Wine Making
|
|
Flipping The Switch
   
|
The Truth About Women Revealed
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to read a woman's to mind - especially a woman you want to get into your bed' How about just being able to fake it enough that she thinks you can .....
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to read a woman's to mind - especially a woman you want to get into your bed' How about just being able to fake it enough that she thinks you can .....
So, you work from home. Good for you! No boss looking over your
shoulder, no wasting time commuting to and from the office,
no-one setting your hours for you or telling you what to do. No
one to care if you're wearing your rattiest clothes or don't
take a shower before 10:00 am. And how about no life and no time
for yourself while we're on the subject of what you don't have
any more? Sound familiar? If so, read on.
Escaping the regimented structure imposed upon you by the
corporate world may have been one of the driving forces that
prompted you to seek a way to work from home in the first place.
One of the often-overlooked advantages of such a structure,
though, is that it *is* a structure. It has limits, it places
you at a certain place at a certain time, and it dictates what
you will spend your time on.
In other words, it establishes boundaries in your life. The
boundary between work and home, work and play, on duty and off
duty, company time and your time. You could leave work at the
end of the day and your time was your own.
Sure, you may have had other obligations but at least your work
was confined within the boundaries of a workplace and a workday.
Working from home, for all its advantages, can sometimes have
the disadvantage of removing the boundaries between work and
home, work and play, work time and your time. For some, the
problem may manifest itself as a tendency to procrastinate when
it comes to work activities or a lack of personal
self-discipline may become unavoidably obvious. For such people,
the formalized structure of a workplace separate from the home
may suit them better than the independence and autonomy of a
home business.
This article, though, is concerned with those at the other end
of the spectrum. Those who have absolutely no difficulty at all
in motivating and disciplining themselves to work from home. So
much so that their home business literally takes over their
entire lives.
Conflict Of Interest
One of the most insidious traps in the world of business (or in
any other place for that matter) is this thing called a
"conflict of interest". The .....
One of the most insidious traps in the world of business (or in
any other place for that matter) is this thing called a
"conflict of interest". The .....
In my time online, I've heard many people say that they sit at
their computers for 18 hours a day working on their businesses.
Oftentimes, they will still be working at 3:00 am and then go to
bed for four hours or so before getting back in the saddle. They
say this as if it is something to be proud of. I don't know
about you, but working from home, when and if I am finally able
to achieve it on a full-time basis, will be first and foremost a
lifestyle choice.
By that I mean I expect my decision to work from home will
result in an enhancement of my lifestyle in that I won't have to
commute the best part of an hour to get to and from work each
day, if I want to start at 5:00 am and finish for the day at
noon I can do that. If I want to work all weekend and take two
days off during the week I can do that too. I can choose the
projects I want to work on, I can retain the rewards of my own
efforts and I am answerable to no-one but myself. Although I
understand that I will work as hard or harder at home than I do
at the office, I certainly have no intention of merely
exchanging one form of prison for another.
What Wise Guys Eat
When I lived in the North End of Boston, in the nineteen eighties and nineties, I hung around a neighborhood bar from time to time, called The Corner Caf'It .....
When I lived in the North End of Boston, in the nineteen eighties and nineties, I hung around a neighborhood bar from time to time, called The Corner Caf'It .....
So, it perplexes me that some people seem to think it is a Good
Thing to shackle themselves to a desk for 18 hours straight and
break only to snatch a few hours sleep before starting all over
again. But, if that's how they want to live their lives, that's
entirely their business.
But what of those who want more balance in their lives but find
they simply can't 'flip the switch' on their home business so
that home becomes a retreat again once the workday is over? If
this is you, here are six suggestions to help you turn off your
business and turn on your life.
1. Confine business activities to an exclusively "work" room
If possible, confine your business activities to a certain area
of the house, preferably a room that is exclusively used by you
as your place of work. The advantage of a room as opposed to an
unused corner of the living room is that when work is done for
the day you can literally and symbolically shut the door on it.
Out of sight, out of mind. If you don't cordon off your work
area in this way, you will be reminded of work whenever you
enter the living room. Even though you may not be physically
engaged in work, you will still be mentally engaged and that's
the same thing.
2. Separate communications systems
Have separate communications systems for home and work. That is,
you have one telephone for home and one for work. The same for
fax machines, cell phones and email accounts. When you're
working, you should have your home answering machine on. When
you're home, you should have your work answering machine on.
3. Establish a routine and structure similar to the workplace
As stated earlier, the structure and routine of an external
workplace has the advantage of allowing you to leave work behind
at the end of the day. By establishing a routine and structure
similar to a place of work, you can still benefit from this
advantage. Now obviously you don't have to be as regimented as
you would be if you worked in a corporate office.
You don't have to start at 9:00 am, work till noon, take a one
hour lunch break and then work through until 5:00 pm. You can
set whatever routine and structure you like. The important thing
is to be disciplined in sticking to your routine, whatever you
decide it is. If you prefer to work from 5:00 am through 10:00
am and then from 2:00 pm through 4:00 pm that's fine. This
structure allows you to enjoy the hours from 10:00 am through
2:00 and after 4:00 pm as your own. There is room for
flexibility here. Work however is most productive for you but
stop once you get to the end of your allotted work time. If you
haven't finished what you started, pick it up again in work
time. Don't allow 'your' time to be encroached on by work.
4. Minimize distractions and interruptions
By implementing suggestions 1., 2. and 3., you will also be
establishing an environment where distractions and interruptions
are minimized and discouraged. For example, if you have
school-age children, by scheduling your work time to coincide
with their school time, you will minimize the distractions and
interruptions you will inevitably face if you try and work while
they're at home.
By having separate communications systems, you won't be
interrupted with calls on your home phone while working (your
answering machine should be getting these calls so you can
return them on "your" time).
By having an exclusively "work" area in your home, and making
The Sucessful Dinner Party
This article is for people who are always on the go, and do not have a lot of money to spend on entertaining.
What's wrong with this picture'
I .....
sure that other members of your household respect this space forThis article is for people who are always on the go, and do not have a lot of money to spend on entertaining.
What's wrong with this picture'
I .....
what it is, you can help others remember that when you're in
your room you're working and are not to be interrupted for
things that can wait until you're "home" again.
5. Rituals
Rituals can play a useful role in flipping the switch at the end
of the workday. For example, you may already have a routine that
sees you working until 6:00 pm, the time your partner returns
home from work. Perhaps you share a glass of wine together at
that time. Why not think of your shared glass of wine as an "end
of workday" ritual. By making a habit of doing this, your mind
will soon learn to associate that glass of wine with the end of
the workday and flip the switch on work in automatic response.
Another idea is to wear a certain item of clothing while working
so that, when you take it off at the end of the work day, your
mind makes the connection between its removal and the end of
work time. A baseball cap, a particular pair of shoes, whatever
it is doesn't matter.
6. Plan to take days off and vacations
Finally, when establishing your routine and work schedule, don't
forget to schedule days off and vacations. And make sure you
take them. You may decide to take Saturdays and Sundays off, or
your "weekends" might be Tuesdays and Wednesdays or Mondays and
Fridays. Whatever works in best with your lifestyle, do it.
The same goes for vacations. Don't underestimate the
rejuvenating effect of taking a week off entirely. Not only is
it good for your overall health and mental wellbeing, you will
probably find that you are that much more productive when it
comes to getting back to work for having taken a true time out.
Hopefully you can see that working from home does not have to
mean turning your home into a place of work. Working from home
as a lifestyle choice should mean that the quality of your life
is enhanced as a result of your decision, not diminished. By
practicing these simple disciplines day-in and day-out you can
be sure that even though you are taking care of business, you
are also taking care of something even more important. Life.
About the author:
Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ...
practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the
work-from-home entrepreneur. http://www.ahbbo.com