I love my office at home!
I’ve worked from home most of my adult life. For the past 17 years, my work at home has revolved around the computer and in these recent years, the internet. There was a few short years in the early 90’s when broadband wasn’t available out here in the “country” near Myrtle Beach, and I worked from an office in town, but as soon as Time Warner laid their cable on my country road, I closed up shop downtown and was comfortably back at home, where I belong!
For me, the most wonderful part of working at home is that my husband has also worked from home, and we’ve learned together how to coexist and thrive under one roof. But, that’s a different story. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to say goodbye each morning and go separate ways.
I’m always a little taken aback when people say things like, “Oh, I could never work at home!” When I probe for the thinking behind that statement, I find that usually people think they couldn’t manage their time successfully without some sort of outside influence. I don’t say it, but I would like to ask why they would perform more responsibly for other people than they would for themselves.
Why would I cheat myself by foolishly spending time watching TV or chatting with friends when my own income and sense of accomplishment rests on managing my time properly and getting things done? Almost 25 years ago, when I was a pioneer in the homeschool movement, (some of us were actually arrested!), I used to tell my children that cheating of any sort would be silly because it would be themselves they were cheating. I would say, “If you don’t learn such and such, you’ll be the one uneducated – I already have my education!” Same thing goes for working at home – if I don’t do what it takes, there’s no hiding from it – my income would dry up.
I’ve learned over the years that working at home successfully is a dance – sometimes a tango and sometimes a waltz. But for me, it’s the only lifestyle I would ever choose. I’m incredibly blessed to have the support of my husband and children, the very ones who cheer me on the most. I also have the love and support of wonderful friends, who by now know better than to think that my day is free because I’m at home.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to successfully work at home. It doesn’t happen by accident, and I believe I can speak with authority on the subject. So, I will do that in my next few blog posts. I will talk about everything from mindset to office setup and the tools you need. We’ll cover time management, software, hardware, and even cooking and eating healthy. Stay tuned…
In the meantime, I’d like to hear from you.
Do you work from home?
If so, how long have you done it?
What are your frustrations?
Leave a comment; I really want to know.
This is an outstanding article (blog post), I just love it! I work from home and have for as long as I can remember. Not just from home, but from all over the world.. from wherever I may be and for as long as I am there. I too am surprised by the people who think they would not get anything done. One of the first things I help my work at home clients do is to set business hours. They don’t have to be traditional and they can be time blocks throughout the day, but business hours are essential!
My frustration right now is that I am not moving forward as quickly as I would like. I have a vision and I am working toward it, but sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere. I know exactly what it is too!! It is Balance. Because I work from home, and my home is the size of a big hotel room, I feel like I am always working or always at work, anyway! (Heehee.. then I think about what I would tell my clients and go back to my comment about setting business hours! Need to take my own advice, busted!!)
Anyway, my business is my priority and I love it so much that I don’t even realize I am working. I vowed to take a sacred day once a week and last Sunday declared no computer, no email, no social media. What did I do.. I went to the book store with my husband, sat at the starbucks there in front of the fireplace and read business and marketing books with a pad of paper taking notes.. not sure that was a sacred day away from ‘work’. So long story short, my problem and frustration is balance!!
Thanks for helping me clarify what is going on with me!! Knowing where I am is the first step before moving forward!! WooHoo!!
xoxo
Helen
Thanks for the encouragement Jeanne. My dream is to work successfully at home. I have trouble with distractions after all these years of working for corporate America. It is a challenge, but I am up to it with help from people like you and Helen!
Hi Jeanne,
Great article and excellent points. It is so easy to let time slip away when working from home. Like Helen, I use a time boxing system but it is still quite an effort to stay on track. As someone diagnosed with ADD/ADHD well into adulthood I still struggle not to get distracted as that is so easy for me to do. I think it is hard for many of us though when online because there ard just so darn many fascinating ideas right at our fingertips. I also find balance to be a challenge because it is hard to tear myself away from the computer. So much to do and so much to learn. Helen’s 30 Day Productivity Challenge has been a real blessing and an inspiration. It has provided some much needed structure and support.
I love your point about why would you cheat youself. But it is so easy to let the time slide by and just not get done what you meant to do. For me it is very easy to focus if I have someone to talk to who is involved in the work you are doing.
So you were a pioneer in homeschooling. Did you really get arrested? It is amazing how upset people can get when others are doing something different. Clearly you were following what you believed in and that has its satisfaction. Also I’m sure it paid great dividends for your kids.
Anyway I’ll definitely tune in to your future posts on the topic.
Wow great point Jeanne, when you said, “Why would you work more responsibly for someone else than for yourself. That made me stop and think!
My challenge is staying motivated working by myself. I miss the synergy of working with others. Also, I deal with my own fears of moving forward and the demands that come with success. One more issue is technology. I get bogged down in technological challenges and am not always sure where to turn for help.
I like your perspective about cheating yourself. I have made big and significant sacrifices to help others, why would I not do that for my own dreams?
I look forward to your upcoming posts.
Hi Jeanne,
Great post as usual! My husband and I also both work from home and the question we often get is “How can you stand always being together?” LOL… I think that’s a pretty crazy question… what? they don’t like their spouses that much? Ha ha!
In reality, I guess I can see what they’re talking about, but we’ve worked together for about 14 years and it just seems normal to us. In fact, being apart all day long would seem strange and uncomfortable.
I also loved your question for others (as Sharon did), “Why would you work more responsibly for someone else than for yourself.” EXACTLY!
Hey Jeanne! Just found this great post. I find myself working at home…again. Years ago I co-founded a company that was so successful I eventually listed it on the stock exchange. While it was started at home (with my business partner in his home several miles away) we soon had to get “real” office for our “real” employees. I learned something very valuable way back then. When I am working at home I work as if I am in an office -ie. I do whatever I need to do to stay focused while I am at work. The only difference is my breaks are nicer (in the garden) and I don’t have science experiments in the “office fridge”. I have also found that surrounding myself with others who are also working at home (on the phone of course)is a great strategy for maintaining focus.
Cathy Demers
BusinessMastermindTeams.com
Done them both. Sometimes, I have to be in the office to meet with co-workers and clients. Sometimes, I have to be in the lab (which I do not maintain in my home for both insurance and safety reasons). But, if its report writing, research, accounting, phone conversations, employee issues- I do it from home (less now than before- since kids are gone). The latter is always done from home to keep the rumor mill shut down and removed from prying eyes.
I recommend a mixture of both for everyone!