What I’ve Learned About Working From Home

It been over two weeks since I’ve punched a clock and my –how things have changed. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am one of those people that learns by doing. I am smart enough to know that I don’t have a clue sometimes and while I listen to people with more experience (and I really do listen and believe what they say) I simply have to live it to understand. It happened when I was pregnant (I was the first to give birth you know) and for pretty much everything else in my life. I listen, I hear, I believe and then I plow forward into an experience having to learn on my own before I really have that “ah-ha” moment. Not surprisingly, working at home has not been any different.

I took a few days off after my last day of work. I hadn’t had a vacation in the entire time I was at my last job excluding maternity leave which most of us know is NO vacation. Anyway, I took a few days off just to re-group and take a breather as I had been burning the candle at both ends for several months. I started my first week at home with grand illusions of organization, massive productivity and quickly falling into a routine. Yes, I will admit everyone and I do mean everyone……..my family, friends and more experienced freelancers told me not to think it would just fall in place but I HAD TO experience it. And I did…..in short order. Week one went by in a flash and then we hit week two……….and this is what I learned.

1. Schedules are important. And in some cases hard to stick to. When you work outside the home you have a set schedule; you have hours you work and the remaining hours in the day to get everything else done. In a way working outside the home makes you instantly organized to a point. Since I am an organized person by nature I didn’t think this would be a big issue working from home, I would simply get up and get my son settled (he now does one day with each grandparent and two days at daycare with he and I gaining one full day a week together) work at home from x-y and have the evenings free finally. Well I have learned that this does not work…..yes for all you that are snickering…..I had to live it.

2. Things happen. And it is nice to not have to report to an outside job. Armed with an organized plan for week 2 (yes, I still didn’t get it) my son came down with a fever and after a doctor’s visit we learned we just caught the beginning of a double ear infection. I was thrilled that I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to work or call off of work to stay home with my son when he was sick. Little did I know we as a family were about to succumb to a stomach bug that put all of us out of commission for almost an entire week. I thought I could work through it because I have been programmed to do so but discovered with relief that when you work from home you are in charge of your schedule. Granted you may have to work evenings and weekends to make up your work- but you have the ability to take care of yourself and your family without outside pressure.

3. Freelancers work all the time. The benefit of not having to report to someone else is countered by the fact that you still have to work to get paid. There are no vacation days, personal days, sick days or family leave days. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid.

4. This is the best decision I have ever made. I know that I am only two weeks into this adventure that we call my life, but I am certain that I have made the best decision for me. I noticed almost immediately that my stress level had dropped immensely. I have more patience with my son and my attitude in general has become more positive. Don’t get me wrong I feel stress and worry because things didn’t fit in my little plan, but it is a different kind of stress and worry. It is hard to put in words but I just know things will work out.

The freedom to be in control of your future is truly something that you have to experience to understand. While working for yourself may not be the right thing for everyone, it is definitely the right thing for me and my family.