Work From Home - What it's Really Like...

Imagine a world where you get to set your own work hours, there are no annoying coworkers or bosses to deal with, your commute is 5 seconds long, and you can even work from bed if you want to.

During my days at a mundane desk job, I had run this imagined world through my mind over and over again. In the summer, when it was too hot to function, I could work in my underwear; free from the suffocating scratch of professional attire I had come to know too well. And in the winter I could snug in my big swag jacket, without anyone looking weird at me. Of course I would miss the company sometimes. Even if I never liked the dynamics very much, at least I could depend on them to ask me how my weekend was and send the smell of home cook through the office when they microwaved their leftover dinners for lunch. But it would be OK. Still meeting the best bunch of ex-colleagues at any point of time when we misses each other so much!

When I quit from my mundane desk job I saw only two options: find another mindless desk job, which seemed to be the only thing I was qualified for, or run straight into something outside of all the comforts I had laid out for myself with the stability of 9 to 5.

I knew that finding a “career” job was, and continues to be, difficult. I won’t tell you how many resumes I sent out on my last job-hunt, only because the resume to response ratio is very limited. I did not trust myself to not fall for the trap again. And more importantly, I definitely did not have the mental or financial capacities to spend another three months sulking about not getting email replies.

The exciting part is that working from home can give you the creative freedom to work on projects you care about. The terrifying part to this is that if these projects fail, you are the sole owner of that failure. There is no one to hide behind or point to and blame. But no matter what happens, if you do find yourself in a situation where it seems like your dining table might be your most promising work space option, here is what you should know, and what I wish I knew when I started:

It’s going to get weird

Before you know it it’s 3 p.m. on normal days and you’re wearing sweatpants, dipping crackers into a jar of hazelnut while posting on Facebook and yelling: “I AM GETTING WORK DONE!” to yourself. Accepting this as inevitable is the first rule of working from home. Some people won’t believe that you’re actually getting anything done.

People will ask, aren't you getting a job

It will be hard to convince a lot of people that working from home is not an intermission between “real” jobs. Even if you are looking for a job on the side, it constantly hurdled in your direction can feel like you’re not being taken seriously. Asking these good-intention job seekers to stop will make them feel bad at first, but it’s probably your best bet.

No one thinks you're ever busy

Can you pick up a packaging for me? Can you accompanied me to go several places? Do you mind taking care of everything that need to be done? I often receive these kinds of request from friends and family. I usually say yes. Why? Not because I'm a pushover, but because I sometimes feel guilty that I have created a position where I'm my own boss and have my own freedom and schedule. There's no one tying me to my desk or giving me a look when I take a long lunch or walk out 15 minutes before 5 p.m. Even though it may be easier to do so, I've learned you can't always say yes. The only person I'm hurting is myself — by losing my potential income for that hour of work. Although I have significantly more freedom now than I did at my desk job, it still doesn't mean that I'm not busy. In fact, I'm busier than I ever have been. Sometimes you have to say no, and that's OK. They'll (hopefully) understand.

Guilt is part of the process

You will experience moments of extreme guilty. It’s worth noting that reading the entire Internet can seem wildly appealing when you have a project you’re stuck on and no one watching over your shoulder telling you what to do. There is also the type of guilt that comes from feeling like a loser because your invoices are being held up, and you don’t have any money. And the other breeds of guilt that happen when you don’t take your work schedule seriously and sleep in too late. Guilt, in all its various forms, will find you. Eventually you will realize the various comforts around you—like soft pants and not having to deal with bosses—are too great to give it all up. Working from home is an endless cycle of feeling guilty, followed by comforting yourself with your own cushy privilege.

You are going to feel lonely, and that’s OK

The process of working from home is an isolating experience; there is really no way around it. Sometimes you’ll meet up with your spouse or friend at 8 pm and realize that’s the first time you’ve spoken to a person all day. Sometimes it’s hard not to feel lonely when all you have is the hum of the fan and Facebook chat to keep you company. Occasional loneliness is the trade off you make.

Deadlines are your new best friend

Figure out what schedule works best for you and stick to it. External deadlines are your new guardian angel. Even if your project doesn’t have a deadline, set one and tell everyone about it. Get someone to hold you accountable. Give yourself a reward when you achieve it. Deadlines are everything. Deadlines will save you. Deadlines are the reason we are all here. Deadlines. These days, I typically work from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., which I find is my most productive part of the day. So just set your own schedule.

A lot of time is wasted in the traditional workday

Without talking to people, commuting, meetings, “reply all” emails, and surprise “moral boosting activities,” you might find you’re getting much more work done in much less time. Did you know that, on average, workers average only three productive days per week? Do with this extra time as you will.

The key to more free time is working more efficiently

At my desk job, about 50% of my time was spent gallivanting and avoiding work. There were multiple coffee runs, a long lunch, and during the time I actually spent at my desk, not much work really got done.

Maybe because the paper work is overloaded, creativity has come to an end and nothing seems challenging to fully utilize on what I'm really good at. All of these things chipped away at my patience, productivity, and sanity.

I might wake up later now, and maybe I'll stop earlier, but in the time I'm working, I'm extremely motivated to do my job. I know that if I get my work done, I'm free later to enjoy the rest of my day. I don't just get to walk away without finishing it. Being freelance also helps keep me focused. That kind of "you eat what you kill" mantra really applies. No work, No money.

Designate a work space

The couch is not an office. I started working from my bedroom space, and while it served the purpose, it didn't make me feel like I was working. It was too casual, and it wasn't making me disciplined enough. I ordered an office rack from IKEA and set myself up for success with a mini space complete set of a chair, desk, old laptop and books, everything cost $50, and it totally worked. That said, there are times when sweatpants and the couch totally suffice as a work day.

Enjoy your flexibility

Find your focus wavering? Take a break with a bike ride, swim, or even by quitting work for the entire day. Because your work schedule can be as flexible as you need it to be, sometimes it's important to walk away. It's amazing what a cool dip on a hot day can do for helping boost creative juices.

Running a home business is the ultimate in taking control of your career, time and life. But if you've been working a traditional job for awhile, it can be a challenge to make the adjustment from a job to being your own boss. You need to create all the external cues that go with working, such as a home office and set schedule. With that said, as long as you get your work done, you can enjoy the freedom and perks that owning a home business offers, so if you find this would be a great opportunity, let's work from home!

Do share and comment if you have any additional points on what its really like to be working from home.