How to work from home efficiently
More people than ever before work from home, with numbers set to increase in the months and years ahead. While a remote work setting presents many advantages for individuals, it can be challenging to develop a good work-life balance.
Getting into the right headspace and using time effectively is essential. Introducing a simple time management technique can transform how work from home time is spent and help unleash your creativity.
And if you didn’t know what is time tracking and why it is important, you’ll understand it by reading Joe’s story.
Unlocking time as an illustrator
Joe Sutphin is an illustrator of children’s books, spending his days (and many nights) working with publishers to make drawings and paintings for print. His illustrations have adorned a number of bestselling books, as well as the upcoming official Watership Down graphic novel. Working from his home studio, Joe tackles multiple ongoing projects including illustration, writing and creating prints of his work. He started using Timeular’s time tracking software last year to understand exactly how his time was being spent on different projects.
“Before I discovered Timeular my workdays were just random and all over the place. I had no clue how much or how little time I was spending on jobs.”
Joe now tracks every minute of his working day using the Timeular time tracking cube. He flips the dice when switching tasks, with to-the-minute accurate data recorded in the time tracking app. Joe is then able to access his analytics with the desktop and mobile apps. Capturing time data allows him to see exactly how long tasks take allowing him to create more accurate estimates for paid work.
“Making art under contract is tricky. You have to get quantities of art produced under a time restraint, so it’s really helpful to know how long an illustration, comic page or cover painting takes to create.”
Timeular has also helped Joe improve the accuracy of his billing for clients. Accounting is much simpler too, with time reports easy to export from the app in formats including CSV and PDF.
Building time awareness
Joe has noticed an improvement in his work-life balance since he started tracking his working day. The reminder feature in the Timeular app lets him set alerts which ensure his time doesn’t slip away.
“I feel most inspired and ready to make art early in the day before my brain is muddled with too much else. I have my tracker set to alert me every hour so I can get up and take a quick break.”
Anyone who works from home will attest to the likelihood that boundaries between home and work do occasionally blur. Having an all-in-one time management solution at your fingertips makes it easier to adapt your schedule and ensure every minute counts. Tracking time and having data to back up his decision making process means Joe is better placed to ensure his day is well spent without compromising his work-life balance.
“I definitely have days where I might think I’ve been working longer than I have, but then I look at my daily log and realize I can push a little longer and get more out of my day.”
Invest in a work from home set-up
Whether you work in the creative industry like Joe, or are a professional in another field, making an investment in your work from home set-up can be the difference between making remote work a success or failure. For Joe, investing in Timeular is a no-brainer that others should consider.
“It’s just such a minimal cost for such a great little gadget that works its way into your work-life balance. I honestly don’t know how I would keep tabs on my work week and progress without it at this point.”
Work from home guide
If you’re looking for extra guidance to get the most out of remote working, we’ve developed a work from home guide full of tips. From how to plan your day, to tips on hosting efficient virtual meetings, the guide will help ensure every minute of your time counts.
Ready to unlock your time?
Timeular offers a range of packages for individuals and teams who are remote working, making employee time tracking seamless. Over 70,000 users around the world are using the software to take control of their time. View pricing