Comments on: Some Thoughts on Working from Home – One Year Later

By: RateNerd

RateNerd — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:33:53 +0000

I can completely relate to your situation. I am going on my third year of self employment – one of the best things I have adopted is my “A.D.D. Break” from around 11 AM – 2PM each day. I work out, go walk the dog, ride my bike, etc and it recharges me. I could never do that when I had a big corporate job. Congrats!

By: Chen Reichert

Chen Reichert — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:30:25 +0000

Congrats on being your own boss for a year! I’m at the half way mark with my little art and design business. I’d say the hardest parts for me are the loneliness, time management and distractions. Distractions and time management are especially tough because my living room doubles as my studio so it’s very hard to separate work from life. My next apartment will definitely have a separate office space!

I like the way you laid out your problems and solutions. The meditation sessions are a great idea! I think that most people forget that at the core of being in control of your business you need to be in control of yourself.

By: Alison Law

Alison Law — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:57:11 +0000

Congratulations on one year! I celebrated my first year of working from home in February, and it’s been such an education. I’ve learned many of the same lessons and experienced the same revelations that you’ve shared here.

Timing is everything – had the economy taken such huge tumbles in late 2007 instead of late 2008, I probably would have remained in a job that was not right for me out of fear. Instead, thanks to the support of my friends and family, I took the leap.

I started spending more consciously and putting the right financial fundamentals in place way ahead of the curve – before many others were forced to cut costs because of lost jobs, furloughs or other symptoms of the economic malaise. I tell people that our (my husband and I) biggest accomplishment is that our savings is the same amount it was a year ago, even after my husband was laid off from his job and we were without health care benefits and a steady paycheck for six months.

When you take the steps necessary to disentangle yourself from your the ill-informed belief that money is everything and stop measuring your self-worth by your annual salary, then you have the ability to take control of your life and your career. Thanks for your insights here.

P.S. All of the comments and subscriptions here should make you realize that you are not alone. :)

By: sharon

sharon — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:48:43 +0000

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing and to your reders. I just made 1 year working from home for a company and have lots of e-mail and phone contact but don’t ‘know’ any of those folks. To combat the lack of social interactions, I make lunch dates with my friends and former colleagues.

Being out of the ‘mainstream’ created major doubts if I’d made the right choice but it seems to be working out thus far, at least financially.

Thanks for sharing your experience and having this forum where others can share their experiences. It’s nice knowing one is not alone.

By: banking deal community

banking deal community — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:27:08 +0000

How do you stay focused working from home?
I’m working from home for a few days, and I find it really hard focusing on my work like I would if I were at the office. How do people do this for a living and actually accomplish anything? Way too many distractions!

By: Dollar and Dollar

Dollar and Dollar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:20:54 +0000

About 6 ago I did working from home for about a year. My biggest concern was loneliness and gaining weight.

By: IRG

IRG — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:35:42 +0000

Econowhiner.com recently posted a great article on the loneliness of those who work alone/at home.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:49:51 +0000

Trent, for a change of pace, you might want to write in the field you worked as a researcher. Then you can go see your old colleagues and reconnect. Also, we need good science writers, and with your writing skills you would do well.

By: Bill in Houston

Bill in Houston — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:46:21 +0000

I have to ask, “How’s that working for you?” By that I mean, are you making enough to support yourself and your family? I’ve been a writer for 21 years, but I’ve always worked for one company or another (even as a self-employed contractor). I’ve never submitted an article or gone the e-tail route with a web site. I’m lucky in that my wife also works, but there’s always that chance that we could have a major income change. I hope things are going well. I enjoy your site and plan to buy your downloadables.

By: Mona

Mona — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:19:06 +0000

It’s so great that you journaled your experience in the beginning and can now reflect one year later.

I worked from home, and home-schooled my children. And while I was too busy to even think about journalling it all, (most of my writing was in the form of lists and schedules) I received the most powerful insight and reflection just the other day: feedback from my one of my grown children.

My concern, upon looking back was whether or not they got enough attention from me, since much of my time as home was spent working. I asked her if she felt it would have been better for me to choose a traditional career with them in daycare, rather that working from home and having them home with me.

Her answer was an unequivocal NO. She remembered vividly the time spent in daycare… what she described as a continual “longing” and a “missing piece of the puzzle”. To her, even though I was busy alot of the time, I was still there if/when she needed me.

And it was just the reason I made that decision all those years ago…

By: Corporate Barbarian

Corporate Barbarian — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:42:43 +0000

Thanks for the insight, Trent. I’m way behind you, as I just started my blog, but I hope to be in your situation someday. I’m glad you touched on the negatives, this will help prepare me.

By: Taylor at Household Management 101

Taylor at Household Management 101 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:33:23 +0000

Time management seems to be my biggest hurdle right now. But I have created a time map for my day and that seems to be helping some.

Good to see others also struggle with this, but also are finding solutions. Makes me feel both not alone and also like I will be able to succeed.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:08:24 +0000

I find I have trouble focusing, too. Screen-sucking time is to the point where I close down all non-essential software when I’m “working”. I have also joined a couple of “mommy” groups just for some social contact.

By: et

et — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:55:36 +0000

Stacey – “things to do in a small rural town to keep yourself sane” starter list: if there’s no restaurant/meeting place (or just to save money), then start a regular “coffee klatch”, breakfast or lunch at home or trade off hosting among the members; start or join a book club; volunteer in schools, for church, meals on wheels, etc. (or start up a needed service program); start a community garden, poet’s society, artist group, etc.; check out online/virtual volunteer opportunities (the U.N. sponsors a worldwide effort & I’ve found others that proofread text-to-online books, etc.); craft blankets, premie outfits, hats, other items for groups that gift hospitalized or chronically ill people; read all those great books you never got around to; teach yourself a new musical instrument (there are good online guides for just about anything, if there’s no one local to teach you).

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:09:41 +0000

Thanks for sharing.

The secret to independence is self discipline and time management . . .

I can relate to trying to take on too much– I often have to reign myself in . . .

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:29:43 +0000

Thank you for sharing your tips on how to stay focused and not to get obsessed on details. I live in PA and work in NYC. I commute 5-6 hours a day on the bus. (You do what you need to do to support your family!) I am trying to build my own business during my bus rides and in the evenings and your tips are helping me to keep me on track. (Oh and I have 2 children – a 3 year old with autism and a 1 year old). I love reading your inspirational articles so one day, I can be working at home too. I am saving this one to keep me motivated. Thanks Trent!

By: Melody

Melody — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:06:30 +0000

I echo that I can completely relate to how you feel. I work at home running our family business, and my husband is either home or not. (he does the customer-side work) My 3-year-old is home with me most of the time, though, and that is becoming an ever-increasing challenge! I’m assuming, Trent, your kids are watched by someone – daycare or otherwise. Either that, or you have the opposite personality type I do! LOL She won’t leave me alone for anything.

By: Battra92

Battra92 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:50:14 +0000

Part of me would like to go into the working at home thing but I know exactly how it would be. I would basically become a more secluded and lazy individual. When I worked at a silver shop where I sat in an empty office for hours a day (my boss was terminally ill though he never fully let on how bad he was – or he didn’t know) with only the phone to keep me company I turned to sitting and watching Google Video / YouTube for hours and hours. If I worked from home I’d be glued to Huckleberry Hound reruns and be raiding the fridge.

Or as Dilbert pondered, “Do I owe my employer eight productive hours or do I only need to match the two productive hours I would have in the office?” (then you factor in how much you’re saving the planet by not driving and it’s down to one hour. ;) )

By: Grant Baldwin

Grant Baldwin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:21:07 +0000

Great thoughts Trent! I would totally agree with your points. I’m self-employed and work from the house and there are a lot of days I schedule breakfast and lunch appointments with friends just to get out of the house and have some social interaction. But I love being able to be home with my wife and daughters during the day and build my schedule around what’s beneficial to me and our family.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:41:01 +0000

Trent,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I do have one question though – what did you do BEFORE making the leap to prepare for life after quitting? Did you first make sure you had a minimum level of savings to act as a buffer(if so, how did you know how much you would need)? Did you wait until you were making a minimum level of income from your writing before you decided to do it full time? Another writer I know of advised aspring writers to wait until their writing income is equal to what they make on their day job, for a period of two years, before quitting the job. I wonder if you had a similar rule for yourself? Your thoughts would be much appreciated and I apologise if this has been discussed elsewhere (couldn’t find the relevant posts).