What stands between you and your pajamas?
3 questions to answer before working from home
Working from home is an amazing opportunity for many people
today. There are many things to consider before making the leap into your PJ or
sweats for your work day. As you prepare for your transition to working from
home; ask yourself these critical questions, first.
What is your work style?
What home attributes does it take to make “work from home”
work for you?
What do your in-home companions need to know?
How will you build the self discipline to thrive, working
from home?
These are critical questions. There isn’t one right answer.
The important thing is to think them through and have a plan.
Now, let’s break it down.
What is your workstyle?
I love being around other people so working from home while
convenient for my family isn’t always rewarding from a social perspective. To
avert potential burn out in this area, I often call others during the work day
to check in. It could be a colleague or someone across the country. Recreating
this water cooler type of social input helps me feel more connected to the world
and gives me the 5 minute break I need to regroup and get back on task.
What home attributes does it take to make “work at home”
work for you? (Aka: Do you need a larger
coffee pot?)
Working from home, for yourself or a larger company,
requires some logistical thought. While working from bed was necessary for part
of my pregnancy it wasn’t comfortable as my body became less encumbered. Having
a suitable work space is critical since I spend many hours a day there. Having
an ergonomically correct office chair rather than borrowing one from the dining
room allows me to work more comfortably and productively. Also, since there
aren’t too many door to door IT professionals (hmmm maybe a business idea) I
needed know how to trouble shoot my technology before getting started. There
isn’t anything I can think of that is more frustrating or unproductive than
sitting on hold with the IT folks as I watch my hours and productivity slip
through my fingers.
What do your in-home companions need to know?
Managing distractions is important no matter where you work.
If you have children, roommates or even pets you will want to plan accordingly
for your workspace. When I first started working from home my Chihuahua, Blue,
thought me being home during the day was his invitation to play. This was
frustrating and sometimes painful as he nipped at my stocking feet while I had
a sales prospect on the line. Hearing him whining from the other side of the
door was painful in other ways. Creating time and space to mitigate these
distractions was critical as working from home became my full time gig.
Training dogs, children and even roommates to respect your work space is a
challenge but definitely worth the effort.
Helping individuals successfully create careers that fit their
family and lifestyle is what I do. If you need help finding the answers to how
working from home could work for you, I can help. Give me a call at
406-581-5525 for your free 30 minute consultation.
