I love working from home! I always have (I’ve been working from home for 21 years now, at least part-time).
One of the things I like best about it is the flexibility it offers. Especially since I still have kids to drive around, I work in other pursuits besides my copywriting/marketing business and I love to get outside once in awhile.
A typical flexible day…
This morning I had an 8:30 meeting with a new business contact at a coffee shop 20 minutes from my home. From there I needed to pick up my son from the high school where he attends morning classes. So I stayed at the shop awhile longer to catch up on emails, then ran a couple errands on the way to pick him up.
Since I get some of my best ideas during my daily walk or run, I had no problem taking my dog for a walk when I got home — especially when the weather is as beautiful as it is today. (And that doesn’t even touch on the health benefits of the physical activity.) Besides, my dog loves it!
Now I’m sitting at a library while my son has a 2-hour behind-the-wheel driver’s training session. I can keep working anywhere I’ve got wireless internet access and a comfortable place to sit.
Yesterday I was home all day so my day looked different. Tomorrow I’ll work in the morning then have an afternoon working in one of my other pursuits (teaching piano). Thursday and Friday will likely look a bit different too.
Flexibility has its downside
Sometimes I let myself get too flexible and don’t get as much done as I could’ve or should’ve. Because I can be flexible most of the time (barring a looming deadline), it’s sometimes tempting to take on an outside commitment that I know will interfere with work.
Because I don’t “go to the office” but instead work from my dining room table…backyard patio table…the library…others don’t always know I’m working. I sometimes need to remind myself and them that I have a “real job” and need to be doing it.
But the pros outweigh the cons by a landslide.
Do you work from home? Is flexibility a good thing or a detriment for you?