Whether you're a freelancer who works from home or work for a company that allows you to telecommute, it is definitely possible to do extremely well in your profession by leveraging on this privilege. However, working from home is not for everyone and many people have seen their careers go spiraling down because of misuse of this opportunity.
In almost all cases, it is a privilege to be working from home. From personal experience, I find that there is a lot to gain from it, if dealt with in the right way. This is not really a thorough how-to-do-it kit, but only my two cents on what you can do and what is best avoided once you have made the decision to work from home.
Take it seriously: Just because, you’re working from home, it doesn’t mean your job doesn’t matter as much (whether to your peers, the management, or yourself). So before you find yourself reaching for that remote control and settle down in front of the TV to work, tell yourself that you’ve got a job to finish first. That Bollywood star gyrating to a peppy number or the cruel mother-in-law from the soap is not going to finish your work.
Avoid the bed: If you work on a laptop, or you need to write, or if your work does not necessitate sitting at a work station, it is very natural to get tempted to sit on the bed and work. But it is very essential to understand that the likelihood of falling asleep or settling down with a magazine and a cup of coffee, or calling friends on the phone is very high. So set yourself a designated work area. Ensure you choose a space where you will not be disturbed by people frequently walking in and out. Spruce up your desk like you would in an office - Post-its, motivational posters, stationery, and whatever else you need. Magazines, novels, DVDs, and food are all strict no-nos.
Stay in touch: One of the most common results of working from home is the loss of touch with co-workers, especially if your work doesn’t involve contribution from anyone else. Ensure that you take part in discussions and participate actively in teleconferences. Volunteer to make presentations or help someone who’s new to the job, albeit virtually. Meet your colleagues and supervisor at fairly regular intervals so that you’re not out-of-sight-out-of-mind.
Reward yourself: If/when you finish your work earlier than expected, reward yourself by taking a break and getting that cup of coffee or pursuing your hobby. Small breaks help you stay focused and refresh your mind.
Communicate the nature of your work: Tell family members that even though you're at home, you're still at work for a designated period of time. Explain the demands of your job to those you live with so that expectations are set and no issues crop up because of lack of communication. You need to remember that when you're at work, you're not obliged to run errands and partake in other unrelated activities unless it’s an emergency.
Working from home can be a great experience if you know what works best for you. Try it out and see for yourself.
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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in May, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
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—About our writer:
Nandini says, "I'm a networking engineer working with Cisco for the past four years. I work on network optimization services in the Asia Pacific theater and my clients include Singapore Telecom, Starhub and Telstra. I am based in Mumbai, and I'm a regular blogger. While I am particularly fond of poetry and travel writing, I enjoy all forms of the written word. I am a voracious reader, with interest ranging from Wodehouse to RK Narayan."
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