a.m. (same time as if I were driving to work). Shut door to home office. Lock door to home office. Turn on lights, open shades and crack  windows in home office. Sit in very comfy chair at comfy desk.

3. Fire up trusty work laptop and personal laptop. Solid and speedy internet connection – check. Connect to VPN. Plug iPhone into laptop. Great 3G reception – check. Call office and ask coworker to forward my phone to my iPhone. IM. Outlook email and calendar. Notebook open, pen in hand (two in ready reserve). To-do list for the day.

4. Work. Read. Think. Type. Talk. Send. Repeat.

5. Unlock and open door to home office for late lunch at 2:45. Say hello to kids returning home from school. Microwave homemade chicken noodle soup leftover from last night – yum. Breathe. Talk. Laugh. Play. Repeat.

6. Shut and lock the door to home office at 3:30. Read. Think. Type. Talk. Send. Repeat.

7. Unlock and open door to home office at 5:50. Commute 15 feet to refrigerator. Open beverage of choice. Pour. Sip. Sigh. Eat. Enjoy. Sleep.

8. Repeat (if necessary).

It’s what works for me. It’s how I can work so well, even while feeling not so well, from home!

Do you have any other ideas?