How I Get Shit Done & My New Remote Work Routine

As an Enneagram type 3 wing 4, I have a strong need to stay productive all the time and this time at home has kept me hyper focused on work, my blog and my home.

I’m very organized and damn good at time management so working remotely has been a seamless transition for me. And I’ve established a routine that allows for flexibility, plenty of time to devote to my mental health (home workouts, daily dog walks, TV time) and space to focus and get my work done.

My Work from Home Tips

Create a routine–set your alarm, check your calendar and come up with a routine with a lunch break and/or exercise break.

Get dressed–I’m not waking up and putting jeans on, eff that, but I am changing into a fresh, but cozy outfit for the day complete with slippers. And I’m putting some make up on. I put perfume on. It all helps me!

Use Your Calendar--On my personal calendar, I set aside times for my virtual workout classes and make it part of my day so I can aptly manage my time. Everything goes on the calendar!

Time Block–set aside times to work on projects throughout the day. For example, I usually allow the first hour of the day just to get caught up on email and respond to any client needs. You can also block off your calendar to focus on a certain project or task and think of it as an event and you have to stay on schedule. Unless something crazy hits your plate, stay on schedule and on task-focused on that one thing until it’s done.

My New Routine

7:45 Wake up, feed dogs if they haven’t been fed yet and change into my daytime lounge clothes from my nighttime pajamas.

8:10-8:30 Take James on a solo walk. I like to start my days moving since I don’t have much else to do or see later in the day and I feel less sorry for myself if I start the day off on a good note. To be honest, I’ll eat a cookie most mornings before breakfast. I’m fully stocked up on cookies.

8:30 Sit down at my dining room table to get started on the work day. Email out my work day to colleagues and write out/update my to do list in my notebook. I personally love writing out to-do lists and checking it off as I go. I write a lot out in my passion planner so I try to have that on the desk with me as I work.

9ish Make one piece of toast with peanut butter, and grab a string cheese or some cottage cheese and some grapes for breakfast along with a Red Bull. I’ve been eating something similar to that this past week! I also refill my water bottle around this time too from the day before.

10-noon Working, scheduling calls and zoom meetings is the new normal. We also use Slack for work, but I like to call people directly or do Zoom so I don’t have to type as much and actually get to talk to and see my colleagues. Around this time I might snap some pics for my Instagram stories as I’m trying to stay active and show the behind the scenes of my boring life at home.

12-1 There are two virtual fitness classes by FLEXcity Fitness–I mostly participate in the 12:30-1 p.m. strength class, but I try to stretch and get mentally ready for a home workout before that class starts. I truly don’t like home workouts, I can’t get in the zone but I’m trying my best. If I don’t workout, I usually take the dogs on a longer walk during this time. Right now, I’ve been taking Wednesdays and Saturdays off from virtual classes.

1ish Eat lunch! This mostly has been leftovers from the dinner the night before, so anything from pasta to skillets. Or cereal. I bought myself a chocolate cereal that I completely forgot about and I’ve been eating that at lunch too. I also stocked up on microwaveable mac and cheese. Matt says my middle name should be “convenience” LOL. I’m all about what’s easiest and most convenient–pre cut veggies, easy mac, you name it.

1-4ish I usually have most of my standing calls in this time frame and by this time, I might go upstairs to my closet room and sit at the vanity so Matt can watch TV and freely move around without being in the background of my zoom call. I also find myself pigging out around this time period–more cookies and shitty fruit snacks like Gushers. They’re easy to find, always in stock and they were a childhood favorite.

4ish Daily, our office sets up a zoom call for a “happy hour” just to see each other and snoop on each others’ homes. I usually feed the dogs at this time instead of the typical 5 during normal life because they start to lose their minds and want to be fed.

5ish I’m usually wrapped up with work, but keep my computer open to work on blog stuff and turn the TV on and sit in the living room. For the most part, I don’t work in the living room (or my bedroom) because it’s designated as my chill spot. I’ll do my side hustle work, but my PR work is done in the dining room or at my vanity in the closet room.

We’ll usually start dinner around 5:30 and I’ve been more prepared than ever to cook and prepare meals. A couple times a week at least, we’re doing takeout for dinner to help local restaurants, but for the most part, cooking everything at home and sticking to the stay at home order. I also bake in in the evenings–a couple times a week. I have cake mixes and pumpkin muffin mixes!

Other Things I Do During the Day (and night)

Each day, I might think of a little project to complete like organize one closet or one drawer. Something small and manageable that helps me see this time at home as positive and productive. Again, my enneagram type thrives of constant productivity so this works well for me.

I also watch three hours of TV before bed. Fuck it, it’s relaxing for me. Rewatching Curb Your Enthusiasm and Schitt’s Creek for the fourth time currently.My vanity-turned work desk. I like to sit upstairs and work in the afternoons.A typical scene working from home in the dining room! Workout set up at home in my closet room. I love having a dedicated space just for me to work, get ready, workout, etc.