Working From Home - Have You Got What It Takes?

December 22, 2007 | No Comments

Working from home can be a great opportunity for some people, but it’s not an ideal lifestyle for everyone. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have what it takes to work from home before you make any new commitments or career changes.

To help you seriously decide if working from home is for you, ask yourself if you have what it takes to -

Be self disciplined - When you work from home you create your own schedule and often your own deadlines. Although this can be very beneficial as it allows you more flexibility with your time, it can also lead to a lack of self-discipline and procrastination. It’s easy to put work off until another day when a deadline is so far away. It’s easy to play games or surf online, or watch a bit of TV instead of researching information for your work or job.

You need to know how to manage your time wisely and learn how to accomplish your goals. If you don’t have the self-discipline to get out of bed and focus on work, you’ll never meet you financial needs or improve your career.

Avoid household distractions - Working from home means that you will often need to work when your family, partner or pets are at home. Not only can their noise distract you, but you may feel obligated to pay them the attention you think they need and deserve.

Although it is important to spend quality time with those you live with, it is imperative that they understand when you are working that you shouldn’t be disturbed. You need to learn to say “no”, and also need to learn to turn a blind eye to the fact that you are actually working in your home.

Big Bosses work long hours - If you wish to start your own home-based business this is a huge commitment that requires plenty of dedication, learning, and long working hours. Owning and operating your own business means you are responsible for all of the decisions, and the decisions you make could grow or destroy your business.

Know when to stop working - You need to be able to balance your personal life with your job. Since your job is done from home, and the more you work the more money you make, you may feel obligated to work a lot more than you should. This can cause problems with your partner, children and friends who will feel rightfully neglected.

Overcome isolation - Working from home can be very lonely. Loneliness can be a distraction if you don’t do something about it. Although peace and quiet may sound like an ideal working environment, lack of human contact and noise can drive anyone stir crazy.

Deal with lack of privacy and space - If you don’t have a room in your home that you can convert into an office, you may be forced to create a make shift work space that is cramped or lacks privacy. You will have a difficult time working if you are not comfortable in your environment.

Remember, working at home isn’t for everyone. Some people are more productive when they operate on someone else’s schedule and deadlines. Not everyone can be their own boss. Can you?

Written by Vishal P. Rao of Work at Home Forum.

Posted in Working from Home