Nowadays, the world is full of remote workers and digital nomads, and that shouldn’t be surprising. There are trillions of interesting places around the world to explore, and no matter how remote they are, you don’t need much more than a bed, coffee, and an Internet connection.
However, in order to become a successful remote worker, there are some things you must do to stay well organized. Here is a guide based on my 6 years of experience working as a remote software developer. It contains all the tips that I personally use and that I recommend to all the students I mentor in the Microverse training program for remote software developers.
When you start your adventure as a remote worker, the first weeks tend to be pretty tough, especially if you work from home, which is the most common case.
There are dozens of distracting things which drag you off from work: social media, laundry, cooking, doing groceries, or silly stuff like a conversation with your neighbour. Please, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing terrible with an occasional chit-chat with someone else. However, you must know when it is time for work and when you can relax and rest.
Which brings us to…
Rule 1: Establish and stick to a workday routine
It might sound like an obvious truth, and it really is. Create a day plan where there is a time for everything you need to do: actual work, discussions with clients about current progress, and moments for breakfast and a lunch break. You should stick to this routine as much as possible. Some people find it very helpful to use the Pomodoro technique, which combines very frequent work/break intervals.
Consequently, your work day plan should be compatible with your lifestyle, so don’t try to trick yourself into waking up early if you are a natural night owl. This will not work long-term and it will very likely affect your productivity as well. The more “normal” your work day pattern is, according to your habits the better.
On the other side, you must remember you work for someone (or for yourself), so there is always a compromise. This is especially important when the client you are working for is located thousands of miles away. That adds a time zone difference to the equation and can complicate things in terms of work-life balance. Luckily, many remote companies don’t force you to align 8 hours of work with their timezone. They rather want to see you 2–3 hours per day to sync up.
To base this on a real example, I’ll present my day plan. I live in Eastern Europe, and I work for a company which is located in the US, Central Time. Here is what my day looks like:
- 7:15 Shower and breakfast
- 8:00 Answer e-mails and Slack messages from the day before
- 8:30 Software development
- 11:00 Second breakfast ;)
- 11:30 Software development
- 14:00 Long break: lunch, outdoor activities, hobbies
- 18:00 Daily stand-up meeting with client/team
- 18:30 till 20:00 Communication with client
I would be lying if I said I follow that exact pattern everyday. However, having a defined work day helps me a lot to organize myself as a remote developer.
Rule 2: Use time trackers
I usually compare time trackers to the ordinary process of commuting to work and using a card to access or leave the office building. It counts the time you spend in the office. As a remote worker, it is convenient to simulate that situation in a remote environment, and time trackers can help you do that.
It’s reasonable to define some time tracking rules as we did for the workday pattern. The most common question I am always asked is: should I track my breaks or not? My personal principle is to stop the timer every time the break takes more than 15 minutes. This reflects situations like, for instance, the lunch break. Otherwise, it is a very short pause and can be considered part of your workday.
A good rule I follow is this: “Track often, track early”, which means splitting your work day into small pieces of time. Here is an example:
- 1 hour for email and Slack conversations
- 45 minutes for fixing code issue #123
- 1.5 hours for feature #321 development
- Etc..
Your client will love that level of detail.
There are many options available and most of them are free of charge for personal use. One of the best known and powerful time trackers is Harvest, which does not only let you track time, but also helps you group your tasks into projects, and generates weekly, monthly or annual reports, or even manages your invoices.
Additionally, Harvest can be installed natively on Windows or macOS, it can be used through their website, or added as a browser plugin, so that gives you many possibilities to choose from. Personally, I find it super useful to integrate Harvest with Slack, so with just one command I can start or stop my timer. You can read more about it here.
If Harvest does not suit you, you may want to try out Toggl or Hours. They are very similar in terms of functionality and integrations.
Rule 3: Organize your work environment
This might be especially tough to implement if you are a digital nomad and you work from a different place every month. The main rule shouldn’t be compromised though: You must feel comfortable in your work environment. The same rule applies to a stationary job. You are more effective if you feel happy and relaxed.
While the two previous rules are easily adoptable for most people, this one is very flexible and depend on your style. Would you rather work in a spacious and bright room or you prefer to get cozy in a small and dark place? Do you need to be surrounded by flowers, paintings or other things which are considered calming? Finally, do you need some noise around you to motivate you and keep you in an alert state, or are you a person who prefers a quiet environment?
These are the questions you must ask yourself first. Be patient with this process though. It’s not easy and it takes some time to find a comfortable solution.
There are a few other very important things you need to consider too. Don’t underestimate their importance. I am talking about the right desk, chair, screen and hardware in general. Having a good chair and the right posture in front of the screen is especially crucial for your long-term comfort and health.
Take advantage of the remote nature of your job and set up your work environment to make it as comfortable as you can.
The remote way of working is something relatively new, and still considered “exclusive” for many workers. Some people say they would never stay focused if they had to work from home or from a coffee shop. The purpose of this article is to prove them wrong. You can convert your home into an “office” and enjoy all the advantages of remote work. Following these rules can only increase the likelihood of you being happy at work :)