What does your workday routine look like?
Interview with Shivani, a remote content writer who shares lessons learned
I start my day by checking Todoist to see what the day’s tasks are. Then I check email to see if anything urgent has come in overnight that needs to be added to the day (which is rare).
I try to get smaller tasks done first. I know that’s considered unwise, and you should finish the most important tasks first, but if I leave a bunch of tasks incomplete, I’ll start stressing about getting them done that day.
I’m usually done with breakfast, the gym, and these smaller tasks by 11-11:30 a.m., and then I work on the bigger tasks — research, writing, editing, creating strategy… the things that are not admin related and require deep work. I take a half-hour lunch break when I get hungry, and then I work until 6:30-7 p.m. when I call it a day.
This is a typical day, but the beauty of working remotely is that it isn’t set in stone. If deadlines allow, I can meet a friend for lunch or coffee, go to the gym later in the day if I woke up late. I love the flexibility of it.
Shivani provides all you need to know about making remote work...work. She shares tips on finding the best remote work opportunity and thriving once you get it.
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Interview with Stefan, a founder building a location-independent startup
- 7:30 to 8 am - wake up, scroll a bit of social, maybe check email
- 8:30 to 9 am - emailing, setting key priorities for the day
- 9 am to 1 pm - working, calls, or meetings
- 1 to 2:30 pm - lunch, resetting priorities, social media updating
- 2:30 to 5 or 6 pm - continue work, calls, or meetings
- 6 to 8 pm - dinner, socialize with my partner
- 8 to 9 pm - sometimes more work
- 9 to 11 pm - socialize with partner, tv
- 11 to 12 am - getting ready / bed
Stefan now has total control over his time since leaving the traditional office in early 2019. Hear how his routine is helping him build a solid remote startup.
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Interview with Molood, a CEO who shares how minimalism has improved her remote work experience
The beauty of my work life is that almost no two days look the same. I also live a minimalist life, so first, let me tell you how I have simplified my life:
- 1- I own three pairs of shoes: Daily shoes, running shoes, winter boots.
- 2- I own three dresses, two pairs of pants and three tops, one winter jacket, a hat and one pair of gloves. This minimal wardrobe saves me a ton of time thinking about what to wear every day.
- 3- I eat only 4 types of meals. When I eat out, I get food with the same ingredients. I eat the same breakfast every single day, and my lunch and dinners are roughly the same food. I have discovered that I do not need much diversity in food as long as I’m getting all the nutrients my body needs. I do not eat sugar, bread, rice, pasta, or other heavy carbohydrates. I eat lentils and beans and other slow carbohydrates instead.
- 4- I don’t own or use most kitchen appliances that people claim they are dependent on. All I use is a stove, a saucepan, a frying pan, and cutlery.
- 5- All my belongings (except for my books) can fit into a suitcase, and that is the measure of my happiness. Once I have more clutter in my life, I feel a certain level of anxiety, and I would immediately want to make a bag of stuff I no longer need and donate them.
- 6- I usually buy the best quality clothes, electronics, or other materials so that they would last a very long time and that I do not need to think about buying new “things” all the time.
The simplicity I have created in my life allows me to spend most of my time creating rather than consuming.
I wake up at 6:30-7:00, boil some water, and some eggs. While the eggs are getting ready, I take a shower and put on my clothes. Once I’m done, the water for coffee is ready, and I have my breakfast. I then either have a 30-minute yoga session (with an online teacher) or sit quietly and read.
Then I get up, clean the dishes, and while I’m doing that, I also prepare breakfast for my family. Then I set the breakfast table and leave home. I find my café or hotel of the day and start working.
Usually, my day consists of a variety of tasks. If I’m working with a corporation as a consultant on that day, my 9 to 5 is dedicated to supporting them and them only. If it’s a day off from corporate consulting, I could be writing, editing videos, managing the work at Remote Forever, writing emails, answering queries, or even creating new content.
I take a break for lunch and go for a walk. I sometimes watch a TV series while I eat or just browse social media.
After my 9-5 with a client is over (or my otherwise workday is finished), I spend about an hour wrapping up my day and preparing for the following day. I then choose to either work out at a gym or go for a long walk. Sometimes this is 45 minutes, and sometimes it can be up to 2 hours.
When I’m back at home, I simply warm up dinner (I cook once a week on Sundays and prepare all the meals for the week so I do not need to think or wonder what to eat every day.) and catch up with my family or friends.
I often have long chats or even video calls with my siblings, parents, other relatives, or close friends who all live in different parts of the world. That is how I stay close and connected with people I care about. I then wind down with some reading in bed.
Of course, this is the normal daily routine. Sometimes as I know many entrepreneurs reading this can relate to, there is work that pops up out of the blue and has a short deadline, which means I would need to work longer hours to make the deadline. This, however, has become less and less after I hired a Virtual Assistant (VA).
As CEO and Founder of Remote Forever, Molood has made a career in teaching individuals and companies how to work remotely effectively. See how embracing a minimalist lifestyle has caused her to excel.
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Interview with Saibu, an HR content writer for a remote company
I usually start work in the morning, when I check my tasks for the day. Depending on the urgency, I divide the tasks into two – work on the first ones, take a break, and come back later to finish the rest. I work in two sprints, but not always.
Hear how Saibu, a thriving HR content writer, navigates the complexities—and perks—of working with a remote team from Ghana.
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Interview with Andrew, co-founder and CEO of Insured Nomads
- Coffee and calming. 5:30-6:00
- Time with my wife. 6:00-6:30
- Breakfast 6:30-6:45
- Meditation/quiet time. 6:45-7:15
- Schedule review 7:15-7:30
- Reading 7:30-8:15
- Writing 8:15-8:45
- Snack break 8:45
- Client responses 9:30-10:30
- Project management 10:30-12:00
- Product development 12:00-1:00
- Lunch 1:00-1:30
- Calls: 1:30-4:00
- Family time: 4:00-5:30
- Finalize work: 5:30-6:30
Andrew, co-founder, and CEO of Insured Nomads talks traveling while working, productivity tools, and the best advice he has received.
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Interview with Kirsten and Jay-Allen, remote team coaches & collaboration experts
It’s different every day. Some days might be full of meetings, and other days we might be planning a workshop. Some days we might go out for breakfast and work really late that night. Other days we might start working and responding to messages with coffee in bed as we wake up.
One thing we don’t have to do is sit in traffic.
Remote team coaches, Kirsten and Jay-Allen, offer three pieces of advice for new remote workers and reveal the one question every remote job seeker should prepare to answer.
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Interview with Marian, a nomadic social media manager and day trader
I love it to share my routine, I normally wake up very early, between 5:00 am, and 5:45 am.
Before I get out of my bed, I like to meditate and visualize for ten minutes. I then do my morning stretch and cardio workout at home.
After these activities, I head to the bathroom, drink coffee, have breakfast, and then I start to schedule my time. I write my to-do list, look at the news for trading information, read, analyze the market, and look for my daily opportunity.
At 8:30 am to 9:00 am, I start my work outside or head to my indoor workspace. From there, I start my social media work and keep at it until lunchtime.
Once I finish my work after lunch, I like to go out and discover the city I am in, or head to the gym.
In the evening, I start trading until 1:00 am.
Day trading & virtual assisting has allowed Marian to see the world—in this interview, she lays out her routine and priorities for those thinking of traveling while working.
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Interview with Tyler, a director of customer success models how to start a remote work career
I get up early before my children and work 60-90 minutes before they wake up. Then, I cook breakfast for our whole crew (six family members); these are some of my most productive work times.
Then we all go our separate ways to school, work, etc., but I usually workout following breakfast. After showering and putting on my work clothes, I usually knock out smaller tasks and take any meetings just before or just after lunch.
I also really enjoy the opportunity to greet my children home from school in the afternoon. Maybe I'm weird, but I put everything I am intending to do in my calendar as an event. Future me often thanks past me all the time for taking the time to decide what I am doing when.
From networking to land a remote work gig, to building out an exceptional remote work tool stack, Tyler has quickly figured out how to thrive in remote work. See his tips for starting strong.
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Interview with Pilar, director of Virtual Not Distant
So, one of the things I do is I work at the coworking space on Saturday mornings when there is no one. Also, I really don't have much of a routine.
The only routine is that I wake up at the same time every day and have breakfast with my husband while watching a sitcom, which lasts about 20 minutes.
We have a long breakfast with coffee, and that is the only routine I have.
Hear about Pilar's flexible approach to managing Virtual Not Distant and the career-changing advice she received from a friend.
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Interview with Paul, a remote product designer who has found his zen
I have blocked out my workdays to start at 9 am and finish at 5.30 pm. In between, I have blocked out time for focus work, collaborative work, and breaks (coffee, lunch).
At either end of the day is personal time. In the morning, I mock the commute by getting out for a walk or exercise during the time I would usually have been commuting. I make time in the evening to have dinner and spend time with my family before the boys go to bed.
Here’s an example of a typical day:
07.15–09.00 — Mock The Commute & Gratitude Log I have replaced my usual commuting time with mocking the commute, having breakfast, writing my gratitude log, and starting my to-do list. I also have extra time to spend with my son by getting him dressed and preparing his breakfast.
9 am — Laser Focus Block Time to start work and prepare for the day and week ahead.
10.30–10.45/11.00: Coffee Time! First break — Time for coffee!
10.45–12.30: Open Work Time Back to work, but this block of time is open, so I am available and ready to take or schedule calls if required. I usually have my 1:1 with my line manager during this time.
12.30–13.30: Lunch — Bonus Family Time I need to eat to remain energised. It’s also an opportunity to spend some time with my wife and boys and, on fine days, have lunch al fresco in the garden —both bonuses I am grateful for during these strange times.
13.30–16.00: Open Work Block It’s back to work and another open block. We usually have our team huddle during this time to update one another on our focus areas for the week ahead.
16.00 — Break Time for an afternoon break. Right now, we have a virtual team hangout to connect with teammates on a more personal level, so I will aim to join this as often as possible.
16.30–17.30: Open Work Block The last hour is about wrapping up tasks and activities for the day and responding back to any outstanding emails. It’s open for any additional meetings that need to happen.
17.30–20.00: Family Time This is sacred family time. We have dinner together, then I get to play with the kids before it’s their bedtime. Bedtime consists of three stories, and it’s a wonderful moment of connection between parent and child. I’ve become a huge admirer of the work of Julia Donaldson!
20.00: Personal Time This is flexible personal time — I can take it for myself to draw, listen to music, go for a run, watch a TV show, spend time with my wife, connect with friends and family.
My personal blocks remain the same every day.
The COVID-19 pandemic drove Paul to embrace remote work. See how he has adapted his routine to this new normal, and the one tool that keeps him organized.
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