5 Ways to Feel More Independent at Work

As we celebrate our country’s Independence take a few moments to evaluate your own freedom. How independent are you at work? Do you go in each day and depend on someone else to tell you what to do?

An important part of the enjoyment we get out of our work is the degree to which we are self-sufficient and direct our own work.

While your work routine might be not be flexible due to the needs of your company, you still have some opportunities to gain some independence and variety at work. Try these five approaches to feeling more independent on the job.

Take on greater responsibilities. There are likely other tasks you can take on in your job. Don’t be shy. Talk to your manager and volunteer to do more. It might not result, immediately, in a pay increase but it will expand your abilities at work, make the job more interesting, and increase your odds of gaining a promotion in the future.

Learn new skills and gain additional knowledge. Similarly, seek out knowledge and skills in other areas at work. The more you know about your company, the field you work in, and the various tasks required to do the job well, the more employable you’ll be and the more your employer will trust you to get things done.

Mentor or supervise others. Demonstrate your knowledge of the job and your leadership abilities by volunteering to mentor new employees. Seek out opportunities to supervise or manage the work of interns. You’ll gain valuable managerial experience and demonstrate your ability to move into roles with more responsibility.

Expand your network. Just as it’s important to learn as much as you can about the work of your company and your field, seek to meet new people, particularly within your company and in areas you are unfamiliar with. You might not only gain a new friend, but also a new opportunity to move into another job later down the line.

Work at home. If your company allows employees to work at home take advantage of this perk. Working from home provides freedom you don’t always feel when stuck in an office, cubicle, or at the plant, and allows you to demonstrate your ability to get things done without close supervision.

Paying attention to these areas can help you increase your freedom at work, expand your opportunities, and increase your enjoyment on the job.

How to Stay Focused and Organized When Working at Home

Many companies and businesses offer their employees an opportunity to work at home regularly. This can be a great benefit for employees looking for more flexibility.

However, as more employees take advantage of these opportunities, many find that working at home can pose some unexpected challenges.

Here are some tips for staying focused and organized while working from home:

Avoid social media. The temptation can be even greater to check out Facebook or Twitter while you're in the privacy of your own home. Do yourself a favor and don't even open your social media channels in your browser or look at the apps on your phone. You can give yourself some time to take a look during lunch but be sure to log off your social media accounts after your break.

Keep the TV off. You might want a little noise in the background to keep you company but avoid getting that background noise from your TV. The added stimulation of the image can be particularly distracting and cause you to become engage in a show, rather than staying focused on your work.

Use a timer to sustain your focus. Work in short bursts of 45-50 and then take a break. Setting a timer will help you stay on task for a dedicated period of time. This short time of focus will enable you to be single-minded and get a lot done. Take a short break and then repeat.

Give yourself a break. Take a brief break after each 45-50 minute work session. A good way to utilize this break is by taking a quick 5-7 minute walk, preferably outdoors. You'll find yourself refreshed and energized to take on that next task. But it would not be a good idea to take a break by laying down. You just might find yourself taking a long nap and missing the afternoon!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 7 Myths about Success

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 7 Myths about Success: "Success can be experienced every day in sharing a smile, completing a project, and serving someone. It's about thinking differently every day about life."


• Who Chose Your Career Path for You?: "You get to choose your career path and you also must choose. It’s your life, your path and your career. Who cares what your guidance counselor told you years ago or what your mom always wanted you to be?"


• 9 Tips for Making College and Career Choices: "If you've been working for just a few years and feel really relaxed and comfortable, then it’s time to shake it up. You should be in a constant state of learning—especially this early in your career."


• How to Stay Motivated While Working from Home: "While you should take advantage of professional networking websites, the important thing is to take these connections offline – especially when you don't have a regular routine that allows you to bump into colleagues in the elevator or chat up a potential new client while waiting in line to grab coffee."


• Are You Setting Your Sights Too Low?: "You need to keep in mind that a company often doesn't know exactly what kind of person it's looking for until it finds him or her."

How to Work from Home Successfully

For many people, working from home offers flexibility and opportunity for both personal and professional growth—without the commute and office politics. But what are some important pointers for successfully working from home?

Have a dedicated office environment
Set up a dedicated space with a desk, comfortable chair, and an organized workspace. A door for privacy and a dedicated phone line may also help. Avoid mixing business and personal items, like bills, within your office area.

Create a daily plan
Most of the time, working from home allows you to schedule around personal commitments. If you drive the kids to school every morning,make sure to account for this in your daily schedule. Set a realistic expectation regarding the number of hours you plan to work, and stick to it.

Be available to those you work with
Be sure your clients or vendors can reach you during the work day. Clearly communicate what hours you are available and use an out-of-the-office automated email reply and similar type phone message on your office voice mail.

Don’t be afraid to call it a day
Working efficiently and effectively is the goal, so be mindful of how many hours you are working each day. Once in a while, you may need to get up early or stay up late to finish a project, but just because your office is at home doesn’t mean you have to live in it. Remember that door to the office? Close it at night. Your work will be there tomorrow, so go enjoy the rest of your day, today!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 6 Steps for Rekindling Your Career in 2013: "Tis the season to begin thinking about New Year's resolutions. Get a jump start on your career and professional development by including some of these items to your list."


• 8 Tips for How to Ask for a Raise: "Don’t just go storming into your manager’s office and pound your fist on their desk asking for more pay.  Keep track of your performance as you go through the year.  Gather data and statistics that clearly demonstrate your contributions."


• 14 Ways to Stay Focused at Work Through the Holidays: "
  Avoid multitasking. Work on one project at a time ... 
  In addition, try to avoid working on personal and work-related tasks at the same time
  ."


• 6 Lessons From a Work-From-Home Mom and CEO: "There are countless studies that show working from home can be more productive than working in a traditional office setting with benefits such as fewer interruptions from colleagues, less office politics to deal with, a work environment that's in your control, etc. BUT, in order to benefit from these, you really need to be disciplined with your focus and time."


• How to Win New Contacts and Job-Search Allies at Holiday Parties: "Make sure you follow through with anything you said you'd do during your first conversation and don't squander potential opportunities by failing to keep in touch. When you do, you'll have a better chance of adding new allies to your job search efforts."