Adjusting Your Headspace to Your At-Home Workplace
Becoming Your Best “Remote” Self
By Krista Harding
Administration & Operations Director
As a Type A personality in a job where every detail matters, I am inherently driven toward organization, efficiency, and staying on top of – if not ahead of – the game. Yet, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I quickly realized that even my “what-if” plans hadn’t accounted for this. After getting over my initial shock and adding, “Research and plan for all previously unconsidered world scenarios” to my to-do list, I knew I needed to figure out how I was going to work from home full-time in the “new normal” of quarantine.
Like many others, I tuned in to the morning TV shows for tips and tricks on how to be my best “remote” self. I perused the internet for ideas on ways to separate my professional and personal lives while working and living in the same space. I subscribed to a few Instagram accounts for inspiration and did some online shopping for new at-home office furniture. And while I love my updated space and have implemented some of the scheduling suggestions I picked up along the way, I also noticed that none of these things had any impact on my ability to respond to the sudden shift in my work assignments and priorities.
Instead, what I discovered was that the organizing and attention to detail I have practiced on a regular basis leading up to this point helped me stay on track. My electronic files were dated and stored systematically so I knew exactly where to find even those that I had created and tucked away for projects I had planned to tackle later. Our file sharing system had been recently updated so my colleagues and I could work together on the same documents with ease despite the many miles between us. Team meetings for the rest of the year had already been scheduled with an option to participate virtually so we continue to meet consistently without interruption.
Does this sound far from your own experience? I get it. Even during “normal” times, the work of staying organized can get lost in the fray, especially when faced with the daily challenges of nonprofit life. Yet, it is also critical to business continuity. It helps us keep our pace amidst ever-changing priorities, eases transition when roles change, aids us in meeting deadlines, and can increase productivity. Is it glamorous work? Not really. Can you find something else to do that feels much more important in the moment? I’m sure! Is it something you should make time for anyways? Absolutely.
As we continue to adapt to this new way of working, I encourage you to take inventory of your own organizing systems. What’s working for you? What isn’t? Would someone be able to easily navigate your work if you won the lottery tomorrow and ran off to a far away place?
Once you’ve identified the projects you need to tackle, consider ways to break them down into small, palatable steps. Schedule a few minutes into each day, or even each week, to dedicate to them. As you cross each task off the list, take a moment to congratulate yourself. This chore you’ve just completed, no matter how mundane, has positioned you (and your organization) for success in some unknown future scenario. And as we navigate this unprecedented time together, I think that’s worth celebrating.