Where I Work VS. What I Do

I have a pretty sweet home office

For the past several months, I have been doing contract work from home. 

It took a little while to get into a rhythm of working at my own pace and on my own schedule. 

My unsolicited advice for staying focused. 

1. Take a shower when you wake up. This is another way of saying "don't work in your pajamas".
2. Dress like you'll be in public. (Don't just throw on sweat pants. Wear something that you wouldn't be embarrassed being seen in while depositing a check at the bank.)
3. Never turn on the television. Not during your lunch break. Not at all. You will get sucked in. 
4. Don't leave a "Facebook Tab" open on you internet browser. You don't need real time updates on your great aunt's cat's health issues while you're trying to accomplish great things. 
5. Leave the house at least once during the day.
6. Try to see and/or talk to other humans. Short small talk with the mailman can make hours of isolated work go by faster. 

I especially love working from home while my husband is also working from home. During breaks in conference calls and focused effort, I have someone to bounce ideas off of who also makes me laugh and reminds me of my priorities. 

But in this next phase, I am applying for "REAL JOBS" that require dedicated time in the office. 

I'm not sure if this is reflective of my generation or of my life stage, but I am a bit fearful of being a cog in a machine. I'm weary of managers who are more concerned with the number of hours I sit at a desk than the quality and quantity of what I produce. 

I've had relatively bohemian work for most of my career. While I've worked hard, I've also had much flexibility when it came to my work hours. It makes me wonder about the transition to working more structured hours.

While part of me is treasuring my quiet, sunlit filled workspace, there are times I do miss a busy work environment with people stopping by. These days, all my collaboration is done over the phone with all the incumbent joys of conference calls.

Regardless of where I sit, I love what I do. It fills me with passion and enthusiasm and makes each day challenging and entertaining.

I hope you love what you do, too.