Valuable Life Lessons Learned from Working at Home
Life has shifted for me once again, and that requires shifts in other areas. After over 20 years, I have some valuable life lessons learned from working at home. When I first left my corporate job to work from home, I had infant twins, a pre-schooler, and an elementary aged child. A few years later we added one more.
In the blink of an eye, they grew up, and went off to college. Since September of 2019 I’ve had one child home, a fairly self sufficient high schooler with plenty of after school activities to keep him busy. Now college has come to an end for my twins and my quiet, empty house and nightly dinners for three are about to change.
Through all of this I’ve never had a private office. I came close once, when we moved into the house we live in now. I had my eye on a small corner bedroom. Then I found out I was pregnant, and my room of solitude and concentration was filled instead with a safari animal theme.
After many years of remote work and having different businesses, here’s what I can share with you.
Don’t force it
Know your chaotic times of day and you will know your times of productive potential. If the volume, energy, and snacking are amplified after school, it might be your ideal quitting time. Consider taking off school holidays like MLK Day, Presidents Day, and all those random holidays when everyone will be home.
Communication is key
And boundaries, too. Make it clear to your family what you do, that it pays for their cool sneakers and weekend spending money, and when you’re working you’re not to be disturbed unless someone loses a limb.
They tend to think that their crisis is the only crisis, and their definition of crisis is most likely gravely different than yours.
Okay, that may be a little over the top. But they will only take it as seriously as they see you taking your work. Kids can actually be helpful when they know what’s going on.
It’s no easier at any age, just different kids at every stage need help and usually need it when it’s least convenient to give it. You’ll never stop hearing that repetitive “Mom, Mom. Mom!!” Even your partner will get involved, playing 20 questions about just what it is you do all day.
Child Care is Your Friend
If you have young kids, and want to get work done, this is the answer. And it’s not a maybe - it should be at the top of your list. It’s the only way to get uninterrupted time. People on the other side of Zoom, or the phone, deserve your full, undivided attention, as you deserve theirs.
I’ve always been supportive of working parents. But I won’t forget this one woman who had her 3-year-old on her lap during our calls and split her time speaking to both of us. She must have missed the memo on uninterrupted time.
Systems and Planning for the Win!
If there’s anything you can rely on consistently, it’s interruptions. When you have systems in place and a solid planning system, it has a huge impact of how you get back on track if you’ve been derailed. Systems keep you in motion so you have less rethinking to do and don’t have to start from scratch. A daily and weekly planning routine keeps you stay focused on the goalpost by defining your actions.
Step Away from the Desk
Close your eyes and imagine me saying that through a megaphone. It’s too easy to be working all the time when your office is in the middle of your home life. Set boundaries around your work hours. Post them near your desk and on the fridge. Tell your family members. Also, nobody does good work when they’re hangry or blurry eyed. Take time during your work days for lunch and for one or two breaks to stretch, go outside, or get a snack.
I know it’s great to have this list, but it’s even better to have real life support around it. There are a number of ways to work with me to make your “work from home” routine a successful one.
Schedule a call with me and I’ll tell you how.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help:
Download my free weekly planning guide - it will help you become more intentional with your time, develop a clear action plan for your week, and ensure that you are focusing on activities that will move your business forward - Download Now
Join our next CEO Power Planning Session and spend two and a half hours ON your business. During this facilitated workshop, you’ll set and prioritize your next 12-week goals, break them down into an executable action plan and create a resource plan - Join the Wait List
Apply for the next Close the Gap Program and stay on track to achieve your most important goals. 1:1 support and guidance on prioritizing goals, creating a plan and putting structure and routines in place. Then 12 weeks of group support around execution - Apply today