I started a new job back in September, and I wanted to share a few things that I've learned with being new (and completely remote)! I am very lucky that my company made the training and onboarding process so seamless while being completely virtual. With that being said, starting any new job is a major adjustment and a huge learning curve, but these are all things that have been helpful to me along the way.
Have patience with yourself
This is something that I have to remind myself of daily! I tend to be very critical of myself, and have often found myself feeling like I'm not catching on fast enough. It's of course important to be honest with yourself and how you're performing, but also recognize that learning anything new is really difficult and you're not going to be good at anything on day one. In short, you have practice cutting yourself some slack. There's really no point in being so hard on yourself that you start to doubt your abilities. Take the mistakes you make as an opportunity to grow, and don't dwell on them.
Do something that challenges you every day
This is somewhat easier for me because a big part of my job is putting myself out there in ways that force me to go outside of my comfort zone, which I think is a really cool aspect of what I do. This is catch-22 because there are definitely days where I wish I felt completely comfortable, but then I realize that I'm in a position that allows for a lot of growth, and that's really exciting. It's easy to dwell in the discomfort of doing things that feel hard, but I've learned it is SO important to shift your perspective and look at it as an opportunity to push yourself. I love the quote, "A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." I try to remind myself of that every day. You don't have to push yourself 24/7 and I really don't think that's a healthy mindset, but if you really want to be better, it's necessary to challenge your status quo.
Ask questions, but be a self-starter too
Some of the best advice I received when starting my new job was to not be afraid to ask a lot of questions. It seems obvious when learning to do something new, but I'm the type of person that sometimes hesitates to ask questions. Part of it is because I'm afraid of being annoying, and part of it is because I'm worried my questions are dumb. The truth is, there really are very few things can you ask when starting a new job that are "dumb" and I would venture to say that probably nobody will think any question you have is a waste of time to answer. I've also learned that there are some things that you can figure out on your own. It takes a bit of practice to decipher what that line is, but I think it is important to take initiative on certain things, and work to find the answer yourself. Obviously some things really do need to be asked/talked over, but there's also some things that after I've asked them, I realized I really could have Googled the answer myself.
Prioritize your free time
This is something that I always struggled with in college. I'm a person that can very easily let the overwhelm that I'm feeling in one area of life, bleed into everything else. Since starting my job though, I've really tried to be better about not letting the stress of the next day ruin my night, or the stress of a busy Monday ruin my weekend (big time Sunday Scaries over here). I still fail at this a lot of the time, but I really think it's so important for my own mental health to be aware that this is something I struggle with and consciously address it. I don't have a hack for overcoming these feelings except that it helps me to acknowledge when I'm feeling overwhelmed and to just check in with myself. Sometimes you just have to accept that certain aspects of work (especially when you're starting a new job) are going to overwhelm you, but that doesn't mean that your whole life has to be consumed by it. You can only do so much in a day, and it's really important to embrace the other aspects of your life to avoid feeling burnt out.
Waking up earlier
I'm naturally not a morning person and I never have been. I definitely get a second wind at night (no idea why) and I have always been in the habit of going to bed late every night. Since starting my job, I've tried to make a concerted effort to wake up earlier. I actually achieve this goal only half the time, but I 100% have a better day when I'm up earlier, can start my day at a slower pace, and ease into the work day. What's helped me to be better at this is trying to set a strict bed time for myself. Most nights I was going to bed at midnight or later, so even setting the small goal of being asleep by 11pm has made a major difference. Also, challenging myself to wake up 5-10 minutes earlier for a handful of days in a row was also helpful in being able to more consistently be up earlier.
Have a morning routine
This goes hand in hand with waking up earlier, but having an established morning routine really makes a difference to my day. I really enjoy having a bit of time in the morning to do my skincare, listen to a podcast while I get ready, enjoy my coffee, and get in front of my computer with some extra time to spare before getting on my first call. Does every morning look like this? Absolutely not, and some mornings I stay in bed until the last possible minute. I will say though, I really enjoy when I'm not rushed, and having a routine in place helps me to go into each day feeling motivated. Also, I personally do not get dressed up for work especially from the waist down. For some people, having an actual outfit on helps them feel motivated. For me, I'm going to wear leggings 10 out of 10 times I'm able to. All this to say, do what works for YOU. If you enjoy getting completely ready to work from home, you should absolutely do it.
Create a workspace you enjoy
I recently got a desk for Christmas (shout out mom and dad) and it has made my work day so much more enjoyable. I used to work on my kitchen island which did the job, but having a dedicated work space feels so much better than having my work constantly sprawled over where I eat. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but I'm a major proponent of setting up a separate space for your work. I feel more motivated, and it makes it easier to separate work time from personal time when the two aren't in the same physical space.
This wraps up my list of tips and tricks, but I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Let me know what helped you most when starting a new job or adjusting to WFH (or both)!
