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7/23/2019 How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/how-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1/28 2015-11-15, 40 ow to become more motivated, creative & productive than ever before — Remotive Collection — Medium Page 1 ttps://medium.com/remotive-collection/how-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8 How to become more motivated, creative and productive than ever before by Ryan Wiggins In 2014, I quit my oce job and moved away from my home country (Australia) so my family and I could chase down some dreams. Since then I’ve settled in to life in one of the most remote (and beautiful) places on the planet . You

How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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Page 1: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 1ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

How to become moremotivated creative and

productive than ever before

by Ryan Wiggins

In 2014 I quit my office job and moved away from my home

country (Australia) so my family and I could chase down

some dreams Since then Irsquove settled in to life in one of the

most remote (and beautiful) places on the planet You

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 2ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

know one of those places where I could post those lsquoliving

the life of a digital nomadrsquo type photos from a laptop full

of sand

In stark contrast to the competitive fast-paced nature of

working in an office I now spend my days home-schooling

my daughter studying an MBA working with my business

partner to build our own company back in Australia writing

articles for my blog and monthly newsletter and squeezing

in some remote freelance consulting And I do it all from a

laptop in my home office

Without the structures and restrictions of the traditional of-fice I set my own priorities run my own agenda start work

when I want finish work when I want follow my own rou-

tine and never have the pressure of a boss or supervisor

looking over my shoulder I never get called into last minute

meetings nor am I ever distracted by co-workers or office

politics

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Just like almost a million other Australians and around

one in five Americans I work from home and it is awe-

some

But I havenrsquot always done it well Just like so many others

when I first considered working from home full-time I pic-

tured hanging-out on my couch in my tracky-dacks (sweats)

with a laptop and a cup of tea Sounds great right

Well I reproduced that exact scene for about the first month

of working from home and it was terrible It turns out doing

your best work at home takes more discipline than yoursquod re-alise After trying the lsquoslouch-on-the-couchrsquo approach I

found that my work and the way I felt about it suff ered

I was constantly distracted always procrastinating and hav-

ing to push hard right before deadlines to get things in on

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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time My stress levels were high and my motivation was low

Not a cool place to be especially since working from home

was supposed to be a dream come true So I did something

about it I created some rules started following some rou-

tines and redesigned my environment Now Irsquom more moti-

vated creative and productive than ever before

After I was interviewed by Paul Minors from The Productiv-

ity Podcast about how to be more productive while working

from home (click here to listen onlinemdashormdashclick here to

download the podcast) I put together this post to explore

some of the themes and tips that came out of our discussion

and share with you what I did and what you can do to be-come more productive at home

If you have any tips of your own for being productive while

working from home or if you have any questions or com-

ments be sure to highlight the passage of text that interests you select the comment option and pop them in to the com-

ments box that appears to the side of the article (awesome

Medium feature)

Without further ado here are my top tips for being produc-

tive while working from home

1 Dress for success Yes the idea of wearing whatever you want to work sounds

amazing and it is for a while But in my experience if yoursquore

wearing sweats on a daily basis (for example) it will only be

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a matter of time before your mood and your work starts to

reflect your attire Yoursquoll find yourself being lazy and produc-

ing sub-standard work

When you look good you feel good And when you feel

good you do good things As comfortable as your favorite

pajamas or sweats are they will hold you back from being

your best self and doing your best work

Irsquom not saying you need to suit-up every morning (thatrsquos forthe suckers who work in an officemdashno off ence) but you do

need to find a balance between utility (comfort) and profes-

sionalism (style) I find that the balance lies in the answers

to these two questions

1 Would I be comfortable welcoming my fathermother-in-

law (alternatively friends) into my home in what Irsquom wear-ing

2 Would I be comfortable popping down to the corner store

or the local cafe in what Irsquom wearing

If I canrsquot answer yes to these two questions I change To give

you an idea of how this looks for me most days I wear cargo

or dress shorts (I live in the tropics) and a clean pressed

logo-less T-shirt or polo When I have in-person meetings I

step it up to a pair of jeans and a blazer or just a polo if the

meetingrsquos via Skype or GoToMeeting or something like that

What you wear is completely up to you but I strongly encour-

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age you to use the two questions above to help you set the

tone for your day Yoursquoll be happier and more productive for

it

2 Create an energisingmorning routineMornings are the toughest part of my day Irsquom a night owl

always have been I do my best most creative work after

10pm (and love binge-watching any half decent television se-

ries which also keeps me up) so Irsquom awake until around 2am

at least a few nights out of the week

This makes it really tough for me to wakeup early and be

productive from the get-go All the more reason for me (and

you even if you are a morning person) to have a solid morn-

ing routine that helps you transition into work mode feeling

strong motivated creative and ready to hit the ground run-

ning

This is what my morning looks like right now

Wake up and get dressed

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashusually eggs a piece of toast and coff ee

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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Page 10ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 2: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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know one of those places where I could post those lsquoliving

the life of a digital nomadrsquo type photos from a laptop full

of sand

In stark contrast to the competitive fast-paced nature of

working in an office I now spend my days home-schooling

my daughter studying an MBA working with my business

partner to build our own company back in Australia writing

articles for my blog and monthly newsletter and squeezing

in some remote freelance consulting And I do it all from a

laptop in my home office

Without the structures and restrictions of the traditional of-fice I set my own priorities run my own agenda start work

when I want finish work when I want follow my own rou-

tine and never have the pressure of a boss or supervisor

looking over my shoulder I never get called into last minute

meetings nor am I ever distracted by co-workers or office

politics

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Just like almost a million other Australians and around

one in five Americans I work from home and it is awe-

some

But I havenrsquot always done it well Just like so many others

when I first considered working from home full-time I pic-

tured hanging-out on my couch in my tracky-dacks (sweats)

with a laptop and a cup of tea Sounds great right

Well I reproduced that exact scene for about the first month

of working from home and it was terrible It turns out doing

your best work at home takes more discipline than yoursquod re-alise After trying the lsquoslouch-on-the-couchrsquo approach I

found that my work and the way I felt about it suff ered

I was constantly distracted always procrastinating and hav-

ing to push hard right before deadlines to get things in on

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time My stress levels were high and my motivation was low

Not a cool place to be especially since working from home

was supposed to be a dream come true So I did something

about it I created some rules started following some rou-

tines and redesigned my environment Now Irsquom more moti-

vated creative and productive than ever before

After I was interviewed by Paul Minors from The Productiv-

ity Podcast about how to be more productive while working

from home (click here to listen onlinemdashormdashclick here to

download the podcast) I put together this post to explore

some of the themes and tips that came out of our discussion

and share with you what I did and what you can do to be-come more productive at home

If you have any tips of your own for being productive while

working from home or if you have any questions or com-

ments be sure to highlight the passage of text that interests you select the comment option and pop them in to the com-

ments box that appears to the side of the article (awesome

Medium feature)

Without further ado here are my top tips for being produc-

tive while working from home

1 Dress for success Yes the idea of wearing whatever you want to work sounds

amazing and it is for a while But in my experience if yoursquore

wearing sweats on a daily basis (for example) it will only be

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a matter of time before your mood and your work starts to

reflect your attire Yoursquoll find yourself being lazy and produc-

ing sub-standard work

When you look good you feel good And when you feel

good you do good things As comfortable as your favorite

pajamas or sweats are they will hold you back from being

your best self and doing your best work

Irsquom not saying you need to suit-up every morning (thatrsquos forthe suckers who work in an officemdashno off ence) but you do

need to find a balance between utility (comfort) and profes-

sionalism (style) I find that the balance lies in the answers

to these two questions

1 Would I be comfortable welcoming my fathermother-in-

law (alternatively friends) into my home in what Irsquom wear-ing

2 Would I be comfortable popping down to the corner store

or the local cafe in what Irsquom wearing

If I canrsquot answer yes to these two questions I change To give

you an idea of how this looks for me most days I wear cargo

or dress shorts (I live in the tropics) and a clean pressed

logo-less T-shirt or polo When I have in-person meetings I

step it up to a pair of jeans and a blazer or just a polo if the

meetingrsquos via Skype or GoToMeeting or something like that

What you wear is completely up to you but I strongly encour-

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age you to use the two questions above to help you set the

tone for your day Yoursquoll be happier and more productive for

it

2 Create an energisingmorning routineMornings are the toughest part of my day Irsquom a night owl

always have been I do my best most creative work after

10pm (and love binge-watching any half decent television se-

ries which also keeps me up) so Irsquom awake until around 2am

at least a few nights out of the week

This makes it really tough for me to wakeup early and be

productive from the get-go All the more reason for me (and

you even if you are a morning person) to have a solid morn-

ing routine that helps you transition into work mode feeling

strong motivated creative and ready to hit the ground run-

ning

This is what my morning looks like right now

Wake up and get dressed

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashusually eggs a piece of toast and coff ee

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 3: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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Just like almost a million other Australians and around

one in five Americans I work from home and it is awe-

some

But I havenrsquot always done it well Just like so many others

when I first considered working from home full-time I pic-

tured hanging-out on my couch in my tracky-dacks (sweats)

with a laptop and a cup of tea Sounds great right

Well I reproduced that exact scene for about the first month

of working from home and it was terrible It turns out doing

your best work at home takes more discipline than yoursquod re-alise After trying the lsquoslouch-on-the-couchrsquo approach I

found that my work and the way I felt about it suff ered

I was constantly distracted always procrastinating and hav-

ing to push hard right before deadlines to get things in on

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time My stress levels were high and my motivation was low

Not a cool place to be especially since working from home

was supposed to be a dream come true So I did something

about it I created some rules started following some rou-

tines and redesigned my environment Now Irsquom more moti-

vated creative and productive than ever before

After I was interviewed by Paul Minors from The Productiv-

ity Podcast about how to be more productive while working

from home (click here to listen onlinemdashormdashclick here to

download the podcast) I put together this post to explore

some of the themes and tips that came out of our discussion

and share with you what I did and what you can do to be-come more productive at home

If you have any tips of your own for being productive while

working from home or if you have any questions or com-

ments be sure to highlight the passage of text that interests you select the comment option and pop them in to the com-

ments box that appears to the side of the article (awesome

Medium feature)

Without further ado here are my top tips for being produc-

tive while working from home

1 Dress for success Yes the idea of wearing whatever you want to work sounds

amazing and it is for a while But in my experience if yoursquore

wearing sweats on a daily basis (for example) it will only be

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a matter of time before your mood and your work starts to

reflect your attire Yoursquoll find yourself being lazy and produc-

ing sub-standard work

When you look good you feel good And when you feel

good you do good things As comfortable as your favorite

pajamas or sweats are they will hold you back from being

your best self and doing your best work

Irsquom not saying you need to suit-up every morning (thatrsquos forthe suckers who work in an officemdashno off ence) but you do

need to find a balance between utility (comfort) and profes-

sionalism (style) I find that the balance lies in the answers

to these two questions

1 Would I be comfortable welcoming my fathermother-in-

law (alternatively friends) into my home in what Irsquom wear-ing

2 Would I be comfortable popping down to the corner store

or the local cafe in what Irsquom wearing

If I canrsquot answer yes to these two questions I change To give

you an idea of how this looks for me most days I wear cargo

or dress shorts (I live in the tropics) and a clean pressed

logo-less T-shirt or polo When I have in-person meetings I

step it up to a pair of jeans and a blazer or just a polo if the

meetingrsquos via Skype or GoToMeeting or something like that

What you wear is completely up to you but I strongly encour-

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age you to use the two questions above to help you set the

tone for your day Yoursquoll be happier and more productive for

it

2 Create an energisingmorning routineMornings are the toughest part of my day Irsquom a night owl

always have been I do my best most creative work after

10pm (and love binge-watching any half decent television se-

ries which also keeps me up) so Irsquom awake until around 2am

at least a few nights out of the week

This makes it really tough for me to wakeup early and be

productive from the get-go All the more reason for me (and

you even if you are a morning person) to have a solid morn-

ing routine that helps you transition into work mode feeling

strong motivated creative and ready to hit the ground run-

ning

This is what my morning looks like right now

Wake up and get dressed

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashusually eggs a piece of toast and coff ee

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Page 8ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Page 9ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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Page 10ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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Page 11ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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Page 12ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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Page 13ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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Page 14ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 4: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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time My stress levels were high and my motivation was low

Not a cool place to be especially since working from home

was supposed to be a dream come true So I did something

about it I created some rules started following some rou-

tines and redesigned my environment Now Irsquom more moti-

vated creative and productive than ever before

After I was interviewed by Paul Minors from The Productiv-

ity Podcast about how to be more productive while working

from home (click here to listen onlinemdashormdashclick here to

download the podcast) I put together this post to explore

some of the themes and tips that came out of our discussion

and share with you what I did and what you can do to be-come more productive at home

If you have any tips of your own for being productive while

working from home or if you have any questions or com-

ments be sure to highlight the passage of text that interests you select the comment option and pop them in to the com-

ments box that appears to the side of the article (awesome

Medium feature)

Without further ado here are my top tips for being produc-

tive while working from home

1 Dress for success Yes the idea of wearing whatever you want to work sounds

amazing and it is for a while But in my experience if yoursquore

wearing sweats on a daily basis (for example) it will only be

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a matter of time before your mood and your work starts to

reflect your attire Yoursquoll find yourself being lazy and produc-

ing sub-standard work

When you look good you feel good And when you feel

good you do good things As comfortable as your favorite

pajamas or sweats are they will hold you back from being

your best self and doing your best work

Irsquom not saying you need to suit-up every morning (thatrsquos forthe suckers who work in an officemdashno off ence) but you do

need to find a balance between utility (comfort) and profes-

sionalism (style) I find that the balance lies in the answers

to these two questions

1 Would I be comfortable welcoming my fathermother-in-

law (alternatively friends) into my home in what Irsquom wear-ing

2 Would I be comfortable popping down to the corner store

or the local cafe in what Irsquom wearing

If I canrsquot answer yes to these two questions I change To give

you an idea of how this looks for me most days I wear cargo

or dress shorts (I live in the tropics) and a clean pressed

logo-less T-shirt or polo When I have in-person meetings I

step it up to a pair of jeans and a blazer or just a polo if the

meetingrsquos via Skype or GoToMeeting or something like that

What you wear is completely up to you but I strongly encour-

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age you to use the two questions above to help you set the

tone for your day Yoursquoll be happier and more productive for

it

2 Create an energisingmorning routineMornings are the toughest part of my day Irsquom a night owl

always have been I do my best most creative work after

10pm (and love binge-watching any half decent television se-

ries which also keeps me up) so Irsquom awake until around 2am

at least a few nights out of the week

This makes it really tough for me to wakeup early and be

productive from the get-go All the more reason for me (and

you even if you are a morning person) to have a solid morn-

ing routine that helps you transition into work mode feeling

strong motivated creative and ready to hit the ground run-

ning

This is what my morning looks like right now

Wake up and get dressed

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashusually eggs a piece of toast and coff ee

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

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Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

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Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 5: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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a matter of time before your mood and your work starts to

reflect your attire Yoursquoll find yourself being lazy and produc-

ing sub-standard work

When you look good you feel good And when you feel

good you do good things As comfortable as your favorite

pajamas or sweats are they will hold you back from being

your best self and doing your best work

Irsquom not saying you need to suit-up every morning (thatrsquos forthe suckers who work in an officemdashno off ence) but you do

need to find a balance between utility (comfort) and profes-

sionalism (style) I find that the balance lies in the answers

to these two questions

1 Would I be comfortable welcoming my fathermother-in-

law (alternatively friends) into my home in what Irsquom wear-ing

2 Would I be comfortable popping down to the corner store

or the local cafe in what Irsquom wearing

If I canrsquot answer yes to these two questions I change To give

you an idea of how this looks for me most days I wear cargo

or dress shorts (I live in the tropics) and a clean pressed

logo-less T-shirt or polo When I have in-person meetings I

step it up to a pair of jeans and a blazer or just a polo if the

meetingrsquos via Skype or GoToMeeting or something like that

What you wear is completely up to you but I strongly encour-

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age you to use the two questions above to help you set the

tone for your day Yoursquoll be happier and more productive for

it

2 Create an energisingmorning routineMornings are the toughest part of my day Irsquom a night owl

always have been I do my best most creative work after

10pm (and love binge-watching any half decent television se-

ries which also keeps me up) so Irsquom awake until around 2am

at least a few nights out of the week

This makes it really tough for me to wakeup early and be

productive from the get-go All the more reason for me (and

you even if you are a morning person) to have a solid morn-

ing routine that helps you transition into work mode feeling

strong motivated creative and ready to hit the ground run-

ning

This is what my morning looks like right now

Wake up and get dressed

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashusually eggs a piece of toast and coff ee

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 6: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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age you to use the two questions above to help you set the

tone for your day Yoursquoll be happier and more productive for

it

2 Create an energisingmorning routineMornings are the toughest part of my day Irsquom a night owl

always have been I do my best most creative work after

10pm (and love binge-watching any half decent television se-

ries which also keeps me up) so Irsquom awake until around 2am

at least a few nights out of the week

This makes it really tough for me to wakeup early and be

productive from the get-go All the more reason for me (and

you even if you are a morning person) to have a solid morn-

ing routine that helps you transition into work mode feeling

strong motivated creative and ready to hit the ground run-

ning

This is what my morning looks like right now

Wake up and get dressed

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashusually eggs a piece of toast and coff ee

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 7: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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Spend a bit if time with my wife (morning time before

our little one wakes up can sometimes be the only quiet

time we get together all day)

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Set myself up and get to work

This isnrsquot such a bad morning routine and for now it serves

its purpose But Irsquom always one to try and improve If yoursquove

read anything at all about the habits of the worlds mostproductive people yoursquoll know that most of them have a

killer morning routine that includes an early start and some

attention paid to the following three elements physical in-

tellectual spiritual

This usually translates into doing some kind of exercise

reading something that facilitates learning and practicing

meditation or some other way of becoming grounded or ex-

pressing gratitude for lifersquos blessings

So being the aspirational type Irsquove mapped out what Irsquod likemy mornings to look like and Irsquom working towards making

this routine habitual My ideal morning looks something like

this

bull

bull

bull

bull

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

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Page 8: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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Wake up

Water on my face and drink a big glass of cold water

Pilatesmdash20 minutes

Quick shower and get dressed (hotcold)

Make breakfast while my wife gets ready for work

Breakfastmdashsomething healthy

Plan out my day (over breakfast)

Spend a bit of time with my wife before she heads off for

work

My wife heads off for work

Tidy up after breakfast

Meditation

mdash

10 minutes

Set my self up and get to work

As you can see Irsquom currently far form my ideal morning but

I persist in trying to make my morning routine better be-

cause I know it will make me better

The more I work at the ideal morning routine Irsquove designed

the more likely I am to form the habits I need to make my

ideal morning the norm Irsquove formulated a process for get-

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

bull

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 9: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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ting to my ideal morning To design and stick to your own

ideal morning routine try this

Write down what your morning looks like now Being

honest with onersquos self is the first step toward self-im-

provement and what gets measured gets managed So

by taking stock of what you do now yoursquoll see what

needs to change and how you can take action

Write down what yoursquod like your morning to look like

Your ideal morning Be ambitious and do some research

Pick morning activities that make you want to wake up

which help you to become healthier and happier and

that help you transition into your workday There are a

plethora of books and online resources out there that

can help Download Paul Minorrsquos book summary of

The Miracle Morning and see where that takes you Irsquove

also found MyMorningRoutinecom rsquos weekly newsletter

useful for inspiration and motivation

Re-write your current morning routine but with the ad-dition of one new element from the ideal morning rou-

tine yoursquove just created The first time I started this

process I added drinking a big glass of cold water Irsquod

read that doing this every morning would help me

wake up and would activate my metabolism both of

which sounded like big impact for little eff ort This made

it an easy win and put me on track to adding other morechallenging elements to my morning

Put your new morning routine up on your bedroom wall

or cupboard door so you can see it everyday and make it

easy to follow when you wake up Irsquom incapable of think-

1

2

3

4

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

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Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

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To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

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Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

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Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

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think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

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I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

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Page 10: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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ing for around half-an-hour after I wake up so I use it

like a morning checklist so I donrsquot have to think I just

follow Repetition builds habits

Stick with this new morning routine for one or two

weeks or until the new element becomes a habit andpermanent part of your morning Then introduce one

more new element from your ideal morning and repeat

By focusing on adding just one new element to your morn-

ing routine at a time yoursquore more likely to actually do it and

make it a habit Donrsquot be discouraged if you fail on the up-

take of your new morning routine in the short term Form-

ing new habits takes time and your perseverance will be

worth it to start your day with more energy more focus and

better productivity

3 Create a dedicated

workspaceWhile I was at university I developed this really bad habit of

studying on couches and at coff ee tables As a result when I

got my first office job I really struggled to focus and work

comfortably at a desk

My co-workers would on a pretty regular basis find me

working with headphones in the staff lounge or the cafe

5

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1628

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Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

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Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

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Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

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Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

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Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

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Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 11: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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down stairs I eventually

got used to working at a

desk (although I still

slipped out to more com-

fortable surrounds every

now and then and worked

from home whenever I

could) but never really felt

100 comfortable in my

office

When I started working

from home full-time I wasexcited to be back on the

couch Kicking my feet up

while reading laptop on

my lap while writing the

TV at a low roar in the

background (which I justified by saying it helped my keep

up with current aff airs) It was wonderful until deadlinesstarted looming and my focus was nowhere to be found

So I did some research As it turns out when you have re-

laxed or lazy body language you naturally become more

relaxed about your work and your productivity suff ers

The other thing that bothered me over time about working

from my lounge room was that I had to constantly set-up

and then pack-away my stuff before and after working

which was both annoying and time consuming

Between my lazy posture and spending who knows how long

setting up and packing up my productivity was suff ering

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Page 12ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

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what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

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when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1628

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Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

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Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

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Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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Page 12: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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Page 12ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

So I built a little nook I bought some pine from the hard-

ware store and got to work putting together some simple

shelves and a little desk

It was perfect It didnrsquot take up a lot of space but it was big

enough for me to be comfortable With that as my primary

work option I was able to move between my nook the

couch and sometimes my backyard or the local cafe (dis-

cussed later) as I needed and never had to set-up or pack-up

my work stuff again

Irsquove recently moved house and now work at a desk in a room

which doubles as our classroom and my offi

ce Knowing thatthe room is only for work and home-schooling helps me to

separate life from work

When your work is always in sight itrsquos always on your mind

Having a dedicated workspace and being able to simply shut

the door when Irsquom not working means I can compartmen-

talise life and my work and can focus on whatrsquos important at

any given time

4 Keep your workspaceclean and organisedThis is one of the best ways to boost productivity People

tend to focus too much on what app they can use to boosttheir productivity when often itrsquos their physical environment

thatrsquos holding them back

Studies have shown that the average worker loses about

an hour a day to disorganisation Consider for a moment

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 13ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 14ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

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Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 13: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1328

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Page 13ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

what that means in productivity terms

Letrsquos say for argumentrsquos sake that you work 5 days per week

and get paid $30 an hour (even if yoursquore a freelancer being

paid by the contract you should still calculate what yoursquore

making per hour worked to maximize your productivity)

Losing that hour a day to disorganisation costs you 5 work-

ing hours every week (thatrsquos more than half a dayrsquos work)

10 hours a fortnight (getting that back could earn you a

long-weekend twice per month) and 260 hours per year

If you work from home for someone else thatrsquos time you

could be spending with your family working out tending to

your garden going out with friends or reading your

favourite book If you work from home as a freelancer that

lost hour per day is costing you $150 per week $300 perfortnight or $7800 per year If yoursquore a business owner with

10 employees theyrsquore costing you $78000 a year in lost pro-

ductivity

If those figures donrsquot make you want to get better organised

I donrsquot know what will Try these tips for optimising your

workspace for maximum productivity

Think of your workspace as a command centre Therersquos a

reason institutions like the military police or fire depart-

ments enforce strict organisational practices Itrsquos because

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 14ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1628

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Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

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Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

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Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

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Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

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Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

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Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

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Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 14: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 14ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

when the shit hits the fan they need to be ready to go at a

momentrsquos notice

Imagine being called to put out a fire only to find that you

still havenrsquot rolled up your hose and donrsquot know where your

helmet is If yoursquore an aspiring high performer you also need

to be ready to go at a momentrsquos notice

Over time our offices and desks get so full of useless non-

essential garbage itrsquos not funny Cull it all and get rid of

everything you donrsquot need Be ruthless Old documentsmdashfile

them or chuck them Too many pens

mdash

keep a few on yourdesk and put the rest in your drawer or a cupboard

Also take some time to organise your cords and cables Use

velcro cable-ties to bunch cords together and pick a spot on

your desk (preferably on your dominant hand sidemdashmore

on that later) to keep devices on charge and on-hand

When I was a younger man I would use the single bucket

technique for organising my aff airs You know the one Ok

Irsquoll explain Take income tax for example Receipts and pay-

slips came in I put them all in a single unmarked shoe-box

along with any and everything else (including non-tax re-

lated stuff ) I thought might be important enough to hold on

to and when 30 June came around I would spend hours

sorting receipts throwing half of them away because they

were useless and usually finding a bunch of important docu-

ments missing What and waste of time

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 15: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 15ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

A few years ago I came to my senses and started trying dif-

ferent processes and systems that actually helped me organ-

ise my aff airs in a way that saved time saved eff ort and

which led to better outcomes

If you havenrsquotrsquo read it already David Allenrsquos Getting Things

Done the art of stress-free productivity is a great starting

point for creating systems that will help you do a better job

of managing your aff airs (turns out I was on the right track

though He too uses a bucket system just with more buck-

ets Download the book summary for free here yoursquoll

see)

A work space thatrsquos set up in the right way helps to reduce

your risk of injury save you time and energy and make you

more productive Try these tips for setting up your work-

space

Get your monitor and keyboard into comfortable posi-tions Offices often have workspace assessors who make

recommendations about how to set up your desk to re-

duce the risk of injury While thatrsquos reason enough

knowing how to set up a safe workspace will also en-

hance your productivity Do some research on workspace

setup and consider getting someone in to set you up

properly Your back eyes and whichever wrist you use to

control your mouse will thank you later

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 16: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 16ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

To reduce clutter only keep on your desk the office sup-

plies that you use on a daily basis Keep supplies you use

weekly in your desk drawer and all others in a cupboard

Keep regularly used stationery and your devices on your

dominant-hand side of your desk to reduce reaching

across your body Sounds small but it will save you time

and energy

Keep your desk clear but be sure to include anything you

need to facilitate the operation of your systems ie in-

trays and file holders (donrsquot go too minimalist) Avoid

keeping too many personal trinkets on your desk mdash

theyrsquore just a distraction and yoursquore already at home so

therersquos no need to be reminded about how cute your cat

is

Itrsquos common for employees in government departments and

some big companies to have to ensure that all desks are clear

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 17: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 17ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

and clean before they go home You should do the same in

your home office With a clear desk yoursquoll be able to focus

on work when itrsquos work time and forget about work when itrsquos

not

It will be a pain in your proverbial at first but once yoursquove

been practicing a clear-desk policy for a couple of weeks it

should only take you 5 minutes in the morning and evening

to pull out and put away what ever it is yoursquore working on at

the time If it helps you to save an hour a day itrsquos a winning

investment of your time

Even after changing your mindset de-cluttering putting sys-

tems in place and setting up your desk properly yoursquore still

going to get a build up of unnecessary papers and things lay-

ing around over time Schedule a workspace clean up in

your calendar once a month or so to keep your desk in tip-

top shape

5 Create and follow aroutineProductivity does not come naturally to me Irsquove always been

a creature of habit at times they just havenrsquot been good

ones Thatrsquos changed a lot over the past few years As the ne-

cessity to work either on the road or from home has in-

creased so has my focus and concentration on being as

productive as possible

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 18ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Bill Gates famously said and Irsquom paraphrasing that he will

always hire a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy

person will find the easiest way to do it As a person of quite

considerable laziness I can tell you that the easiest way to

manage heavy workloads competing priorities and still

make room for the important things in life is to create and

follow a routine

Just like my morning routine which Irsquove all but automated

and continue to work on I try to schedule as much of my

day as possible This helps me to know what I should be

working on where Irsquom meant to be and when Since most of

my activities are scheduled in at the same time most days

my schedule has turned into a very simple daily routine

thatrsquos easy for me to follow

There are a bunch of easy-to-use apps out there that can

help you schedule your day but in the end following a rou-

tine comes down to your own priorities Herersquos how Irsquove de-

veloped my daily routine

We all have priorities but most of us are terrible at putting

the things that are most important to us first Myself includ-

ed So when I set out to create my routine I started by list-

ing the top few things that are most important to me in

priority order For me these are 1 home-schooling my

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 1928

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 19ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

daughter and supporting my wifersquos career 2 studying and

personal development 3 building my business and 4 my

blog I keep this list written on a post-it on the wall above

my desk to remind me of whatrsquos most important

Since there is no question in my mind about what is most

important to me the time I allocate to the activities I under-

take on a daily basis is easily prioritised When I designed

my routine my second step was to allocate blocks of time

during my day for each activity starting with my first priori-

ty then second and so on So not only am I following a

daily routine the routine I have helps me take care of the

things that matter most at a time thatrsquos optimal

One of the great things about working from home is that

you can set your own agenda and work when it suits you

My third step in designing my daily routine was to take a

good hard look at myself to figure out when Irsquom most fo-

cused and productive For me thatrsquos at night time So I

schedule most of my study and work hours in the evening

typically after 1030pm when everythingrsquos quiet and my

family has gone to sleep (luckily this also suits my daughter

who for obvious reasons likes to home-school during day

light hours)

For you this might mean getting up at 5am getting all your

work done by lunchtime and spending your afternoon play-

ing golf However it looks for you take advantage of your

situation working from home by using your most productive

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2028

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 20ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

hours for work and the rest for play Lifersquos too short to slog it

out through energy slumps

I literally schedule every part of my day into my calendar

Even sleep Once something is scheduled into my calendar

no lower priority activity can touch a block of time Irsquove put

aside for higher priority activities I set alarms and re-

minders that go off throughout the day to remind me when

certain activities should start and end and even when to

eat

ldquoI literally schedule every part of my day intomy calendar Even sleeprdquo

You can be as detailed (or not) as you like itrsquos just a matter

of finding what you need to drag yourself into your most

productive state

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2128

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 21ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

6 Beware domestic dutiesThis isnrsquot a very sexy tip but itrsquos one of my most important

pieces of advice When you work in an office you only have

to worry about the cleanliness of your desk When you work

from home the dishes vacuuming dusting cleaning mop-

ping and laundry will distract you And thatrsquos not to mention

the endless list of errands you need to run and bills that you

need to pay

Here are some strategies Irsquove used that might work for you

too

First I (you guessed it) schedule my domestic duties I

make them part of my daily routine so that when it

comes time to work I can focus on the task at hand and

Irsquom not tempted to do the dishes when I pop into the

kitchen to make a cup of tea

Second Irsquove outsourced and automated what I can I

have a cleaner who comes in for a few hours a week to

take some of the load off Depending on where you live

this may not be an aff ordable option but then again how

much work could you get done and how much extra in-

come would that generate if you owned the hours yoursquod

normally spend cleaning Something to think about

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2228

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 22ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Third Irsquove set up automatic bill payments so I donrsquot

waste energy and time paying bills

Your home is full of distraction and personal aff airs sit atop

the list Unless you have a plan for taking care of your do-

mestic duties either your home life or your work will suff er

(probably both) Scheduling domestic duties into your rou-

tine will ensure you can take care of everything yoursquore re-

sponsible for

7 Get out of the houseWorking from home can be the greatest freedom or the dark-est prison I remember not long after I first started working

from home spending 3 full days inside my own house with-

out a single breath of fresh outside air or a natural ray of

sunlight because I was working to a deadline I finished the

work but by the end I felt terrible

When yoursquore loaded up with work have deadlines loomingand yoursquore working a lot of hours the advantages of working

from home can work against you Take commuting for exam-

ple When you work form home you avoid having to com-

mute to work which saves you time money and an

unpleasant trainbuscarboat ride

On the other hand that commute can help you get your

head into work mode force you to get some sun and fresh

air and allow you to interact with people without having to

make an eff ort or make the decision to do those things

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2328

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 23ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Try and get out of the house a few times a day for a break

and some fresh air Having hobbies or interests can make

this easier I keep a vegetable patch that I need to water

everyday to keep healthy I keep chickens and collect their

eggs from around the yard everyday I also happen to love

good coff ee so (when Irsquom back in Australia) Irsquoll pop out to a

local cafe for coff ee and sometimes work from their Wi-Fi

for a change of scenery

8 Stay healthy You can try all the tips and tricks for productivity in the

world but at the end of the day nothing can overcome an

unhealthy lifestyle What you eat feeds your brain and has

a direct impact on your concentration focus creativity

thought processes and problem solving ability

When you exercise you activate information processing

and memory functions in your brain that help you to focus

and be productive A poor diet and no exercise needless tosay has the opposite eff ects

Living a healthy lifestyle doesnrsquot have to be difficult but

when you work from home self-discipline is key A lot of

people I know who work in an office complain about the

endless cycle of morning and afternoon teas and how they

get in the way of eating healthily throughout the day If you

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2428

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 24ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

think it will be easier

when you work form

home yoursquore wrong

Imagine an entire pantry

full of delicious food and

no one around to judge

you Before you know it

yoursquoll be throwing down

large plates of pasta eat-

ing chips and sweets for

snacks and hitting your afternoon beverage an hour or two

earlier than usual

Try these tips for eating better when working from home

Keep plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your fridge

and pantry Make them easier to access than carbohy-

drate heavy snacks like corn chips ramen noodles and

frozen dim-sims

Use regular breaks from work to graze Donrsquot let yourself

become hungry and yoursquoll avoid binge eating

Eat a balance of macro-nutrients (macros) at every meal

Macros are your three major nutrient types protein car-

bohydrate and fats By consuming meals that consist of

balanced macros your body keeps the hormones that

influence your metabolism in good balance Get your

protein from lean meat and poultry your carbohydrates

from non-starchy vegetables fruits and legumes and

healthy fats from the likes of fish nuts avocado and

olive oil

bull

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

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7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2528

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 25ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

Use an app like Myfitnesspalcom to track your food in-

take What gets measured gets managed so keeping a

journal of your food should help to keep your eating in-

check

Consider a daily multi-vitamin and daily consumption of fish oil capsules which aid brain function

When it comes to exercise all you need is around 20 min-

utes a day to get the juices flowing If you have time for two

20 minute sessions or 45 minutes in the gym great but donrsquot

spend more than an hour working out mdash your eff orts are

wasted after that

Irsquom ending this article with this tip because itrsquos super impor-

tant and I didnrsquot want it to get lost in the middle Living a

healthy lifestyle is the number one best thing you can do for

your productivity not to mention your general well-being

Working from home can be a treat if you do it right You can

save time and money on your morning and afternoon com-

mute avoid the distraction of coworkers and unnecessary

meetings and have complete control over how you run your

day

Done the wrong way the distractions of work will be re-

placed with even worse distractions at home and yoursquoll find

yourself procrastinating on the couch instead of being pro-

ductive

bull

bull

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2628

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 26ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

I hope the advice in this post helps you to be more produc-

tive while working from home If yoursquod like to learn more I

go into more depth on some of these tips in my conversation

with Paul Minors on The Productivity Podcast

Paul Minorsrsquo The Productivity Podcast will help you to be-

come a Jedi Master of productivity Paul interviews leading

high performers to explore the secrets behind being ultra

productive super motivated how to manage your time bet-

ter how to set and achieve your goals and more

mdash

Thank you for taking the time to read my article which orig-inally appeared on ryanjrwigginscom If you liked it please

share the love by pressing the recommend button so others

can enjoy it too Thanks

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2728

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 27ttpsmediumcomremotive-collectionhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-504a1bdd07c8

What to Read Next My 4 step guide to cuttingyour email traffic in half

How I Became The Masterof My Inbox

by Ryan Wiggins

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

Page 28: How to Become More Motivated, Creative & Productive Than Ever Before — Remotive Collection — Medium

7232019 How to Become More Motivated Creative amp Productive Than Ever Before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullhow-to-become-more-motivated-creative-productive-than-ever-before-remotive 2828

2015-11-15 49830980ow to become more motivated creative amp productive than ever before mdash Remotive Collection mdash Medium