Working from home seems like a dream, does it not? You can sit in your pajamas, stuff your envelopes, write your blogs, maybe watch some YouTube and/or Netflix and call it a day! And the best part is, you can theoretically do this from anywhere in the world.
Want to plan a trip to say, England? If you work online and have access to a computer all you have to do is put a few hours aside a day and have yourself a working vacation. So what’s not to love? Well, turns out quit a bit if you’re up to the task.
First thing!
You’ve got to remember is the time and effort you have to put in. It’s definitely not all fun and games. Sure, you may have the options of budgeting your time however you like, but the key is to actually budget your time.
Sure, the YouTube and Netflix is all well and good with moderation, but you have to put in the work in order to have the play.
You can’t spend all day on social media if you have say, a dozen or so articles to write before noon. You have to know when to say no.
Work comes first and often when left to your own devices, fun can creep up on you like a tag on a comment from your ex. If you don’t have self control, you don’t have the will power to work from home.
Next, consider your space. Do you have a home office? Do you have a spare bedroom you’re not doing much with that you can convert? Do you live in an efficiency that allows little room for anything else but a bed and maybe a small table. It may not seem like much to consider, but it’s something that can easily be over looked.
If your work from home job requires you to stuff hundreds of envelopes a day, are you going to have the counter space to set them all aside and honestly be able to work?
Maybe you own your own home and have the means and ability to MAKE yourself a home office. Maybe you rent and the owner has no plans for renovation.
Either way, these are things you have to think about before starting on your way.
Along the Same Lines as Space, Let’s Consider Equipment
If you have a work at home job that is completely online, maybe a little laptop computer is all you need. On the other hand, if you have to be able to surf dozens if not hundreds upon hundreds of websites a day, are you sure you have the best internet connection for the task at hand?
If you’ve found a work from home job assembling products for a small business to help them save the time and money of having to do it themselves, do you have the right tools?
If you need to weld, do you know how? If you have to glue pieces together, do you have the right adhesive. It really is the little things you have to consider before taking on a big work from home task.
And What About your Environment?
Perhaps you have a home office and the right equipment and maybe you do have the willpower to be able to spend hours on a computer without being tempted to play games, but what about distractions? Do you have pets or children? Maybe you have an overly attached spouse?
Either way, if you have someone or somethings that require your attention, it or they could take your attention from your task.
You have to consider all factors of your environment and possible distractions before you sign up for something you are not capable of. That’s not to mention the enviroment is in fact your work. If you work from home, can you ever really go home and relax?
That being said, there really are a lot of good things about working from home if you are able. You get to set your own hours, your own pace, and, although you may have deadlines, you set your own work ethics.
If you are able to write a dozen blogs in a day and have entire week to finish them, you could have the rest of the week to do whatever you want.
It’s all about pacing and mindset. If you have the time, the means, and the ability, working from home can be an experience like no other.
But the main factor you really must consider is your budget. How much do you need to make in order to live?
Can you really write a dozen blogs a week and sustain a healthy lifestyle all while keeping a roof over your head and food in your belly, or do you need to supplement your income with a day job?
Ask yourself what it is you really need out of a day job before you ask yourself what you can put in. It is only then can you really take into account exactly what you will need to start on your path of employment independence.
At the End of the Day…
The choice is yours. Perhaps you have the ability to spend hours in your own home hard at work with all the necessary tools and lack of distractions in order to complete any and all task and acquire the appropriate funds. If you have the means and the capability, the world can be yours.
All you have to do is apply yourself and anything is possible. When I personally began working from home, I found it a challenge, but rewarding.
I was able to focus on my task and complete my goals, but I also often found it difficult to “turn off” when my work day was done.
I had a home office set up in my bedroom and found it difficult to change from “work” to “home” when my computer was so close to my own bed.
I would all too often find myself thinking of work even when I was supposed to be relaxed. In time, however, I began to differentiate between professional and personal and was soon able to equally divide my time.
Within weeks, I could walk into my “office” without walking into my bedroom. Nowadays, I have a separate room for my home office and the issue is moot, but I still remember what it was like to fully engulf myself in my work from my own room.
That is my own personal experience, but if these are things you can look past, you would be amazed at what even a basic computer in a corner can do to help you achieve your goals of working from home.
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How Moms Can Benefit From Working From Home