318 | Working From Home with Thanh Pham

Are you finding it hard to be productive while working from home? Listen, as Eric and his guest Thanh discuss easy ideas and tips for working more productively from home. Thanh is the founder of Asian Efficiency, where he helps people become more productive at work and in life. He's also the co-host of the top productivity podcast The Productivity Show, on which Eric enjoyed being a guest not too long ago. Listen as Thanh shares why he decided to, and his struggle to be productive in a different atmosphere. Having a home office is the number one thing he believes you need. It can be anywhere, but it needs to be a dedicated place for you to work. Thanh also tells us what three things he feels are most important to have for that office. Do you set yourself a schedule while working from home? Listen, as Thanh discusses how important having a schedule is for productivity. He says to make your schedule is based on the time of day that you are most focused, whether that be the morning or afternoon. Eric and Thanh discuss the different calendar and to-do apps they like and what they recommend. Listen as Thanh speaks about finding the triggers you used at the office to make you productive and implement them at home. Block websites that distract you and put your phone in a different room or drawer so you can stay focused on the job at hand. Thanh says to set one goal a day and follow through on that but also get yourself into a routine. With so many people working from home, these tips and tricks that Thanh is sharing will keep us all productive even when we don't have the office structure to fall back on. If you are struggling with your work from home routine, this is an episode that you need to hear. You'll learn: [02:00] Thanh, welcome to the podcast! [03:25] Thanh shares a little about his background and how hard his commute to work was. [06:00] Thanh talks about why he needed to work from home and how his boss responded to his request. [08:45] Thanh discusses the three things people need to work productively from home. [11:09] How do you guide people to get their homes set up? [12:26] Thanh says you need a lovely backdrop behind you when working from home. [14:26] Don't use a wrinkled bed sheet; it looks very unprofessional. [15:19] A desk lamp is another thing that Thanh thinks is very essential. [17:26] Thanh says that a standing desk is also a great addition to your home office. [22:02] Eric believes that having the things you want and need easily accessible is beneficial. [28:05] Thanh discusses how important it is to have a schedule when working from home. [29:59] Create your plan for when you are the most focused. [31:51] Using a calendar when you have ADHD it is almost like learning a foreign language. Experiment and find what works for you. [33:54] Do you have trouble sticking to what you put on your calendar? [35:47] Thanh believes that having a schedule allows you to coordinate some time with other people. [37:07] Thanh shares what he believes are the best calendar apps. [40:01] Eric speaks about the apps he likes and uses. [44:01] Eric shares what he teaches in his coaching groups around to-do lists. [49:04] Thanh discusses how to be productive and execute now that you have your office and schedule set up. [50:12] You need to be aware of the differences between working from home and going to the office like the dress code and the extra time you have because you don't have to drive. [51:51] He says to think about the triggers you have at the office that make you productive and recreate that at home. [53:01] Eric says to experiment with what works for you. He feels that he is more productive when he dresses casually. [55:12] Thanh believes that blocking websites that distract you is essential. [56:16] The number one distraction is your phone, so try putting it away in another room or a drawer. [58:24] Thanh speaks about setting one goal for yourself a day so you can get work done. [59:34] Eric says to make your one goal ridiculously simple if you have ADHD. [1:00:12] The last thing that Thanh suggests is to get yourself into a routine. [1:02:27] Thanh, do you have any final thoughts for the listeners? [1:04:51] Thank you so much for being on the show! [1:06:02] If you are a regular listener, consider becoming a patron and on our Patreon at www.ADHDreWired.com Find Thanh: Asian Efficiency The Productivity Show Podcast