Stop Working from Your Bed: Remote Work Tips That Actually Move the Needle
By Derek — Money isn't complicated. People just make it complicated. ·
It’s October 2026. If you’re still trying to convince yourself that you’re 'just as productive' while lounging in your pajamas with your laptop balancing on a pile of laundry, we need to have a conversation.
I’ve been running my own practice since I left the Goldman grind, and I’ve coached enough founders to know the difference between 'being busy' and 'actually building something.' Remote work is a privilege, but most people treat it like a long-term vacation with a side of Zoom calls. If you want to scale your life and your bank account, you have to treat your remote setup like a high-performance machine.
Money isn’t complicated. Neither is productivity. People just love to make both a mess because it’s easier to complain about the process than to actually fix it.
Your Environment is Your First Investment
I’m a massive F1 guy. I watch every race. If a pit crew tried to change tires in the middle of a muddy field instead of a controlled, ergonomic pit box, they’d lose the race before the car even stopped. Yet, you’re trying to build a career from a kitchen table that wobbles or a couch that’s actively trying to swallow you whole.
Stop it. Your physical environment dictates your mental state. If your desk is cluttered with three-day-old coffee mugs and mail you haven’t opened, your brain is processing that chaos every single second. Clear the space. Get a chair that doesn’t make your lower back hate you by 2:00 PM. If you’re working from home, your home needs to have a 'work zone.' When you step into that zone, you’re at work. When you step out, you’re done. Don’t bleed the two together.
The 'Deep Work' Window is Non-Negotiable
In my office, we don’t do 'multi-tasking.' Multi-tasking is just a fancy word for doing three things poorly at the same time. When I was at Goldman, the guys who got promoted weren’t the ones sending the most emails; they were the ones who could sit down for four hours, ignore the noise, and execute on the high-leverage tasks.
Pick a four-hour block. For me, it’s usually early morning—before the market opens. Silence your Slack notifications. Close your email. Put your phone in the other room. If you can’t trust yourself to stay off social media, use a blocker app. You need to protect your attention span like it’s a high-interest savings account. If you’re constantly reacting to every ping, you aren’t working; you’re just a glorified secretary for your own notifications.
Stop Tracking Hours, Start Tracking Output
This is the biggest mistake I see when coaching founders. They obsess over 'working 8 hours a day.' Who cares? If you can get your high-value work done in four hours, go to the gym, go for a run, or spend time with your family.
Remote work is the ultimate test of integrity. If your boss or your clients can’t tell if you’re working because your output is inconsistent, that’s on you. Create a 'Definition of Done' for every single day. Before you close the laptop, write down the three things that, if completed, make the day a success. If you hit those three things, you’re done. This removes the guilt of 'not working enough' and replaces it with the satisfaction of 'hitting the target.'
The Loneliness Trap (and How to Beat It)
Remote work can get isolating. I get it. But don't mistake 'being alone' for 'being lonely.' The best part about working remotely is that you can curate your circle. If you’re feeling the slump, don’t just scroll through LinkedIn looking at other people’s highlight reels.
Reach out to someone in your field for a virtual coffee—no agenda, just a conversation. Or better yet, get out of the house. Work from a library or a coffee shop for a few hours. The change in scenery does wonders for your cognitive function. You don’t need to be in a cubicle to be part of a professional community, but you do need to be intentional about showing up.
Leverage the Extra Time
When you stop commuting, you get two hours of your life back every day. If you’re using that time to sleep in or doom-scroll, you’re throwing money away. Use that time to learn a new skill, study the markets, or invest in your health. That’s your competitive advantage. You have an extra 10 hours a week that the office-dwellers don’t have. If you aren't using that time to build an asset—whether that’s your health, your knowledge, or your business—you’re losing the race.
Remote work is a tool. It can be a tool for freedom, or it can be a tool for stagnation. The choice is yours, but let's be real: you’re smarter than that. Stop overcomplicating your workflow. Simplify your setup, guard your focus, and start measuring what actually matters.
What’s the one part of your remote setup that’s killing your productivity right now? Drop me a note and tell me what’s holding you back. I’m curious to hear how you’re refining your process.