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I’m a big fan of minimalism. The benefits of owning only what you need to accomplish your greatest purposes are always better than the consequences of buying things you don’t need. I was introduced to minimalism by my neighbor 16 years ago, and my family of four was changed immediately. As a result, I write often about the benefits of minimalism. Here are just a few of those articles: 21 Life-Giving Benefits of Owning Less Minimalism vs. Consumerism: The Benefits of Choosing a Simple Life 12 Ways My Life Has Changed After 15 Years of Minimalism But every so often, I am challenged with a comment. The comment, on its premise, is incorrect and any deep-dive into my writing would show that. But still, it persists. 
The comment sounds something like this: Minimalism isn’t a magic solution for happiness, no matter how often you imply it is. And so I thought it might be helpful, once and for all, to make it clear that I do not believe minimalism is a magic solution for happiness. By overcoming the pursuit and accumulation of material possessions, we free up valuable resources in our life. By buying less, we have greater flexibility with our limited money. By owning less, we free up time for other things and remove the stress that comes from caring for more than we need. And by desiring less, we are able to direct our affections and passions elsewhere. But none of those changes automatically result in a better life. We are still required to be intentional with the lives that we live. If we replace the pursuit of physical possessions with the pursuit of something that is equally fading and stress-enhancing, we have only replaced one distraction with another and our change is in vain. For that reason, what we do after minimalism is just as important as our discovery of it. Again, I hope that is reflected in my writing: Dream Bigger Dreams Than Minimalism Why We Work 9 Ever-Present Distractions That Keep Us From Fully Living But let me be crystal-clear, minimalism will not solve every problem in your life. Here are just a few examples of the problems minimalism cannot solve: Minimalism will not heal a broken family relationship. Minimalism will not cure a chronic illness. Minimalism will not change an unhealthy marriage. Minimalism will not heal a broken heart. Minimalism will not overcome grief. Minimalism will not eliminate anxiety or depression. Minimalism will not erase past trauma or regrets. Minimalism will not change your boss. Minimalism will not resolve societal injustice or inequality. Minimalism will not show you the meaning of life. Minimalism will not show you the secret of happiness or contentment. There are LOTS of problems in life that minimalism cannot solve on its own. This list could even contain hundreds more. That being said, and this is important, what minimalism can do is free you up to more intentionally address each of those individual (and societal) problems that we encounter. Because once we remove the pursuit of physical possessions as the means to resolve our discontent, we are forced to dig deeper and work harder to find that solution. Let’s put to rest, once and for all, any insinuation that minimalism will solve all of our problems, both individually and as a society. We’ll need to look elsewhere for that. Minimalism merely frees us up to do it better! The post The Problems Minimalism Can’t Solve appeared first on Becoming Minimalist. View the full article

Note: The following article was published in the September 01 issue of Simplify Magazine. We often consider our food diet as the primary determinant of our health. And there is a lot of truth to that. What we eat determines quite a bit the physical body we live our lives in. But our “diet” extends beyond just what we eat. Every day, we consume countless other things: the media we watch, the books we read, the conversations we engage in, the news we encounter, and even the thoughts we entertain. Just as the food we eat impacts our physical health, these other forms of consumption significantly influence our emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. And in a world overflowing with information and stimuli, being mindful of our consumption becomes ever more critical. The choices we make about what to consume shapes our thoughts, attitudes, and ultimately our lives. And by practicing mindful consumption, we not only curate the external influences in our minds but we can also align our daily actions with our deeper values and goals. Mindful consumption may be one of the most important endeavors we can partake in. Let’s explore how we can approach this concept with intentionality, making choices that lead us toward a more meaningful and fulfilling existence. The Nature of Consumption Just as our physical health is impacted by the nutrients (or lack thereof) in our food, our mental and emotional health is influenced by the quality and type of our mental inputs. But these effects are not always felt right away. The full negative impact of an unhealthy diet isn’t felt the first day, but over a lifetime the cumulative effect determines who we become. Consider this: if we constantly consume negative news, we may begin to feel anxious or pessimistic about the world. If we follow social media accounts that promote unrealistic standards, we might start to feel inadequate or dissatisfied with our lives. Conversely, if we choose uplifting books, positive podcasts, life-giving spirituality, or meaningful conversations, we can foster a sense of hope, inspiration, and motivation. Not always the first day, but eventually … and always. Our society, as you know, often equates consumption with identity—what we own, what we wear, and what we showcase on social media. However, our greatest fulfillment in life will never come from external accumulation, but from internal alignment. By choosing mindfully, we can focus on consuming what nourishes our soul and positively impacts our life trajectory rather than what merely fills our time or, even worse, takes us down a road where we don’t want to go. But here’s the thing: Living with intention takes hard work and effort. The Importance of Intentionality Mindful consumption requires us to make deliberate choices rather than simply drifting along with the current of societal norms and expectations. It requires us to show up in our own lives every day. It means taking a step back and evaluating what we allow into our lives, understanding that not all consumption is created equal. It requires us to boldly evaluate when others are choosing unwisely and make decisions for ourselves. The line at the fast-food drive-thru is longer than the checkout at the grocery store produce department, but one reaps long-term health, the other unhealth. To live intentionally, we must first recognize that our life has value and is worthy of being lived well. And this is not an easy step for everyone. More than that, we recognize that our life is a sum of our daily choices. Every day presents new opportunities to choose differently, to select what aligns with our values rather than what is convenient or popular. Every new day is also a responsibility, to choose intentionality over and over again. Because if we don’t choose intentionality every day, someone else will begin to steer the ship. The foundation of mindful consumption begins with self-awareness. We must know who we are, what we value, what we want to accomplish, and whether our lives are moving in that direction. Once we have a clear understanding of these elements, we can make choices that support our goals and aspirations. Practical Steps for Mindful Consumption Before we go any further, I’d like to offer a list of different areas of life where we can apply mindful consumption (and how to do that): 1. Curate your media diet. Just as we choose healthy foods, we can choose nourishing media. Seek out news sources that offer balanced perspectives. Follow social media accounts that inspire and uplift rather than provoke comparison and jealousy. Choose books, podcasts, and shows that align with your values and contribute to your growth. 2. Limit negative influences. Negative influences are pervasive and often subtle. They can be found in the conversations we have, the content we consume, and even the environments we frequent. Identify these influences in your life and take steps to limit their impact. This might mean unfollowing certain social media accounts, avoiding gossip, or spending less time in environments or with people that drain your energy. 3. Engage in positive self-talk. Not all things we consume come from the outside. The stories we tell ourselves are a crucial part of our mental diet. Practice positive self-talk by affirming your strengths, acknowledging your progress, and being compassionate with yourself. This shift in internal dialogue can dramatically impact your overall well-being. 4. Choose your companions wisely. The people we spend time with significantly influence our mindset and attitudes. Surround yourself with individuals who support your values, encourage your growth, and challenge you to be better. These relationships are essential for a fulfilling and meaningful life. 5. Simplify your digital space. Just as we declutter our physical spaces, we can simplify our digital lives. Unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters, delete apps that distract rather than serve, and organize your digital files. This simplification reduces mental clutter and helps you focus on what’s truly important. 6. Be careful what television you consume. Entertainment is more than passive. As I learned in my college film appreciation class, every produced piece of content communicates messages to us—sometimes unintentionally, but usually intentionally. And not all television shows and movies are beneficial. Focus more on what is good and less on what takes you away from the person you want to be. 7. Set boundaries for screen time. Additionally, not just do we need to care about what we watch, but in our digital age, it’s easy to become consumed by screens. Set intentional boundaries for your screen time, whether it’s limiting time on social media, taking regular breaks from work emails, or designating screen-free times of day. This practice helps prevent burnout and promotes more meaningful offline interactions. 8. Prioritize quality over quantity. Whether it’s the content you consume or the possessions you own, prioritize quality over quantity. Choose items and experiences that truly add value to your life rather than accumulating more for the sake of it. This approach fosters a deeper appreciation for what you have. 9. Reflect regularly. Take time to reflect on your consumption habits regularly. Are they aligned with your values and goals? Are there areas where you can make changes? Reflection helps you stay intentional and make adjustments as needed. The Benefits of Mindful Consumption Embracing mindful consumption offers numerous benefits. It is not always easy to be intentional, but it is always worth the effort. It helps us feel more in control of our lives, reduces stress, and fosters a deeper connection with our true selves. By making intentional choices about what we consume, we can: Improve our mental clarity. We can think more clearly, make better decisions, and pursue our goals with greater intention. Improve our emotional well-being. It helps us maintain a positive outlook and resilience in the face of challenges. Strengthen our relationships. By choosing to engage with positive influences and supportive people, we can build stronger, more meaningful relationships. Align with values. It allows us to live more authentically and purposefully, creating a life that reflects our true selves. Accomplish more with our lives. Ultimately, by becoming more intentional with the things we choose to consume, we live bigger lives of purpose and meaning. In a world that constantly bombards us with messages of more, more, more, mindful consumption offers a countercultural approach. It invites us to slow down, evaluate our choices, and prioritize what truly matters. By being intentional about what we consume—whether it’s food, media, relationships, or thoughts—we can cultivate a life of greater meaning and fulfillment. May we all find the courage to make intentional choices and the wisdom to consume mindfully. The quality of our lives depends on it. — Simplify Magazine is a quarterly, digital magazine that I started in 2017 to highlight experts and topics not frequently covered here on Becoming Minimalist. To date, we have edited and published 30 issues of the magazine—each covering a different theme. We just released the September 01, 2024 issue on the topic of Mindfulness. Since it’s founding, Simplify Magazine has offered lifetime subscriptions for a one-time payment of $20 (USD). You can join the community of over 250,000 readers right here. The post Mindful Consumption: Making Intentional Choices appeared first on Becoming Minimalist. View the full article

by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE “Over-communicating is the glue that holds a high-performing team together and keeps them focused in the same direction. And, it circles back to clarity. Without good, consistent communication, you don’t have clarity.” ― Lee Ellis, leadership consultant, author, presenter, retired colonel, USAF. As managers, it’s drilled into us that we shouldn’t micromanage —that instead, we should hire well-qualified, intelligent self-starters, then give them their instructions and get out of the way. And while this strategy is generally sound, you’ll always find some exceptions that test the rule. In recent years, some business experts have begun backing off a bit from the approach outlined above, expounding on the virtues of overcommunication. In the past, we’ve been told not to overwhelm employees with information, and ideally to establish a single type of communication—whether face-to-face meeting, email, or phone — by which to convey our instructions. Overcommunicate subverts those concepts. But while it may seem intrusive, this doesn’t mean it it’s unnecessary. The business landscape has changed significantly in the past five years, largely in response to reality of COVID, the resulting lockdowns, and the concurrent rise of remote work. This may have forced changes in your direction, or may do so as you move forward. Therefore, consider overcommunication as an option, along with these five tips for wielding it. It need not be difficult or harsh. Applying overcommunication can prove as simple as a quick question: “How’s it going with the Kowalksy report?” Many manager already do this, so if you’re one of them, keep it up. Similarly, you can shoot someone an email occasionally just to check on a product’s status, or call as a follow-up to a meeting. Overcommunicate in times of crisis or change. When the future seems uncertain, keep in constant touch with your team. Make check-ins, updates, and follow-ups part of your regular tool-kit, providing consistent and clear communication to ensure everyone understands a project’s details and milestones. Make sure they know what you need of them, so you can keep team productivity on point. Under-communicating at such times, or even just communicating at normal levels, may make team members feel lost and confused. Overcommunicate to clarify messages from leadership. A single company-wide meeting won’t cut it, because even if your team members take copious notes, all the messages won’t get through to everyone. Reemphasize your organization’s mission, vision, goals, and priorities immediately after such a meeting, whenever someone new joins your team (even if it’s an in-company hire), and at regular intervals thereafter. Don’t flood them with such reminders, but do encourage your team to frequently reconsider your leadership’s messages. Overcommunicate with remote workers. The COVID and post-COVID eras have taught many employees they can work just fine remotely, which makes it doubly important they understand your directions. Overcommunication becomes a must, since (a) remote work may cause workers to lose their sense of acting as part of a team; and (b) Skype and Zoom notwithstanding, your team members can’t communicate with you face-to-face. Ask them to let you know if they’re confused, and follow up your instructions. Just don’t descend to the level of “infotoxication,” where overwhelm creates further confusion. Try multiple methods of communication. Here’s another point where the overcommunication focus breaks with tradition. Instead of sticking exclusively with one method of communicating information, orders, and directions to your team, mix it up a little. Again, after a meeting, you might send out emails clarifying the details of the new assignment. If you usually stick to email, follow up with calls, voice messages, or (if possible), face-to-face meetings with key team members. Steering Clear of Confusion Although the hands-off approach may be ideal, it doesn’t always reflect reality. Sometimes, you just have to talk too much for your directives to get through intact. Advertisers have practices this for at least a hundred years. It’s not as necessary in a newspaper, since newsprint is static, but think about it; how many times do radio and TV ads repeat their toll-free numbers? In their books, business opportunity gurus and marketers tend to repeat the same information at least twice, even three or four times. They realize you might miss it the first time around. Despite your careful charting of the course at the beginning of your trip, as with any voyage, you need to perform a reality check occasionally and then do whatever’s necessary to get back on course. Reality may have shifted in such a way that your original directions may not always apply, or your communication methods may have developed gaps that don’t let some things through. If this is true, it’s time to overcommunicate so your people understand everything you’re trying to tell them, in ways that help bridge any gaps. © 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. View the full article

Want a comfortable and modern papasan chair for your home? They’re incredibly relaxing to sink into its soft cushion and watch a movie, study, or read a good book. These chairs are also ideal for various living spaces such as porches, kids’ rooms, living rooms, or dens. Some of them are also foldable, which is convenient for storage and transportation. In this review, I’ll list my favorite modern papasan chairs. View the full article

Thinking about buying a bungee cord chair for your home, backyard, or office? In this article, I’ll list my favorite chairs on the market for your needs. I’ll also talk about some important issues like whether these chairs are comfortable and safe for your back. View the full article

Every day, a large amount of time and effort is spent on measuring vibration levels in buildings, factories, and other equipment or structures. This is where an effective vibration meter becomes important. Thousands of machine designers, technicians, and engineers have become experts at measuring vibration levels and evaluating how objects are impacted by vibration. Here is my recommended list of the best vibration meters you should consider purchasing. View the full article

The right ergonomic setup for a teenager will go a long way to keeping them comfortable and focused on their studies. That’s why the right ergonomic study desk and a comfortable chair should be your number priority. So what home desk is right for your teenager? In this guide, I’ll mention things to consider like size, desk shape, storage, and more. I will also recommend and review my favorite desks available. View the full article

Although most of us will go to a pilates studio, some of my clients prefer to do their own routine at home. If you’re one of those people, you’re going to need to invest in a pilates reformer machine. In this review, I will recommend some of the best machines on the market, for whatever your skill level may be. View the full article

Are you looking for a comfortable ergonomic chair that’s a bit more stylish? People that appreciate mid-century office chairs are probably familiar with their minimalist shapes, bold colors, and clean lines. Today we celebrate the period of the 1930s to 1970s with some of the best chairs on the market. We know looks aren’t everything, so we included pieces that are made well and have stood the test of time. View the full article

Leather portfolios are a convenient and stylish way to keep yourself organized at work. So which portfolio is right for you? In this review, I’ve listed some of my favorite portfolios on the market that are functional and high quality. View the full article

As a mother and occupational therapist, I’ve always been interested in children’s ergonomics and how little attention we give it. If it’s important how adults sit, why wouldn’t it be the same for our children? And to be honest, it’s not that difficult to set your child up with an ergonomic workstation. Apart from a comfortable ergonomic chair, a kid’s adjustable desk are probably the two most important factors. Below you will find my recommended lists of kid’s desks, and also some chair and desk sets. View the full article

Here’s a thought exercise: imagine you finally manage to beat the procrastination motivation monster for once. (For many of us, that would already be a fantasy.) But say you sit down to work, full of beautiful productive motivation, ready to take on the day. Then what? Surely you’re going to try to get some work The post Multiply your productivity with a few small changes appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Whether you’re doing a job at home or at a worksite, chances are you’ll need a reliable step ladder. So which step ladder is best for you? Selecting the right ladder for the task at hand is essential for your safety. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of choosing the best step ladder. I’ll also review and recommend some of the best ladders on the market. View the full article

If you have a limited budget or just want something simple, a minimalist desk for the office will be perfect. In this guide, I’ll list some of my favorite basic desks that are ideal for home offices. View the full article

Here’s a little not-so-secret secret: we all miss the mark sometimes. Sure, we’re all trying our best. We all have things we want to accomplish with our lives. We have a goal we’re chasing, and we’re determined to achieve it. We think about how great it would be if we could just get it done. The post Get your act together with SMART goals appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

There is so much each and every one of us has to deal with, every day, to keep ourselves in check. To keep striving toward being healthy and accomplished. Sometimes it feels like, with all the things we’re supposed to do daily, there’s no room left in our mind for, you know, anything else. How The post Your default behaviors are under your control appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE “Artificial intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. The ultimate search engine that would understand everything on the web. It would understand exactly what you wanted, and it would give you the right thing. We’re nowhere near doing that now. However, we can get incrementally closer to that, and that is basically what we work on.” ― Larry Page, co-inventor of the Google search engine. Is there anyone in the Western world who hasn’t seen (or at least heard about) the Terminator or Matrix movie franchises? As much as we’ve loved our Tamagotchis, Furbys, and Roombas, we still worry our digital and robotic creations will grow beyond us so fast and so far they’ll learn to hate us or simply become indifferent to our presence, destroying us in the process. Even the late Stephen Hawking, probably one of the most intelligent people to ever live, worried it might happen. Hawking aside, those who fear technology typically do so because they don’t understand it. This has occurred throughout history. Some cavemen probably rejected that newfangled spear-thingy—until it proved itself in action. Consider weaver Ned Ludd, who supposedly destroyed two stocking-knitting machines in 1779, afraid they would take his job. Some alarmists in the 1800s thought riding trains would kill them, because the speed would rip them apart or cause them to suffocate; and parents in the 1920s refused to let their children listen to the radios for fear it would “enthrall” them. Those fears proved groundless. In the 1980s, many people thought computers would replace them, when in fact they just made most of us more productive. This type of mistrust has also hampered the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Computer scientists first proposed AI in the 1950s, though research stalled for decades starting in the 1970s, due to the fears so well illustrated by the abovementioned movies. Since the beginning of the 2020s, however, research in AI has boomed, with the resulting products now starting to revolutionize business… in a good way. Generative AI (GenAI), which can create new content based on prompts human users input, has proven especially productive. Consider these good reasons to welcome these handy programs. AI is easy to use. The hardest part is installing the program, and that’s not hard at all. When you’ve got your GenAI tool up and running, you can provide it with simple text prompts, telling it what to create or how to edit an existing text, image, song, or other “modality,” as the industry calls them. Some AIs can even convert one modality to another, like an image to a text. AI can automate repetitive tasks. The ultimate goal of GenAI—contrary to popular belief—is to make jobs easier, not to replace them. GenAI is a tool, just like your computer, printer, phone, or other software. If you have repetitive tasks you take care of every day or week, like standardized reports, spreadsheets, or other routine documents, you can use GenAI to handle them. It’s also great for data analysis, research (much better than search engines), and administrative tasks. It can even organize your calendar, take care of some email, or schedule meetings. AI works great for customer service. GenAI can offer customer service agents real-time recommendations on how to respond to customers during support calls. Such programs can also provide links to internal documents that explain technical issues. One study has shown that AI helpers can make customer support workers 14% more productive by it making easier to address customer issues. Less experienced and less-skilled workers saw even greater results from GenAI use, boosting their productivity by an average of 35%. AI can help coders write software. In one study involving 70 experienced programmers who regularly coded an average of nine hours per day, half used a GenAI tool to help them perform a specific programming task, while the others coded without using AI at all. Those who used the AI tool finished in an average of 1.2 hours, while the control group took an average of 2.7 hours. That means the GenAI tool helped its users complete their tasks more than twice as fast (126%) as those who didn’t use the tool. Imagine your workers producing twice as much in a single week, just because they adopted a simple-to-use software program! Moving Right Along You may be thinking, “Generative AIs seem almost too easy to use.” Maybe so, but it’s poised to take productivity to a whole new level. Not so long ago, fears of triggering apocalyptic scenarios hamstrung efforts to develop AI for benevolent uses. But the recent business benefits are impressive. Some alarmists still scream about the perils of chatbots and virtual assistants, and fiction editors hate AI, for good reason. But it’s proven profitable and safe in business contexts, and it hasn’t taken over the world. So far, so good. © 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. View the full article

If you’ve spent any time consuming productivity content in the last few years, you’ve likely been exposed to “digital minimalism” rhetoric. It’s all these proclamations that claim to be the be-all-and-end-all of healthy ways to navigate a world increasingly uncomfortably surrounded by screens. Monitoring screen time like a hawk. Keeping your phone in your pocket The post Digital minimalism, again, for real appeared first on RescueTime Blog. View the full article

Growing up in New York, first in the city and then later in Albany, a young Herman Melville made frequent trips to stay with his uncle, Thomas Melvill, who lived on a farm near Pittsfield, in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts. In 1850, Thomas decided to sell his property. Melville, now with a young family of his own, arrived that summer for what they believed to be his final visit to the area. It was during this fateful trip that Melville learned that the Brewster farm, consisting of 160 acres abutting his uncle’s plot, was up for sale. Fueled by impulse and nostalgia, he borrowed $3000 from his father-in-law and bought the property. He would come to call it Arrowhead in reference to native artifacts he found in its fields. Melville’s plan for his time at Arrowhead was to write. He had recently published a series of bestselling adventure novels, drawing from the half-decade he spent wandering the Pacific as a sailor. He felt confident that his literary success would continue and the time was right to fully invest in this vision. A few days ago, I travelled down to Arrowhead, now preserved by the Berkshire Historical Society, to better understand the writing-centered life that Melville constructed. The original house is small, its second floor needing to fit Melville’s own family, as well as his mother and multiple sisters. He none-the-less claimed a sizable east-facing room for his office. Melville used a dining table to write, giving him ample room to spread out his books and notes. He pushed the table against a window offering a direct view of the hump-backed Mount Greylock in the distance: (Legend has it that the whale-like appearance of the mountain inspired Moby Dick. We know this can’t be true because Melville conceived the novel before moving to Arrowhead, but his orientation toward the mountain, both physically and psychologically, clearly marks it as an important source of poetic inspiration for his work.) Melville’s desk is flanked by bookshelves. A fireplace behind him boasts a poker forged from a whaling harpoon. According to the docent who led us on a tour, this setup, impressive as it is, was only temporary. Melville’s eventual plan was to raze the house and build a grander structure featuring a “writing tower.” How did Melville make use of these spaces? We can gain some insight into his daily routine from a letter he wrote to a friend during this period: I rise at eight–thereabouts–& go to my barn–say good-morning to the horse, & give him his breakfast…My own breakfast over, I go to my work-room & light my fire–then spread my M.S.S. on the table–take one business squint at it, & fall to with a will. At 2 1/2 p.m. I hear a preconcerted knock at my door, which (by request) continues till I rise & go to the door, which serves to wean me effectively from my writing, however interested I may be. . . . The thirteen years Melville would spend at Arrowhead, writing half of each day at his dining table desk overlooking the mountains beyond, were the most productive of his career. The works he completed at Arrowhead included, most notably, Moby Dick, but also Pierre, the Confidence-Man, and Israel Potter, not to mention some of his best-known short stories, such as I and My Chimney, Benito Cereno, and Bartleby the Scrivener. (Tragically, these works were largely critical and commercial failures during Melville’s lifetime, leading him to eventually fall into debt before returning to New York to take a desk job. They wouldn’t become recognized as American classics until the early twentieth century.) A couple weeks ago, I wrote a dispatch from the writing shed I was working from this July to help jumpstart a new book project. Melville’s Arrowhead provides a nice example of these same creative principles pushed toward a more notable extreme. Melville wanted to write, and knew that to do so at the level that could produce something of the caliber of Moby Dick would require great attention paid not just to what he was working on, but also where these efforts took place. #### In other news… On the most recent episode of my Deep Questions podcast, I explored small habits that can lead to big results in the quest to find depth in a distracted world. (watch | listen) Meanwhile, for those who are still curious about my new book, Slow Productivity, Big Think just published a useful video in which I explain the book’s main principles. The post Dispatch from Herman Melville’s Farm appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

I’m writing this from a rental property, on a hillside overlooking the northern reach of the Taconic Mountains. A key feature of this property is a small outbuilding, designed and built by the current owner as a quiet place for visitors to work. Spanning, at most, twelve feet square, it features a daybed, a heating stove, and a desk arranged to look outward toward the distant peaks. A ceiling fan moves the air on muggy afternoons. Here’s a view from the desk: This rental property, in other words, includes a canonical example of one of my all-time favorite styles of functional architecture: the writing shed. (Indeed, as the owner told me, I’m not the first professional writer to use this space for this purpose in recent years.) In my daily life in Takoma Park, Maryland, I don’t lack for interesting places to write. We designed the library in our house, which includes a custom-built Huston & Company library-style desk, specifically with writing in mind. (If you’re interested in what this looks like, the Spanish newspaper El País recently published a profile that includes a nice shot of me at my desk.) When I need a change of scenery while at home, I’ll also write on my front porch, where, during the grossest days of the DC summer, I’ll use a large floor fan to blow away the mosquitos and moderate the temperature. I also spend a considerable amount of time working amid the comforting din of our local coffee shop. But as long-time readers of this newsletter know, I’ve always felt that there was something particularly special about the idea of writing in a quiet shed nestled in a quiet piece of natural property, such as what was enjoyed by Michael Pollan, David McCullough, and, perhaps my favorite example, E.B. White: Which is all to say that I was excited, on arriving at this rental property, to spend a few weeks wrangling the early stages of a new book in a writing shed of my own. So what have I learned so far? Writing sheds don’t make the specific cognitive act of writing easier. It’s tempting to believe that the right aesthetics will usher in the muse and transport your efforts into a time-warping flow-state. But this doesn’t happen. Writing is still hard, requiring you to marshal multiple parts of your brain to work in synchronized and focused tandem toward the impossibly demanding task of producing well-crafted sentences. But these sheds do seem to improve many of the general factors that surround this act. For example, they’re wonderfully effective at dampening the siren call of distraction. These rooms are used for a single purpose, so they lack the associations with other activities or interests that can so easily hijack your attention. The calming, natural environment beyond their windows also has a way of lulling the parts of your brain uninvolved in the writing task at hand into a harmless quiescence. Meanwhile, the novelty of their setting seems to lower the energy investment required to convince your brain to slip beyond its cacophonous inner-chatter and enter a deeper state more conducive to focus. This all combines into a notable increase in mental stamina. Sessions that might have lasted ninety minutes at home can easily stretch to two or three hours amid the slow quiet of the shed. The writing is still hard, but it’s a more sustainable sort of hard. There’s a lesson lurking here that extends beyond just writing: when it comes to cognitive work more generally, psychological factors matter. Whether you’re writing a book, or crafting computer code, or solving a business problem, or analyzing noisy data, you’re attempting to coax sustained abstract focus from a human brain not necessarily evolved for such intensely symbolic processing. Of course elements like setting should really matter, as should other subtle elements such as how many total tasks you’re juggling, or the degree to which your day is necessarily fragmented by distraction. In knowledge work, productivity is about psychology as much as it is about tools and process. But we often ignore this reality. As I can attest from personal experience, as I sit writing this essay, watching the clouds of an early morning rain shower clear off the distant mountains: If you really care about producing quality work, these softer factors matter. The post Dispatch from a Writing Shed appeared first on Cal Newport. View the full article

Ah, Microsoft. What do you think of first when you hear that name? Word? Powerpoint? Bill Gates? Well, let us make the case for why your first thought ought to be ‘productivity’. Many of us knowledge workers have been using Microsoft for so long that all of the new applications and features added to the 365 suite over the years have gone completely under the radar. There are now a whopping 20 apps at your disposal, which contain hundreds of features to make you and your team’s working life more streamlined and efficient! The Reality Unfortunately, many of our clients describe using Microsoft applications as the opposite. We get it—tech tools can be overwhelming to learn, and new systems take time to be fully adopted by the team. But as we’ve found while delivering our Microsoft for Productivity Ninjas workshop, giving your team dedicated time to learn and connect these features can result in wonders for their collective attention and mindset. With that in mind, let’s go over a few of the Microsoft 365 applications and features we love to use to reduce overwhelm, provide clarity and foster team collaboration. To Do Before we begin ‘the doing’ at work, we need to know exactly what there is to do, right? Not to mention leaving our brains empty enough to do that work well. One of our core concepts and tools at Think Productive is having what we call a ‘second brain‘ – essentially an external tool where every single to-do is captured, so you don’t have to retain that information. The To Do app in the Microsoft 365 suite is an excellent tool for this, allowing you to set up groups with as many lists as you’d like, capturing individual tasks in detail with: Task title Multiple action points (if needed) Due date Whether you’d like the task to repeat Associated files Notification reminders What’s really powerful about To Do is its ability to capture tasks you’ve received in other Microsoft apps such as Outlook and Teams. Yep, you can actually send tasks received via these apps directly to To Do and organise them accordingly! You can also share lists with your colleagues, making for collaborative task management for projects with multiple team members. One Note One Note is an excellent tool for recording all your thoughts, ideas and notes in one place. You can create as many sections as you like, resulting in a digital, never-ending version of those notebooks with the colourful dividing tabs. It’s incredibly versatile and can capture your ideas however you wish to express them. You can insert: Typed text Handwriting Drawing (in various colours/thicknesses) Photos Hyperlinks As a cloud-based app, it allows you to take your notes wherever you need them, view them across your devices and gives you the ability to search for key details, so you always have the info on hand if someone asks a question. We particularly enjoy how your digital notes can easily be shared with your colleagues, making collaborative online work that much easier. Teams Teams is full to the brim with useful features to help streamline project work involving different teams and departments. It all starts with creating your project ‘Team’, deciding on your ‘channels’ (subsets of tasks or your team) and choosing exactly which tools you’d like to include. You can choose from hundreds of Microsoft and external tools to make the perfect environment for streamlined working, but here are some of our core favourites: Planner – create, assign and date tasks (this links to To Do) Chat – communicate and discuss important info Files – easier access to files stored on OneDrive PDF – immediate access to a core team document Onenote – quick access to your collaborative notes Forms – capture and submit essential info Teams is as powerful as it is overwhelming – it works best when you’re intentional about how you want your workflows to operate within your team and setting up the tools accordingly. We’re always happy to give suggestions on what that could look like for your team during your Microsoft for Productivity Ninjas workshop. Outlook Finally, one of the most used and most frustrating Microsoft tools from your day-to-day – Outlook. This essential tool is most likely at the centre of your organisation’s communication and scheduling efforts but is often misused as a catch-all – for planning, tracking projects, deciding the best times for meetings and sharing documents – which is precisely why we encourage participants in our workshop to learn about the first three apps on this list! While we’re sure you can already appreciate how To Do, OneNote and Teams are much better suited for your productivity needs when it comes to planning and tracking, there are also automatic functions in Outlook that can streamline communication and scheduling that are often overlooked, such as: Polls – tallying group results for multiple options (e.g. the best date for a meeting) Voting buttons – for simple yes/no answers (e.g. getting sign-off on a decision) Templates – create, save and use your own email scripts with a click Quickparts – add frequently used sentences or hyperlinks to your emails with a click Wrangling Outlook is an issue many of the teams we work with come up against, but it is possible. Making use of the automatic features Outlook has to offer will absolutely help you to start thinning out your inbox in a way that won’t lead to calendar clashing. What next? We don’t expect you to perfectly integrate all of these apps within your workflows. Rather, our goal is to show the psychological benefit of using tech tools to take the strain off of your team/s, illustrate different solutions to many of the organisational problems knowledge workers face, and encourage the use of Microsoft tools you’re already paying for. Even half an hour gained back by the use of an email poll is an excellent result in our book! For dedicated organisational support on how to use Microsoft for better productivity, consider our Microsoft for Productivity Ninjas training for your team. The post Microsoft 365 features to reduce overwhelm, provide clarity and foster collaboration appeared first on Think Productive UK. View the full article

by Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE “The best laid schemes of mice and men/often go astray.” ― Scottish poet Robert Burns Sometimes, unexpected events occur that tear apart a carefully planned life. Hopefully this hasn’t happened to you, but if it ever does, your productivity is likely to come crashing down… and really, no one could blame you. But some people might anyway. You may even lose a job, especially in this gig economy where speed reigns supreme. This recently happened to a colleague of mine, who had been his mother’s primary caregiver for several years. In March 2023, they experienced a perfect storm of health crises, culminating in his mother entering her final illness. My colleague focused tightly on his mother’s health, to the point where he ignored his clients, and ultimately lost a few. His mother died in June and his best friend followed a few months later, sending him into a deep malaise during which his output tanked. After a difficult recovery, he finally began to rebuild his clientele and productivity. When life throws you curve balls, you can and must fond the strength to rebuild your work-life and productivity until you recapture your previous level of efficiency. Your only other choice is to give up. Here are a few suggestions on how to rebuild: Ponder the problem. Consider how you can rectify your situation, first determining where you want to be and how to get there. This may be different from where you were before everything collapsed; indeed, it may have to be, if your original work situation triggered the collapse, or if there are things you simply no longer care to do. Whatever the case, break your rebound down into smaller, easier-to-accomplish pieces and lay out a rough version of the path from here to there, while leaving enough room to make any necessary changes as you go. Just get started. This advice is standard (if unsaid) for any project, but it’s doubly appropriate in this case. When you’ve hit an emotional roadblock, getting back in the saddle may be the hardest part of rebuilding. But you can’t remain stalled for long or you’ll just sink deeper into the mire, and it’ll become ever harder to move forward. So push yourself to start working on the first step ASAP, even if it feels like you’re pulling teeth just to get anything done. A famous exercise for breaking writer’s block, for example, is to start by typing the word “The” at the top of the page, and then to push yourself to keep writing until things make sense. Don’t take too long. It took my colleague eight months to even want to pick himself up off the ground, and he’s not yet back to his old productivity levels as of this writing (late-April 2024), though he’s working on it. Give yourself time to recover from whatever struck you down in the first place; but the quicker you can get moving again, the easier it will be for everyone involved. Approach lost clients with offers they can’t ignore… and that won’t last forever. This assumes you still want to work for them. Keep in mind, however, that it’s often easier to mend a previously existing relationship than to rebuild your client list from scratch. A discount on the next project or a quicker deadline may prove attractive in these budget-conscious days, and might help you regain some of your clients or end-users if you have an otherwise excellent record. Speaking of which… Focus on quality. When you complete new products for your clients or end-users, focus on maintaining the highest level of quality as possible. Again, this is standard and usually goes unsaid, but it’s worth re-emphasizing. Give yourself extra lead times when you can, and be sure to review every part of the project before you turn it in. Don’t obsess (or you may never really get started), but give the project the time it requires to maximize its excellence. Don’t overdo it! Once you’ve started to pick up and rebuild, keep moving forward—but don’t take on more than you can handle. That’s another route to failure, especially if you over-promise and can’t deliver. Most clients can handle occasional slipped deadlines, as long as you maintain decent communication, and maybe one massive failure to communicate and/or produce, as happened with my colleague. But don’t expect them to accept it twice. Nor should they. It’s unprofessional once; twice, and you may find yourself starting over yet again. Got any other tips for recapturing productivity? Let us know in the comments! © 2024 Laura Stack. Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE is known as The Productivity Pro®. She is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on personal productivity. For 30+ years, she has given keynote speeches and workshops on increasing workplace productivity in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including the bestselling What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do. She is a past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame. To book Laura speak at an upcoming meeting or event, contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. View the full article

The time of disorganised, random meetings is just so over. Every single day, hours of company time and employee capacity are wasted by colleagues and managers sending calendar invites willy-nilly without an agenda, a set purpose, or, let’s be honest, even a title that tells you what the meeting is about. Well, if it isn’t that time yet, we at Think Productive are calling it! Say goodbye to time-wasting meetings and hi to the 4 glorious Ps of productive meetings. It’s time. What are the 4 Ps? The 4 Ps is a repeatable framework used to nail down the specifics of your meeting so that you can send an invite full of detail to the right people with purpose. It allows you to tell your colleagues why they need to attend, how they can participate and what the goal of your meeting is. Essentially, it’s you making decisions ahead of time to better facilitate a productive meeting. Hurrah! Let’s break it down… Purpose First, you need to decide the ‘why’ of the meeting to bring a bit of shape to things. Start by writing a purpose statement beginning with ‘By the end of this meeting, we will have…’ and think about what you’re looking to collectively achieve. Once completed, you can pop this in the meeting invited so all participants are on the same page. Use one of the following verb words to help you: Decided Discussed Resolved Learned Confirmed Plan Now that you have your meeting purpose, it’s time to move on to planning the ‘what’ and ‘when’. Start by deciding what information, if any, is needed to update the group before going on to discuss and eventually answer any relevant questions – this provides the basis of your agenda. From here, you’ll be able to determine who is responsible for each agenda item and if any other preparations for the meeting are required (e.g. powerpoint/handouts, a physical meeting space, timezone constraints). Protocol Think of protocol as figuring out the ‘how’ of your meeting by really digging into the details. Cycle through the questions below to determine your meeting protocols, making sure to disregard and/or add any questions that might be relevant to your industry or way of working: Where will your meeting take place? Will it be in person, online, or hybrid? What time will your meeting begin and end? Do phones/laptops need to be away for participants? Which interactive elements, if any, will be included in the meeting? (E.g. Q&A, voting) For online and hybrid meetings: What are the joining instructions? Do cameras need to be on or off? An important consideration for online or hybrid meetings is: How are your participants expected to contribute, if at all? Deciding and communicating this information is important for participants as it will allow them to choose their location carefully. If their contribution is to be via chat and typing, a noisy office with headphones on is fine. If contribution is expected via voice, they will need to be somewhere quiet. If any confidential discussion is involved, they will need to be away from other ears. In a hybrid world, making contribution information clear in advance is essential. People Okay, so most of the core decisions for your meeting have been made! Now it’s time for the final P, the ‘who’ – inviting people. It’s important to be mindful of how many people you invite and ensure you invite the right people. With direct contributors having already been decided when creating the agenda, begin by inviting anyone essential to achieving the meeting’s core purpose. Think carefully about this – don’t just invite an entire team on the off-chance that they may be essential. If you aren’t sure who would be considered essential, do your due diligence before sending an invite. Anyone non-essential that you feel may need to be included can be offered an invitation and informed that they are welcome to attend, but not obligated. What next? Do you have a meeting coming up that is already scheduled but could use some refining? Go through the above process and see if you can bring in some essential clarity before things kick off. Now that you have a repeatable framework for productive meeting, use it! It will save both you and your colleagues time, while also creating a standard for excellent meetings in your organisation. We love an early adopter! If you’d like to learn more about how to make meetings rare, fun and productive again, check out our Fixing Meetings workshop and bring meetings magic to your whole team or organisation. The post Plan the perfect meeting with the ‘4 Ps’ appeared first on Think Productive UK. View the full article

There are a lot of ways to work remotely. And that includes online part time jobs from home. Part time remote jobs offer additional flexibility for remote workers and make jobs more accessible for everybody. However, since most remote jobs are full time, it can be difficult to begin a part time job search. Here are some tips and tricks to navigate this unique job search. What counts as part-time? This is not an easy question to answer. That’s because the definition of part-time changes from one company to another. For example, some remote companies define part time as less than 29 hours a week: Others, consider part time to be under 15 hours per week: Even the United States Department of Labor does not have an official definition. However, most companies in the US consider part time to be under 35 hours weekly while full time is between 35-40 hours weekly. For insurance purposes (for remote employee positions only) the Affordable Care Act defines part time as anyone who works less than an average of 30 hours per week. Anything over 30 hours averaged weekly, and your employer must offer health insurance to you. In other words, online part time jobs from home vary widely – ranging from just a few hours to 30+ hours! Why work from home part time? Generally, part time jobs offer greater flexibility than full time jobs. Retirees, parents, students, and caregivers often find part time work appealing. It allows individuals to build an income around a competing priority like school or childcare. Additional reasons to consider part time work include: Earn extra income Fill a skills gap Increase work-life balance Gain experience There are both pros and cons to online part time jobs from home. Some of the drawbacks include: Minimal benefits Lower income Less professional development Reduced earnings Always weigh both the pros and cons before starting a job search. Who typically works part time? As of 2023, nearly 28 million Americans worked part-time. This amounts to 17% of the entire US workforce! Of those who work part time, 63% are women. 63% of part-time workers are women Although part time remote jobs offer flexibility, they might not be a good solution for everyone. Remember, part time jobs have limited working hours and often lack benefits like health insurance and paid time off. So, if you need health insurance, part time work doesn’t make sense. However, if you want a remote-friendly way to supplement income, then part time work can do that. Example Part Time Online Job Scenario Let’s say you’re a full time student. Your classes start first thing in the morning and end around 4:00 in the afternoon. You don’t have transportation but want to earn money to help pay for expenses like books, food, and entertainment. In this case, a part time remote job in the evening makes a lot of sense. You get to maintain your full time status as a student while earning supplemental income in the evening. Only you can take an honest assessment of the time you have available to determine if working part time actually fits into your schedule. Typically, part time remote workers include these groups: Students Caregivers Retirees Stay-at-home parents Individuals with chronic conditions I asked Loritza, an online English tutor, why she works from home part time: “After my partner and I had kids, we quickly learned how expensive daycare is! Nearly my entire paycheck would go to daycare costs. So, we decided I would quit my office job to be a stay-at-home parent. But, as the kids got older, I had more free time and wanted to contribute financially to our family. I got a part-time online job in the evenings as an English tutor. It doesn’t pay a lot but it helps cover food costs and gives me a sense of purpose in work.” Where can I find online part time jobs from home? The majority of part time wfh jobs are in career categories like: Education Customer Service Marketing Social Media Writing Project Management Administrative Support Medical/Healthcare Finance/Accounting This includes popular remote job titles including: Bookkeeper Virtual Assistant Customer Service Representative Copywriter Social Media Manager Digital Marketer Of course, these are just some of the most common part time industries and related job titles. In reality, there are hundreds of part-time remote jobs across all sectors. Remote Job Search Sites The best places to find real remote jobs include: Flexjobs LinkedIn Staffing Agencies Additionally, there are smaller remote job boards to consider like: WeWorkRemotely Jobspresso Remotive It’s purely personal preference which job boards or job search sites you use. It can also come down to budget. FlexJobs is a subscription service, and will cost you just $49.95 for an entire year of access to its exclusive job leads. I like FlexJobs because it guarantees all job leads on its site are 100% the real deal, so you never have to worry about scams. How to Land Part Time Online Jobs From Home? Step 1: Which job title are you interested in? First, determine which job titles you’ll want to apply for. Your work history and skills will point you in the right direction. If you’re stuck, try using the O*NET Interest Profiler for career ideas. A career coach can also assist you with identifying your ideal career and related remote-friendly job titles. Step 2: Create a target company list. Next, jot down a list of companies you could see yourself working for. Ideally, these companies will regularly hire workers in your preferred job title list. Additionally, these companies should also have part time online jobs from home. This requires a good bit of research on your part. Some examples to get you started include, BELAY, TELUS International, Kelly, and other remote staffing agencies. Step 3: Build your network. Strategically. Now that you have a target company list and job title, it’s time to build your network. Head over to LinkedIn and follow the companies on your target company list. Then reach out to current employees who work there. The goal isn’t to ask for a job – it’s to learn more about the company and what it’s like to work there. If a job opening eventually comes up, you already have a warm connection you can reach out to and ask for a referral. Remember, the majority of jobs are filled via networking not online applications. Step 4: Spruce up your resume. Before you apply for a single remote role, create a broad based resume. This will be the template you use throughout your job search. A good base resume includes your work history, a summary, work history, skills, and related experience. Teal HQ has a free resume creator that uses AI to make building your resume easier. Step 5: Scout out jobs. Now’s the time to start applying for roles. Regularly check the Careers or Hiring pages of companies on your target list and create job alerts on LinkedIn. These are great ways to streamline your job search efforts so you can spend more time optimizing your resume. Step 6: Apply to roles that interest you. Remember, only apply to roles that fit your career ideals. It’s tempting to start applying for every single online part time job from home you come across – but don’t. Job searches are more effective when you create a plan and stick with it. It’s helpful to give yourself a SMART Job Search Goal to stay on the right track. Step 7: Rinse & Repeat Finally, keep doing what you’re doing. It takes between 4-6 months to find a remote job. The more effort you put into your job search, the more you’ll get out of it. Plan to spend 2-3 hours a day, M-F, on job search activities for optimal results. Resources for Online Part Time Jobs From Home ONET Interest Profiler LinkedIn FlexJobs Teal HQ Need extra help? Gain free access to our Remote Resources Room filled with tons of helpful guides, checklists, and templates for remote job seekers like you. The post Online Part Time Jobs from Home: Your Guide to Getting Hired appeared first on Work from Home Happiness. View the full article

Since the pandemic, nearly 56% of US workers have a job that is remote-friendly. But, today, more and more workers are being called back into the office. If you’re one of them, you’re probably saying but, “I want to work from home!” And, you’re not alone. Roughly 26% of workers now work remotely, and enjoy the many benefits that come with it. Money Saved Remote workers save money. The average worker spends a whopping $8,466 each year on common commuting costs or about 19% of take home pay, according to Bankrate. By working remotely, those costs are slashed if not entirely eliminated. Time Saved Remote workers save a ton of time by not commuting. The average commute in America is about 27.5 minutes one way for a total of 55 minutes spent commuting every work day. That comes out to 275 minutes per week or 13,750 minutes each year! By working remotely full time, you can save nearly 230 hours annually. What would you do with all that extra time? Sleep in? Relax? Help get your family out the door in the morning? Exercise? The State of Remote Work In Buffer’s Annual State of Remote Work Report, 98% of respondents would prefer to work from home (at least partially) for the rest of their careers! Since you’re here, we’re going to guess you too want to work from home. Keep in mind, just because everyone wants to work from home doesn’t mean everyone should work from home. If you’re ready to call your home your office and your office your home, there’s some important steps you should take to turn your work from home dreams into reality. Question 1: What Kind of Work from Home Job Makes Sense for You? I get a lot of emails and Facebook messages that say, near verbatim: “I want to work from home, please help.” And, if you’ve ever taken the time to email me, you know I always respond and give the best advice I can — if I don’t know the answer, I’ll point you in the right direction. The problem with the general statement, “I want to work from home,” is it’s just too broad. Working from home is not a one-size-fits-all position. There are seemingly endless ways to make a living from home. Know Your WFH Type Once you know you’d like to work from home, the very next thing you need to do is decide which kind of work from home job is right for you: Do you need the stability and security of an employee position with benefits? Would you rather work part-time around your day job? Are you looking to start a scaleable side hustle? Have you been bitten by the freelancing bug? Do you just want to make a little extra money here and there? Your answers to those questions will go a long way in helping you have a more successful remote job search. As a reminder, work from home jobs can usually be divided up into six main types: 1. Full-Time Employee You’re hired on as an employee who just happens to work remotely. Most times, this entitles you to benefits and stable pay. Taxes are taken out of your paycheck for you. 2. Part-Time Employee Also gives you “employee” status which means you can count on greater stability. You may not be benefits eligible as a part-time telecommuter but you will have taxes taken out of your paycheck. 3. Independent Contractor As an independent contractor (IC), you provide your services to a company on a per-contract basis. This means, once your contract is up, you might not have any more work. Similarly, your contract may end without warning. There’s no guarantee of work and you’re responsible for your own taxes and fill out a 1099. 4. Freelance Freelancers offer their services for sale and choose which projects they work on and when. You’re in charge of finding your own work, setting your rates, and collecting payments. Freelancers are also in charge of paying their own taxes on money earned. Writing, virtual assistant, graphic design, and typist are all common work from home freelance careers. 5. Side Hustler Not everyone wants to work full-time or even part-time to make money from home — I get that. So, if you’re looking for a way to earn a few bucks here or there, you should look at extra-money making gigs. These typically don’t require a resume or application to fill out. Instead, you sign up on a site to earn extra money — surveys and usability testing are two popular examples of ways to earn extra money from home. 6. Home Business Anything you do from home — whether it’s a daycare business, flipping products for profit on Amazon, or launching a profitable blog are considered a home-based business. You’re completely in charge of running your home business as you see fit and your success will depend on how much you put into it. Apply to the Right Positions There’s no sense in applying to jobs that aren’t right for you. Save your time, energy and efforts going after the right kinds of jobs — not every and any work from home job or opportunity out there. If you need benefits, go for full time employee positions over contract roles. But, for those that need just a little extra here or there, try side hustles. Really, it all depends on what your ultimate career goal is. Question 2: Do you have a home office? Now that you (hopefully) know the type of remote employment you’re looking for, it’s time to take an honest look at your ability to actually work remotely. If you’re not properly equipped to work from home, you’re gonna have a hard time finding a job. Period. But, depending on the type of employment you’re after, your home office requirements will vary. Home Offices for Employee Jobs http://workfromhomehappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/bigstock-d-modern-computer-workplace-93147662-1024x1024.jpg Let’s say you’re looking for full-time employment from home with a company that offers benefits. Great! There are a number of companies that actually want you to work from home and will pay you a competitive wage and offer some pretty amazing benefits. But, to land these jobs, you’re going to need a home office setup. Home Office Basics This doesn’t necessarily mean you need a full-size copier, fax machine, and laminator — but you should have the basic makings of a home office: High-speed internet (typically hardwired to your computer — no WiFi or satellite connections most of the time!) Well-maintained computer Quiet, distraction-free place to work Desk Comfy chair Basic office supplies — pens, paper, printer, etc. In some cases, you may need a landline. This is especially true for popular at-home customer service jobs. Does this mean you should run out and install a landline? No! But, it means you should be receptive to getting one and know ahead of time if you can actually have one installed in your home or apartment. It’s defeating, to say the least, to go through the application process, land an interview, and a soft job offer only to find you don’t meet the tech requirements or are otherwise incapable of maintaining a proper home office. Home Office Requirements Examples Most work from home companies are pretty good about listing their home office requirements before you even start the application process. For example, Sitel has an entire section devoted to their home office requirements: http://workfromhomehappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/sitel-screenshot.png U-Haul provides similar information upfront before you apply too: http://workfromhomehappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/uhaul-screenshot.pngA screen grab of U-Haul’s home office requirements taken from their hiring page. So, when you come across an at-home position that sounds perfect, remember to check the home office requirements first. Home Offices for Non-Employees If you’re looking for a non-employee position, i.e., freelance, contract, or home business, you don’t have to worry about your home office as much. Remember, if freelancing is more your thing or you’re thinking of starting a blog, you probably won’t need anything more than a computer and internet connection. Similarly, if you want to start a side hustle as an Amazon FBA seller, you can get by with a computer, smartphone, internet and printer and make some pretty good money with this minimal setup. Again, it all goes back to the type of work you’re looking for. What you’ll need as an employee versus home office requirements as a freelancer/self-employed/home business owner are very different things! Question 3: Can You Handle Distractions? http://workfromhomehappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/bigstock-Business-woman-working-from-ho-104254004-300x200.jpg I’ve been working remotely for a decade. And, I’ll be the first to tell you, distractions are going to happen. You’ll hit your stride on an assignment and, boom, the doorbell rings. Or, you’ll get frequent calls from friends and family who ask for a ton of favors during the workday because, hey, you work from home and must not be doing anything more than watching Netflix, right? Oh, and then there’s kids, pets, significant others, neighbors, and about a million other things that can make working from home difficult. Remote Work is Not a Substitute for Childcare My point is, you may not be able to devote the time and attention required to work from home, at least not full-time anyway. Let’s pretend you have kids (maybe you do) — they may or may not be in school (unless it’s summer, then they’re home). You’ll find it downright difficult to find a full-time work from home job if you have kids in your care during the day — I don’t care how great you are at multitasking — if you can’t provide a distraction-free, quiet home environment, you’re going to find it difficult to land a full-time employment. Impossible? No. But very, very, very difficult. Now, don’t get discouraged if you’re not in the ideal place to work from home — you just have to get creative. Help, My House is a Circus I hear you. I’ve got a homeschooled child, two golden retrievers, three cats, and a lot of Amazon deliveries. Yet, I still manage to work remotely in a variety of roles over the last decade. Don’t let a busy household stop you from making money from home — just figure out a way to work around your already busy schedule. This will likely mean freelancing from home, starting a side hustle, or working as an independent contractor. Transcription, proofreading, virtual assisting, and writing all are great options to explore — but really, you’re only limited by what services you’re willing to offer as a freelancer. Question 4: Will You Miss Working Outside the Home? I’m an introvert. And most introverts love working from home. But, if you’ve ever worked an office job, you know that office politics are just a part of going to work. And while working from home means you miss the bad stuff, it also means you miss out on all the good stuff, too. The camaraderie of coworkers, lunches out, impromptu happy hours, and other perks that come with a traditional office job don’t happen as easily when you work from home. If you hate the rat race but love interacting with coworkers, enjoy break room banter, and count your officemates as some of your best buds, you might find that working from home is lonely for you. Yes, it’s easier than ever to stay connected with chats and video hangouts, but it’s just not the same as being in person. I’ve heard of too many enthusiastic people start a work from home journey only to find they didn’t like it — and nine times out of ten, it was because they missed the daily human interaction an office job brings. You know working from home has its perks, and for some people it equals work happiness but it’s not for everyone. Seriously consider how much importance you place on working alongside others in an office environment — if you can’t imagine working alone (save for an office cat), you may want to reevaluate your work from home ambitions This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information. The post I Want to Work from Home. Now What? Four Important Questions to Ask Yourself appeared first on Work from Home Happiness. View the full article