|
The_Best_of_Both_Worlds_ _Working_from_Home_&_Enjoying_Life
| The Best of Both Worlds? - Working from Home & Enjoying Life
We always hear about the importance of separating work from
family, home and social life, and how vital it is that work
should be left at the office, and not brought into the home.
This is often easier said than done for most people, who strive
to switch off at the end of the day, but find themselves
incapable of completely achieving it. So what happens when you
are an entrepreneur or business owner, and your work is in your
home?
Setting up and running your own business involves hard work,
commitment and determination. It may also involve some
sacrifice. For many, the main sacrifice is a regular fixed
income. For others it may be job security, or the comfort of
being part of a team. However, the list of sacrifices that are
often required to be an entrepreneur or business owner should
not include your health and well being, or your loved ones.
At the same time, the freedom of owning your own business and
being your own boss should not influence you to slack off
whenever you feel like it, or spend time on unnecessary tasks
while leaving the business to flounder. Neither should you allow
others take your business for granted.
A Job-Based Home
Many business owners and entrepreneurs work from offices based
in their own homes, and as a result find it difficult to get the
work-and-life balance right. Many find themselves focusing on
the business around the clock, due to being unable to distance
themselves from their place of business.
There are entrepreneurs who are single-mindedly focused on their
goal, putting in 18 hour days, have little time for family and
friends, and next-to-no time to concern themselves with their
own health. This type of working lifestyle can result in
exhaustion, breakdowns in relationships with spouse, children,
family and friends, and lead to ill health and potentially,
business failure.
This is by no means the model that every single entrepreneur
lives by, but is a temptation that they are met with from the
start.
A Home-Based Job
At the other end of the scale, there are business owners and
entrepreneurs who may find it difficult to focus fully on their
business because they work from home.
They may find themselves inclined to concentrate on jobs around
the house, or tasks that are unrelated to the business. If they
work alone, they may find that they do not have the
self-motivation to commit 100% to the business.
If it is not due to a lack of focus, it can often be the result
of outside perceptions of their work-from-home position. There
may be friends or family that are of the belief that ‘working
from home’ means that they are free for a chat, a coffee or a
completely unannounced visit during the day. There are persons
who will assign non-business-related tasks to them to complete
in the house during the day, because they happen to be there
during the day.
This can result in frequent distractions, failure to complete
business tasks, inability to commit to the business and again, a
potential failure.
Getting the Best of Both Worlds
If keeping work and life completely separate when working from
home is too difficult a task, try blending the two wherever
possible. This can also help you along the road to finding the
right balance. Here are a few tips for working from a home-based
office;
- Set a work schedule for yourself. Insist that personal
commitments, calls and visits be scheduled for around those
hours. - Set your schedule for whichever time is more productive
for you, and suits your family. If a ringing phone does not
dictate your day, don’t assume that you have to work the same
hours as everyone else. - If you have domestic tasks to carry
out in the home, get up a little earlier and complete these
before you start work. - Eat lunch. Either with someone else, or
while sitting somewhere nice, or while watching or listening to
something you enjoy. - Play background music or a TV show that
helps you ‘flow’ while working. You wouldn’t get that at the
boss’s office! - Avoid cabin fever. Take regular breaks. Go for
a walk, a drive, visit someone, do some shopping - all can
alleviate boredom and loneliness, and make you more productive
in the long run. - Switch off your phone when out-of-hours. With
the benefits of voicemail, e-mail, auto-responders and fax
machines, you can be left free to spend time with yourself,
family and friends, without the fear of missing out on an
important lead. - If you work for yourself and find it hard to
switch off after a day of work, focus your attention on a hobby
that takes your mind off it. It gives you an outlet for any
excess energy, and lessens the need for you to take out any
frustrations on your loved ones, or even frustrating and boring
them rigid with your 24/7-work mentality.
Working from home can be one of the most beneficial, rewarding
and fulfilling methods of working available. However, it can
still come with many challenges to balancing life and work. It
may seem that your business requires you devote every minute to
it to make it succeed, but over a prolonged period of time, this
type of devotion can lead to burn out, poor work quality,
relationship breakdowns, exhaustion and ill health. Therefore,
it is vital to take regular breaks, set aside personal time,
look after yourself, and embrace your relationships with family
and friends, to ensure that you can give your best to your
business and get the best from your life.
About the author:
Michelle Payne-Gale is the owner of Essence (Business & Admin
Support Services), specialising in virtual administration,
marketing, & creative support for small businesses. Details of
services, additional articles & eBooks are available at
http//www.essence-services.co.uk. View the Essence blog at
http://essence05.blogspot.com. She is also an active partner in
the creation of Caribbean tourism website,
http://www.stay-in-antigua.com.
|
|
| |
| |
