Feeling Unfulfilled In Your Remote Job? 3 Basic Steps To Creating Your Ideal WFH Environment
Are you working a remote, full-time job, but are left feeling unfulfilled?
In early 2020, like many of you, I suddenly transitioned from being in an office with my coworkers 5 days-a-week to fully remote. This was supposed to be a 2-week test and turned into fully work-from-home for a few years. I enjoyed the additional time flexibility of working from home, but discovered that something seemed was missing.
I no longer felt completely fulfilled in my remote job.
In order to regain fulfillment, I needed to take some basic steps to creating my ideal work-from-home environment:
I needed to intentionally setup my work area.
I needed to remove friction from starting work for the day.
I needed to surround myself with non-work items that brought me joy.
If this is where you currently are, let me save you several months and give you the steps that I used to create my ideal work from home environment.
Step #1: I needed to intentionally setup my work area
When I first started working from home, I had a laptop and external monitor on a cheap, rickety folding table in front of an uncomfortable chair, which I hated.
My setup didn’t feel like somewhere I would ever choose to spend more than an hour, much less 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week, for years. After suffering this setup for almost 3 years, I finally purchased a comfortable office chair and built the standing desk of my dreams (which is Star Wars themed, of course). Now, I actually enjoy sitting down and getting to work in my home office instead of looking for excuses to work anywhere else.
If where you’re sitting isn’t comfortable and the work surface isn’t adequate, you’ll despise working there, even if you love the work you’re doing.
Step #2: I needed to remove friction from starting work for the day
Juggling my personal computer, work computer, and a shared external display along with all the shared and separate cords made starting work a headache every day.
I needed a way that I could sit down every workday, regardless of whether I was working on my personal or work laptop previously, and get straight to work without having to mess with plugs and move things around. A simple KVM switch, laptop stands, and wireless keyboard/mouse with multiple connections removed all the friction. Now, I can switch my monitor to connect to my work or personal laptop through the KVM Switch without rerouting cables and the same wireless keyboard/mouse can be switched between the two computers.
Purchasing the KVM Switch for my monitor and a keyboard and mouse that can connect to multiple devices seamlessly removed all the friction from switching between my setup being in personal or work mode.
Step #3: I needed to surround myself with non-work items that brought me joy
While my work setup had now become efficient, it was lacking character (with one exception I’ve already mentioned).
Outside of work, family, and friends, our obsessions are what bring us joy. We all have those shows, movies, or books that we constantly gravitate back towards, so why not inject that personality around yourself in your work from home setup? For me, it’s Star Wars (remember the desk I built?). Every time I’m on a work call (that should have been an email) wondering why I’m on the call at all, I look down at my desk and seeing the epoxy-inlayed Imperial and Rebel logos brings a small smile to my face.
On a day when work (or personal life) is especially tough, surrounding yourself with reminders of your obsessions will bring joy back into your life.
By taking these 3 basic steps, I immediately felt more fulfilled when I am working from home.
Your work from home environment plays an integral part in your feeling of fulfillment and it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to make progress on each step.
The key is to be intentional about your setup, identify and remove friction from starting your day, and put some reminders of your obsessions around you. You don’t have to build a custom Star Wars desk like I did, you can get some LEGO micro sets and put them under your monitor.
If you do these 3 steps, you will feel more fulfilled and find more joy every time you sit down to get some work done.
