How to Make it Work: Enjoying Life as a Telecommuter
Posted on 01/27/2012 04:39 pm by adminFor some, being able to work from home may sound like a very ideal way of making money and building a career at the same time. Although some may still feel that this is a far-fetched idea, the Internet boom has actually made it possible for an increasing number of people who can carry out professional tasks at home, or what we call “telecommuters,” to earn a living and have a fulfilling career simultaneously. However, this kind of job is not for everyone, some of you might prefer the socialization that goes on in a regular office setting or the ability to stay in an environment that follows a more rigid schedule and environment.
Indeed, working at home requires the ability to appreciate solitude, lots of patience, and a great deal of self-discipline for you to make it work. There are three cardinal rules involved when working at home: 1) being organized, 2) practicing self-discipline, and 3) having scheduled distractions. Just what do we mean by these? Read on as we offer tips on making your work from home experience a lot of fun!
BE ORGANIZED
In order to be organized, you need to identify clear working schedules daily, weekly, and monthly and stick to these. While working, focus on the tasks at hand and close all unnecessary tabs or windows (if you’re working in front of the computer) or turn off the TV if it keeps you away from doing what needs to be done. Certainly, even though you work from home, you need to have a home office or work space, in which you can simulate working at the office, with the main perk being there would be no gossiping colleagues or lurking bosses observing your every move.
PRACTICE SELF-DISCIPLINE
This is, perhaps, the most important requirement that you need to have to be a successful telecommuter or work from home professional. It does not mean that just because you work at home and have no boss breathing down your neck that you are allowed to slack off during “working” hours and begin spending more time in front of the TV, tending to other things, entertaining visitors, or doing household chores. You don’t tend the garden or watch TV for half the day while you are at the office, so there is no need to do the same when working at home. If there are so many distractions in the house, consider having a home office or an enclosed workspace to shield you away from the rest of the family.
HAVE SCHEDULED DISTRACTIONS
Sometimes, work from home professionals may suffer from loneliness and isolation on occasion. You might miss being able to talk to someone else to exchange ideas with or just have a good laugh. For this, you should have “scheduled” distractions from time to time. These include a short walk around the neighborhood, a 10 minute trip to a nearby park, going over to a neighbor’s house for some coffee, or calling some friends or sending personal message via social networking sites. Any of these activities can help break the monotony and satisfy your need to socialize at the same time.