You knew this was going to be first up, and it’s probably the single biggest factor in remote working success. Discipline isn’t just about staying focused when it’s a nice day outside and no one really knows what you’re doing. It’s also about keeping reasonable and appropriate working hours, and keeping commitments outside of work as well as within. Generally, I think of discipline as the thing that lets you hold up your end of the deal you made with your employer, as well as the one you made with yourself.

I tend to think of my time as being fairly compartmentalized: When it’s work time, I do work, and that’s pretty much all I do and think about. And though I do sometimes think about work outside designated hours, I never actually look at work-related stuff in my downtime. It’s a sort of knack I’ve developed. Being able to become absorbed by work can be very handy for the remote worker — so long as you can snap out of it at knock-off time.

2. Passion

You have to care about something to work remotely. You probably need to be passionate about what you do, or the temptation to slack off my soon prove too great. But if you don’t harbor a wild enthusiasm for your job, you’ll have to have a vivid appreciation of what remote working gives you: perhaps it’s more time in your day to do other things, perhaps it’s simply a life without partitions.

I’m fortunate in that I have both a passion for what I do, and for the things working remotely affords me. It’s not all roses, and there are things I miss about working in an office, but overall, I love doing what I do, and doing it remotely.

3. Drive

Motivation really is crucial for remote workers, but especially so for those who aren’t on a salary. We all know how hard it can be to get out of bed on Monday morning; it’s even harder when bed is five meters from work. And you need serious, world-class drive to get up and going.

I get around the big motivation issues by making them non-negotiable. I always start my workday at the same time — that way, I don’t have to make decisions about whether or not to spend another half hour watching TV before I begin work, or how much time to take for lunch. If I have decisions to make, it’s all too tempting to take the “easy” option rather than just sitting down and getting on with it.

4. Support

Perhaps you have a great boss and some cool colleagues who make it very easy to work remotely. Maybe you have a sterling family, who respect your work time and space and give you lots of latitude. Possibly you have a geeky neighbor who helped you set up your network and now acts as your tech support in return for occasional lawn mowing.

The point is, remote working is impossible without support at some point in the process. When I sat down and thought about it, I realized that I had all these supports — and more — helping me to make the most of the remote working experience. And I thank them for that on a regular basis! What are the characteristics that make you a successful remote worker? Which do you think is most important?

What I Did Right

First and foremost, I prepared for the switchover of Internet services. Since this was key to me keeping up my income stream during the moving process, it was a top priority from the very beginning. I also took the opportunity to do a little comparison shopping among Internet service providers. What I found out shocked me: I was paying double what I would if I switched to using a smaller but highly recommended ISP. The new provider had a fairly broad window for when my service would become active, though, so I arranged two back-up solutions in case I didn’t have access when I first moved in (which I didn’t).

Both of my back-up solutions were actually already in place. First, I have 3G mobile broadband subscription from Fido (a Canadian wireless provider), which I signed up for just before finding out that the upcoming iPhone 3.0 firmware supports tethering. It came in handy this past weekend, though, so that took some of the sting out of the two-year subscription. My other Internet back up was actually my girlfriend’s apartment, where I knew I’d be welcome to spend a couple days working undisturbed. I could’ve also always opted for camping out at Starbucks for the day, but generally I prefer something more private if I can manage it.

I also tried (and succeeded, I think) to make the week leading up to the move much more productive than usual. I worked longer hours, spent a lot less time outside of the house, and just generally tried to get more done. The idea was to build up a buffer so that if I needed a little extra time before or after the move, I’d have it, and I wouldn’t sacrifice anything professionally. There’s also the added benefit that even if I hadn’t needed to make use of the buffer, I’d have got a whole bunch of extra work done, which is never a bad thing.

What I Did Wrong

I was so focused on the web working implications of my move that I forgot about some very key things. Like whether or not all the light fixtures in the new place were working. Or whether all the plumbing was OK. Or whether my landlord, who’s not very handy, had hooked up the brand-new stacked washer/dryer correctly. As a result of those and other oversights, many of my first few days in the new place were spent putting out fires. Luckily, my landlord is well-intentioned, just a little clueless, so each issue was resolved very quickly and without much inconvenience.

The lesson here is to remember the oh-so-crucial “home” component of “home/office” when moving. If you’re moving to an older place, especially, you’ll want to make sure that everything is actually working. Don’t just take it on faith that a landlord would never show an apartment that wasn’t in good working order. I’m a trusting person, but in this case that turned out to be quite the flaw.

I found packing and other pre-move preparation easy, but I unfortunately forgot to consider unpacking in any real detail. I went in with a vague idea that it would take roughly the same amount of time to get things set up in the new place as it did to take them down in the old. This turned out not to be true. Things like laying out the new space, accounting for all the extra room, and recognizing and planning for unusual outlet placement are all things that tripped me up that I could’ve planned for in advance.

Instead, I spent the days following the move living out of boxes, trying to find things, hyperventilating because I thought I’d forgotten to pack a USB hub, for instance, and just generally being disorganized. This probably hampered my work as much as any temporary Internet service outage would have.

Final Thoughts

Planning is definitely crucial to any successful move, but even more important is making sure that your plan covers all the bases. Don’t just plan for before and during, plan for after, too. And make sure your plan includes “home” elements as much as it does “office.” Being able to work in your new space is great, but only if you can also live there, too.

Share your moving tips in the comments.

But just because we can work anywhere, doesn’t mean that we should. Our work environment is a critical part of our work process and can have tremendous influence on our productivity.

So what are our options?

Home: It’s no surprise that many web workers set up their work spaces at home. With a spare room or out of the way corner, you can be up and running with minimal cost and effort.

However, many of the benefits of a work at home environment are also potential drawbacks. Being close to family is great but they can also be a distraction. And while I would love the zero mile commute, maintaining a work-life balance can be a real issue for some.

There can also be privacy concerns when your home address or phone number is also used as a business location. PO boxes or mail stops can assist with the physical mail, and many folks use their mobile as a business line. Using a virtual phone service like GrandCentral or PhoneFusion can help keep your home line clear, as well as presenting a more professional appearance.

Hot-Spots: If you have ever walked in to a Panera or Starbucks, or a local coffee shop or cafe that offers free Wi-Fi, you’ve seen the scores of folks set up with their laptops diligently tapping away.

Working in a public spot like this certainly offers its advantages. The availability of Wi-Fi makes access to work easy, and we all know that caffeine fuels the web worker. Also, there is a feeling of community that can develop and the presence of other folks around can ease the sense of isolation that can be an issue for solo workers.

While I think hot-spots can serve as great meeting places, it would be a challenge for me as a full time work location. Making and receiving calls can be difficult, and sometimes power availability can be a big issue.

Also, rules for purchasing requirements and time limits can vary widely by location, and the costs of a daily coffee / bagel can add up quickly.

If you do utilize the space and services of a local establishment, be sure to also support them with your purchases.

Traditional Office: Many web workers do work in traditional office environments or set up shop by renting local office space. I found a nice space in the downtown area of my village that is quite affordable and gives me a conveniently-located space to work and hold meetings.

I appreciate never having to worry about finding a comfortable chair or a power outlet. I like maintaining control of my own Internet connection, and I don’t know how I would function without my whiteboard. Having a distinct work space, located out of the home, also makes that end of day transition much easier.

There are additional costs like insurance that can come along with a rented space but it is a good option for those that want to have a distinct work environment or a physical presence in your community.

Coworking: We’ve written a lot about coworking here on WebWorkerDaily and it is an exciting trend for the solo web worker. A good coworking facility can offer a lot of the benefits of a coffee-shop or cafe, while also providing some traditional office luxuries like whiteboards or meeting rooms. It is an emerging trend, though, and finding a good space can be difficult, especially in smaller suburban or remote areas.

When you’ve decided where you’re going to work from, it’s important to remember that the title of “web worker” is given to those who use the web to work productively and efficiently, no matter where you set up.

Where do you work?

(photo via Matthew Bowden)

It was something I hadn’t paid particular attention to since leaving an office setting. At my last corporate gig, I was instrumental is establishing a proper recycling program. It was easy because it was me vs. the corporate climate. At home, with no machine to rage against, I hadn’t even realized how much could be done.

1. Turn it Off

Seems like an obvious one, and it’s been the subject of countless public service ads, but it bears repeating. Especially for those sneaky peripherals that some of us like to leave on perpetually, just in case they need to spring in to sudden service. That means monitors, speakers, and yes, even powered USB hubs and drives. Best way to affect a quick and easy shutdown? A power bar with an on/off switch to take them all off-grid at once.

2. Buy Less, Give More

If you work a lot with computers, chances are you, like me, really enjoy getting new gadgets. Which is why this measure is so difficult. My tiny apartment is literally strewn about with knick-knacks and gizmos I thought would increase my productivity or benefit my workflow in some way. In most cases, I was wrong.

My solution? First of all, be much more judicious about purchases in the future. Also, declutter without throwing anything away, giving some of the stuff to people I know can actually use it. Case in point, an old Wacom Graphire4 tablet, which I no longer use since buying my Cintiq 12WX. Magically, it becomes a gift for my girlfriend to ease her transition into the age of digital illustration.

3. Order in Bulk

One of the benefits of working from home is that I’m always here to receive packages. Which means I order them a lot more frequently, and often from the same source. Now, I’ve decided to take a cue from my corporate past and finally start consolidating my orders.

This saves me money, since I more often break the cost threshold that qualifies for free shipping, and it saves the environment in a number of ways, i.e., less packaging, less carbon emissions spent in the delivery of items, etc. It takes a little more foresight and planning on my part, but those planning skills are also a benefit, in the long run.

4. Shift Your Day

This is another tough one, depending on when you like to work. I was never really a morning person, but time and circumstance have led to great improvement in that area. Now that comes in handy, since I wake whenever too much day light prevents me from sleeping.

Turning that in to a green web working strategy is simple enough. Work when there’s day light to do so by, in order to conserve the amount of energy you spend on heat, artificial lighting, etc. This one is particularly easy to do for those whose schedules are largely arranged at their own discretion.

None of these are extreme, and surprisingly, don’t even involve buying carbon credits (I’m still not exactly sure how those work), but they are a good beginning towards a more environmentally friendly web working culture. In many ways, those of us who work from home have to be extra vigilant, since we don’t have corporate programs in place to help us do our part.

What other measures do you practice/can you suggest for those looking to be more green in 2009?