ALT-1 Work at Home
Working from home sounds like the perfect way to have the best of both worlds but take it from someone that has been there, it is not. It takes a special type of person to be able to deal with the environmental shock that can turn a well-grounded career into a part-time job.
Distraction is the number one reason why most work at home individuals cannot perform as well as in an office surrounding. This does not have to be others within the household that may continually bother you as much as a state of mind. In an office, everyone daydreams to an extent of things that need to be taken care of such as mowing the lawn, chatting with friends or starting the laundry. But realizing that these items can be handled after work quickly brings you back to the task at hand. These thoughts can easily turn into a reality when working from home and before you know it half the day has expired.
Friends and family find it easy to saddle you with responsibilities and projects when they know you work at home. If you are not forceful in your efforts to keep them at bay, little work is accomplished. This can lead to hurt feelings and arguments that are products of a misunderstanding of what it means to work at home. Many people do not understand that you have to have diligence and self-restraint when operating from your home. They only see you as available and refusing to help.
Balancing a work schedule with a home schedule is impossible to do without a plan in mind. A procedure has to be drawn up and adhered to with alteration. This can be difficult to do if you have clients in a different time zone and family expecting your attention at the same time. Cooperation from everyone in the household has to be expected but demanded. If you live alone, do not think that this will solve all problems. Too much freedom can lead to an even worse scenario.
Researching on the Internet can turn into frequent trips to social networking sites that are probably off limits in an office position. Leaving a cell phone on and answering text messages is another way that work is often postponed. Staring out the window and letting your mind wander as to how your scene can be made more appealing by a garden of flowers, a bird bath or putting in a new sidewalk can suddenly take over your mind in transforming the back yard.
No, working from home is not always the answer when you are the only one that has to be answered to. If you have the discipline, dedication and ability to focus for hours on end, you may be a good candidate for work at home. Unfortunately, many people do not possess these qualities and find working in an office environment is better suited for their needs.
