Flexible Scheduling

So, this morning I am still in my pj's.  I finished the first half of my work out early this morning (5:30 am!), I've gotten the kids off to school, done some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, completed some personal bookkeeping, and done some work for my clients.  All in all pretty productive.

Normally I don't start work for my clients until between 9 am and 10 am.  That's when they really get going.  It gives me a chance to work out and do things around the house.  Today though my co-workers (yes, I have a few -- though I've never met them) were working early so we got a jump on the day.  It's great to be able juggle the routine to suit the situation.  I'm going to go finish my work out and take a shower.  By the time I get back, I will have responses to my emails and other information necessary for me to work today.  Time waiting on others is not wasted time.

I can fit more work/family/life into one day working from home than I could ever fit into two days working at a regular job.  Sometimes it leaves me feeling a bit scattered, but it's a small price to pay.

Finally Alone!

If you have read my previous entries you know I love working from home.  You may also remember that my husband works from home, which is also great about 95% of the time.  We've been married 15 years and we no longer need to go to work to get away from each other.  However..... every so often I just want him to go away.

Chris gets time alone in the house for a while just about every day.  I run errands, take the kids to various activities, run a load of laundry, but he is ALWAYS here.  Our offices  are right next to each other with a door in between.  If he's on the phone, I hear it (and vice versa).  When he is home there is no time that I can get absolutely engulfed in a project without some interruption.  Now, I know what you are thinking -- if I worked in an office, when would I have that opportunity -- and you would be right.  I can also go elsewhere in the house to work, but no where else is quite as comfortable to work as my office.  Everything is there.  If I worked outside the house, I wouldn't have lunch or dinner with the person I found annoying at work or who kept me from concetrating.  Who do I complain to after work about my petty annoyances?  

There is nothing less entertaining that hearing everything that is going on in the next office (he's on the phone A LOT) and then having a blow by blow again at the dinner table.  Thankfully, there is sometimes some new material -- from the time that I was off doing kid things.

I say all this today because today is a very sweet day.  Chris had to commute into his actual office this morning for a company wide meeting.  I have the house to myself, it's quiet except for the snoring dog and I am finally going to get to the work that I have been putting off for weeks because of the concentration required.  I might even blast a little music later and I won't use earphones!

The Economy & Working from Home

As much as love working from home, there is a bit of uncertainty in it with the economy the way it is.  If I loose a client due to his lack of funds, there will be no unemployment for me to fall back on.  I'm pretty busy right now.  I've considered trying to take on another client or two, but I just don't have the time.  My clients have been so good to me, I don't want to shortchange them either.  Fortunately, one client is talking about needing more hours at the first of the year and the other is discussing adding to my responsibilities for increased pay.

I've considered taking a job waiting tables a night or two a week -- as much to get out of the house as for the money.  That is, if I could find one.  I waited tables in college.  The exercise would be good, being with other adults (other than my husband) would be lovely and cash, of course, is always a plus.  On the other hand, that takes me out of the house and away from my family -- something I have been trying to avoid.

I guess everyone is a bit uncertain with the downturn in the economy, but we self-employed workers from home may just have a little more hanging out in the wind.  Sometimes I'm not quite sure how to hedge my bets.

Just Getting Started -- blogging that is.

I've been working from home for about three years.  I love it.  It's great, there's nothing I'd rather do.  However, it's also frustrating, overly time consuming, focus dividing, and, at times, loud.

I should back up.  I am a trained paralegal.  My husband and I moved in 2005 after Hurricane Wilma.  We upped our timetable for our move because I had had it with the hurricanes -- five in two years.  My then law firm was extremely understanding about it.  They allowed me to work from my new digs during my notice period, then I agreed to stay on until they found someone.  I  stayed on until one particularly complex case concluded earlier this year.  During this time, I didn't have enough work to keep me busy all the time, so I started work as a virtual assistant.  I'd been working as a legal secretary/paralegal for so long, it fit into my skill set perfectly.  I have two clients who keep me pretty busy and they are two of the best bosses I have ever had.

One of the biggest frustrations I have with working from home is that people that have never done it or only do it occasionally, just don't understand it.  My schedule is extremely flexible -- most of the time.  There are some days that I have time to talk on the phone, do a bit of laundry or clean the kitchen.  There are many other days that I am so busy I forget to eat lunch.  It took a long time to train my friends and family that sometimes I just can't talk.  They still sometimes forget.  But I'll get to that later -- when it's actually a problem.  Today and this past week, it's not one of my pet peeves.  But there are many and we'll get to each and every one of them, including a few I don't have yet, as well as the satisfactions.

I must say that I almost never feel guilty working from home.  When I was working outside the home I always felt guilty.  I felt guilty at work because I wasn't at home with my kids and I felt guilty at home because there were things I hadn't accomplished at work because I couldn't stay late, get there early, or participate in functions.  For me, working from has been the best.