Telecommuting is a wonderful buzzword used to describe a full or part-time home office. But the reality of working from home can be starkly different from the uber-organized, high functioning, busy-yet-satisfied image we have in our heads when employees of someone else.
As I commuted to and from work on crowded buses and trains, I remember many times thinking how wonderful it would be to simply get up, get dressed, grab a coffee and wander to my desk. I could look over the ocean as I started working through my full but balanced to-do list. I could get it all done and more if I just didn’t have to waste time slogging my butt through the rush hour!
Well, I don’t live near the sea, my to-do list has been frequently unbalanced and I don’t even drink coffee! I must have had some TV commercial playing in my mind.
Don’t get me wrong, I love working from home … now.
But in the beginning, it took some adjusting.
Action – Here are some of the systems and strategies to put in place if you work from home.
First, work! Just because you are in the house doesn’t mean you should be doing laundry, making lunch for the kids or watching TV. Set work times and make sure you and your family know what they are.
Second, have a nice work environment. Do not relegate your desk to the basement or corner of a room.
Third, create a ritual to turn work on and off. Some house workers I know walk around the block at the start and the end of the day to tangibly demonstrate the shift to and from work. Others close and lock the office door at 5pm sharp.
And, fourth continue to spend time around a water cooler. We are social creatures and do need levels of daily interaction with others. Have some (just ‘some’!) chit-chat time built in.
I don’t ever see myself returning to a 9-5 office job, AND it’s taken some conscious adjustments to get this home office just right!