After spending a long and frustrating day at work, I did my best to put the day behind me. For me, it is not an easy task. You see, I work from home. Granted, most of my day confines me to the “corner office,” but I wander from room to room just because of some variation in my surroundings. Projects that require me to stretch lead me to the kitchen counter. The L-shaped counter gives me room to spread out my bills, wrap packages, and sort items.
Sometimes I use my bedroom. I receive most calls from clients and prospects on my cell phone. Since I am a Virtual Assistance, I spend many hours sitting in front of my computer. My cell phone and my computer do NOT have a compatible relationship. My bedroom gives me the best reception, so I go to the bedroom to take notes and talk to my clients.
Depending on the client and his business, I use my dining room for meetings. Sometimes it’s a date for breakfast or lunch. Nothing makes a business meeting more relaxed than the comfort of a meal in a warm and informal setting. The formality of meeting in a real office makes you feel like you are in the principal’s office. Sure, meeting at the local coffee shop is casual, but it’s not very personal and being surrounded by strangers sitting at arm’s length doesn’t give you any confidentiality. I think you have to know your customer, not just as a business entity, but you have to know them on a personal level, albeit to a degree. There are limits and borders.
Yes, getting away from the “office” and relaxing at “home” has become more and more challenging. Even now, as I watch a rerun of Law & Order, I’m in my recliner, feet up, a bowl of iced coffee next to me, and my laptop snuggled warmly in my lap, typing this article. I’m starting to think that maybe it IS impossible to leave my business behind for just 4-5 hours. And, most likely, I will also take my business to bed with me. Phone calls to make, emails to send, data to enter, brochures to design, webinars to set up, it all goes through my head and sleep is next to impossible.
To do?
Here is my plan:
1. Plan and schedule my day the night before. Write down all tasks, leaving plenty of time for last minute requests.
2. Like any job, clock in and out. Set my hours for each day.
3. Take a 15-minute mid-morning break outside the house.
4. Using that break to get some fresh air, walking up and down the block, watering the plants in the yard, throwing out a load of laundry, knocking on my neighbor’s door to catch up on some gossip.
5. I take my lunch break, not at my desk, but in the kitchen or on the patio. Listen to some music, read a magazine or a book.
6. Mid-afternoon brain break. Just get out of the office.
7. Finish scheduled work and start organizing tasks and errands for the next day.
8. Don’t go to the office after dinner. Any personal work must be done on the laptop, outside of the office.
After hours:
9. Schedule time away from home. Movies with spouse and/or friends.
10. Do volunteer work for the community.
11. Gather the neighbors and sit outside to listen to juicy neighborhood gossip.
12. Write letters to friends and family out of state.
13. Walk, ride a bike, exercise.
14. Read a good book.
15. Rent a movie.
16. Anything to keep my brain relaxed and thinking about something other than business.
This will not be easy. My business is my life. My adult children are all out of the house and my husband works the evening shift, which is one of the reasons I find myself working late nights.
Recognizing that you have a dilemma and understanding what causes it will help you make changes. Keep your changes reasonable and possible. Be flexible enough to see that if the changes don’t work, you can lean in a bit and make some adjustments.
Will I ever strike the clock again? No never! I like to work from home. It gives me the opportunity to set my own hours and work at my own pace. And, if I have to work after hours, it is my decision to do so, and not because of the demands of a pushy boss! I make the rules! My control issues are alleviated… but that’s another article!
If you want to work at home and do what I do, but don’t know where to start, then you’ll need to buy my book. [http://www.eydiesoffice.com/ebook.htm]. I’ve made all the mistakes and I’ve learned the hard way…you don’t have to! Becoming a Virtual Assistant Guru will give you a head start on your own Virtual Assistant business.
