HOME IS WHERE THE WIFI IS

Undeniably, working from home helped me become more of a person– I am present in family events, I am available to meet with friends anytime, I have more energy, I have more time for myself, and I feel rested and at ease. The constant worry and urge to check the time to see if I’ll be able to get ahead of traffic, or what time will I make it home was completely gone. As an introvert who loves staying home, I never knew that I would learn to love being at home even more. Ironically, I guess it’s human nature, having this much extra time in my hands developed a desire in me to go out and stay outside for a longer time. It made me want to travel, spend time with nature together with my loved ones, and do something I’ve never done before just for fun. Initially, while I was still getting used to working from home, I would take advantage of my PTOs to satiate and indulge in this bubbling desire to go out. Eventually, as I became familiar with my tasks and with company rules, I realized that as long as I have a computer and a reliable WiFi connection, then I can work anywhere! Fortunately in my case, I can even accomplish all my tasks from my phone. There were a couple of times when I was with my family for night-outs and they would ask me, “Don’t you have work today? You should be at home!” to which I would reply, “Home is where the WiFi is!”

I am blessed that I started my work-from-home career with Tytan Teams. The whole team is like a family; support is always present, supervisors are very communicative and understanding, and each one listens to the needs of the team. Most importantly, there is clarity in the job tasks, the things we are expected to accomplish on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Having this information made it possible for me to bring work with me even if I am traveling or on a destination vacation. For starters, here are the things I needed to have and know that made working anywhere possible for me:

• Reliable internet connection. As soon as I got hired in the company, I bought a broadband internet for my back-up in case I’ll have problems with my main internet service provider. Along with my phone’s mobile data, this has been a reliable internet connection for me whenever I am not at home and needed to be online. Having these is a great investment for remote workers, because this removes the stress that may come from worrying if you’ll have an internet connection wherever you’ll go.

• Research and invest in a good computer. Technology is improving faster than ever. A computer bought 2 years ago might not perform the same way it did when it was still brand new. It is beneficial for remote workers to learn what computer specifications will ensure that the quality and speed of their work will not be compromised. Buying a gaming computer or business computer that is not suited to the kind of job you are doing might make you feel that your money was wasted. So make sure that your computer is built for the kind of job you have.

• A success list. We all have different ways of keeping oneself motivated to accomplish our daily tasks. A to-do list, a rolling list of tasks, Excel sheets, you name it. What makes a success list different? A success list promotes productivity by giving you a sense of accomplishment. This is done by starting the day doing small, simple, tasks that are part of your priorities, followed by routine tasks. Doing this will give an energy boost as you start the day and in the long run, this practice will improve skills and quality of work. If you become familiar with your tasks, work is easier and done faster, and if you'll have to work away from home, even if you are in a different environment, work will still be easy.

• Having clear and consistent communication with the team. Having a team where there is clear communication and regular (but not overwhelming) updates as you work is crucial. It fosters trust, smooth collaboration among the team members, and healthy responsibility. This ensures that support and guidance will be given when needed, and that you still have a sense of accountability as you work remotely. This has been our practice in our team and I would say that because this was one of the main instructions I received as I started my work from home career, it made my transition smooth and easy.

These are just some of the things that helped me a lot when I was exploring the possibility of being able to work anywhere. I know this will not suit every work-from-home job out there, but I hope this could become a very helpful guide for active and aspiring Tytans who are considering being able to work from home (wherever there is WiFi!).