It's true, I guess, I don't waste time in the car, that valuable time is now spent more productively. I do get buckets more work done now than ever. But I never, ever, work in my pyjamas - the worst you'll see is uggboots (and I used to do that in an office) and an oversized jumper in cold weather. Oh and bulldog clips for hair accessories - but again, I'd do that anywhere too.
The key to successfully running a business at home lies in scheduling and boundaries. Well that's the theory anyway. I struggle with this a bit as I hate scheduling. And even that is not strictly true - I love booking things in and I love to have plans and activities to go to. I can't stand inactivity or not knowing what's coming up, but actually scheduling 9-10 each day as time to do x or y activity - yawn! Routine and I are not friends.
But, alas, I do schedule in the important routine tasks, and I do divide my day into work and play time and try my best to stick to these divisions ( blurry lines, kinda faint but they are there). Because the nature of my work calls on me to work evenings there are times in the 9-5 day set aside for life & family, and the blurryness of my boundaries allows me the flexibility of answering that call during family time and attending that assembly when it would otherwise be a work hour.
Without clear(ish) boundaries its quite easy to slip back into the office for 10 minutes and slink back out hours later to find the family have moved on without you - be mindful of how quickly time flies when you are not having fun! Work when you are most productive and efficient, or when the work is most important but never lose sight that you are in business to live - not living to work. Very few regret on their deathbed time not spent head down toiling away.
Children also grow up at an alarming rate when you are in the office, if they are the reason you took work home - don't lose them in the process.
And working from home is quite isolating (especially in pyjamas I imagine!) so schedule in networking and connecting with other people. Not only is it great for business but you learn and grow - I have met some really amazing people who think just like me and this makes me feel incredible and inspired and ever so clever.... Seriously though, the idle chatter of an office is a major party of your social activity that you take for granted, and human beings need this social contact for sanity, this is certain. It's this one aspect that I miss, nothing else.
Girlfriends are essential too. I walk with a friend (almost) daily, and this outlet along with the occasional coffee break is a perk you must include in your routine. Again, are you not doing this running your own business thing for the benefits it affords your life? Friends are the new family community aren't they?
My work day is mainly broken up around the kids - so you'll rarely catch me before 10 am, and from 2 till 3:30 everyday I'm elusive too, and as I work evenings I feel justified in this. If I'm not actually at an appointment of an evening (or two or three in a row as it seems of late!) then I'm sitting with the iPad or laptop and I'm happy to talk and work this way - people are often surprised when i reply to an email st this hour but seriously, thats when its convenient for you and me so why not! Wednesdays are my scheduled "day off" which means I'll clear my emails and take calls and look after anyone urgent but that's the limit. The focus thereafter is my four year old, I've only this last year at home with her.
Fortunately, the key times for this industry are 10 am any given day; but especially Mondays, and from 4 in the afternoon till late every day ( and again especially Fridays). So this suits the balance I aspire to.
The things I don't schedule well are the creative things - like posting here or on my Facebook, these tend to be done when the creative urge hits more than by schedule, and these are the first things to get bumped when when I'm busy elsewhere, so apologies in advance if you're waiting for a post and I'm off being busy...!
As a final note, the beauty of my surroundings is the icing on my work from home cake - I am very lucky to have a gorgeous property with views of green from almost every window, and i can sit on the back deck overlooking the pool if the urge takes me. I chose my office space especially for the view which looks out on a row of camellias - my favourite plants - and within the last week I've had a princess parrot (I think) and yellow tail black cockatoos as visitors to my view. Blue tongues lizards are common place & the biggest garden skinks you've ever seen, and my most faithful companion is my standard poodle Ralph, who sleeps at my feet as I work. If only he could make coffee...
No comments:
Post a Comment