This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
As we navigate the new reality of working from home, it's essential to adjust our expectations and adapt to the changing landscape. Since mid-March, our collective productivity has taken on a bell shape, with a steady climb before peaking and then dipping again. Now, it's erratic, resembling a heartbeat on a heart monitor.
For creatives, this shift requires a new approach to productivity. It's no longer about being productive; it's about doing what needs to be done and completing tasks. The questions to ask yourself are: 'Have I done what I needed to?' and 'Have I completed whatever I started this week?' Everything else is a myth.
Here are some tips to help you work productively from home:
- Drop the idea of 'being productive.' It's an ambiguous and fluid term that's no longer a definitive metric of your day's scorecard.
- Focus on the basics. On most days, you make it through by sheer will and brute force.
- Don't bother setting up a home office. It's a waste of time and effort. You can work from anywhere, including your couch, bed, or even the toilet.
- Work in anything but your regular work clothes. You're allowed to work in the nude, but only if you're social distancing from your home alone.
- Get a houseplant, not a pet. They thrive on being loved from a neglectful distance.
- It's okay to fling aside everything they told you about making your bed first thing in the morning.
- Now's the time for some mad scientist experimentation. Try new things, like eating cabbage, and see what magic it creates.
