Working from Home

Working from home is a fantastic thing for the most part. There is a twelve second commute, it can be the ultimate ‘Casual Friday’ all week long and there seems to be a never ending supply of food in the fridge, at least until the kids come home.

Believe it or not, there is also a down side to working at home. Everyone knows where you are and how to get a hold of you. There is a perception that since you work from home, you’re not very busy. I have no idea where they get that idea. Most folks haven’t seen me work at an office (and some would say they have never seen me work – ever) and generally, they wouldn’t call me there unless it was pretty urgent or business related unless they knew I was on lunch or a break.

Not so when you work from a home office. Take one of my relatives (don’t worry, Dad, I won’t tell them it’s you). Most of the phone calls from him go like this – “Hi, Dave, do you have a minute?” “No, not really. My editor needs this article in today” “Okay, this won’t take long. How come my computer is [insert favourite problem here]?”

Two hours later, the mystery computer problem is solved and I am able to get back to wherever I was. The problem is, I can’t find my spot and have to start all over again. Which means it’s time for lunch...

The other downside is when I have to go out somewhere for an errand or to do some research, people see me on the street and assume I’m on a day off. Running to the mailbox or the library goes from a 30 minute jaunt to a two hour excursion, as I end up visiting people, explaining to many that no, it’s not a day off, I’m actually working but okay, just one more donut, but six is my limit!

Believe it or not, when you see me on my front step or wandering around the yard gazing up into the sky, I am actually working. This brilliant prose does not just leap onto the page by itself! There is thought and more thought put into every word. Stop laughing. Knowing when to properly dangle a participle takes practice.

Another hard part about being at home all the time is you keep seeing all the little chores that need doing. That load of laundry, the paint touch up, the breakfast dishes that are still in the sink – all of them pull at you relentlessly. I used to be able to burn up a couple of hours of prime work time (read income-making time) doing house and yard work.

Luckily for me, I have trained myself to ignore those distractions now. I can go past a sink full of dirty dishes or a pile of laundry five feet high and not even flinch. My darling wife would like me to remember that the training doesn’t apply after work hours, but you have to be dedicated to your craft.

I’m still working on not opening up my three email programs and checking the weather and news feeds first thing. If I can ignore those right away, the day is mine. But boy, some of those YouTube videos are captivating.

All in all, I still wouldn’t trade my little home office for another corporate office cubicle. I’m sure that Canada’s business world really isn't ready for my comfortable work attire. I can take casual to a whole new level. Ask my kids.