Working From Home

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   Jacqueline4390posted 8 years ago

   
   Working from the convenience of your home can be a wonderful way of combining the pleasures of your scenery with the necessity of working for a living. Sometimes, there is a thin line between your personal life and your business life. Friends may drop by for a visit or your family may want to invade your work space. I am fortunate in the fact that my children are all adults working on their own jobs and my grandchildren are either in school or not available to just "drop by."
   
   If you work at home--how do you handle the discipline of separating personal life from business?

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      kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Me? I have a simple home-based business if you can call it that. I build birdhouses--colorful, unique in design and I do not sell them, but customers pay me what they think they are worth.
      I work out of a portable building. It is snug and just right for me, not a crowd.

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         paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Post a pic of one you'd like a Hubber to have.

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            kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            paradigmsearch, I will do just that . . ."If" you mean a birdhouse. I will be glad to do it, but "have?" At my prices, that is almost giving it away.

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            kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            paradigmsearch . . .how do I post a photo on HERE for people to see, fall in love with and eventually buy?

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               kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               @ paradigmsearch, do not worry. I found the little camera icon that says, "add photo. I shall do this in a few.

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      bixylindyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      One thing about working from home is you have to be very discipline. Of course you have the luxury how you want to schedule your work according to your time but work need to be done.

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         Jacqueline4390posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         This is very true, so how would you go about disciplining yourself?

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            bixylindyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I plan my time table each day, doing the most important task first, as i do need to see my client, so mostly running errands and appointment will be done in the day time and later part of the day will be fufilling the project I have committed. I would say, you need to prepare to work a little longer time and harder too.

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               Jacqueline4390posted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Sounds like you are well disciplined, congrats!

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   paradigmsearchposted 8 years ago

   Have the desk face open space, not a wall. It helps resting the eyes immensely every time one looks up from the monitor. Sorry a little off topic, but considered it important.

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      Jacqueline4390posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      In my actual home office I have a sliding glass door that looks out into my back deck. It can be quite relaxing.

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   Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years ago

   I let everyone know what hours I am working, and let them know that I can't talk to them during working hours.
   
   It also helps that my dog starts barking anytime anyone comes over, and I told them I can't have that since I might be on the phone for work.

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   louise-barracoposted 8 years ago

   I have set hours I work from but it does take a lot of focus to get things done as I don't have a set work space for myself which can be a bit difficult I have started a new blog about fitness which helps with my concentration because I workout and then write which clears the mind I find

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   Kiss andTalesposted 8 years ago

   Could you send me pictures of your houses .send to my email Kenneth. I am interested.

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      kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Kiss and Tales,
      Sure. But those made recently I prefer you to see. My first ones from last year, my first year are not that good. And since you are a Great Friend, I want you to see my best efforts.
      Thanks!
      Kenneth

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   George M Potterposted 8 years ago

   I have worked out of my home on several occasions. Sometimes for other companies and sometimes just on my own. I have recently returned to working from home and I can remember all the issues: dogs barking. Girlfriend letting me know something. Phone ringing. After having done this for so long, I simply go with the flow. I let the interruptions occur. Then I turn back to the work. There is a discipline here, of course, as there is in all the comments I've read so far. But at some point, you realize that the distractions are going to come and it really doesn't matter whether you are sitting at home trying to work, or in an office, sitting at a desk. Just turn back to the work. Don't make a big deal about it. Just turn back to the work.

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      Millionaire Tipsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      That's a good point. I would get annoyed by every single distraction, but now I realize that I would get distractions if I was in the office too.  I don't have to be working 100% of the time that I am working. In fact, the distractions help provide the breaks I need.

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         Jacqueline4390posted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Distractions can be good. Keeps you from getting to bogged down in work and will give you a welcome break.

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   Jacqueline4390posted 8 years ago

   It's extremely quite in my home office. Not only am I a writer but a graphic designer as well. Sometimes, I like to pause and look out the living room window into the street. So very quiet with everyone at work that it is really nice. I turn on my stereo that plays New Age music and get back to work. Sometimes half days and sometimes a couple of hours. Because of my physical health I just allow myself some space. I could never do that when I worked for the government.

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   yecallposted 8 years ago

   Working from home is great and something that I really enjoy.  However, I do not have any set working space and move around from desk to table depending upon my mood.

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      kenneth averyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      And an added bonus with working at home, or in my case, in my birdhouse shop, a portable building, this provides me a "safe" place from annoying telemarketers; nosy relatives and people with nothing to do but ask questions about my life.

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   Anna Marie Bowmanposted 8 years ago

   Aside from writing here, I have a small home business.  I make felt ornaments, and other such things.  I wish I could say I have a nice, dedicated work space, but I really don't.  I have a desk, that I write at, and work up patterns for my sewing, and my materials are scattered between a table in the living room, and some shelves in my bedroom.  I so wish I had a nice space of my own to do all of it, but I don't.  Often, I sew while I sit on the couch and watch television.  It's not ideal, but it works for now.

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      Jacqueline4390posted 8 years agoin reply to this

      And that is the key words: it works for you. When it no longer works for you then you will probably find a nook for your dedicated space. Sometimes it can be a corner space in the living room where you can place your items and not have to move them. I didn't always have my own dedicated office space but it didn't stop me,

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    Anamika Sposted 8 years ago

    I have been working from home for more than 6 years now. What I like about it is I decide when to work. I have always been the organized one by habit so I don't put much effort in organizing things. Before going to bed I always decide what to be done the next day and how things have to be accomplished. The next day I do things as planned. I have a dedicated work space, a room with a table, comfortable chair, a desktop and a laptop, reference books in shelves, stationary and sofa if I want to relax for a while. However, I have accumulated a lot of bad habits along with my independence. I mostly have breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner sitting in front of my computer while multitasking rather than going to the dining table a few steps away. And some times, I get so involved in work that I forget food and rest. I mostly work wearing my house clothes. Also, I mostly don't pick up phone calls while working and the caller gets an automated message that 'I am busy'. I prefer working to socializing. I don't watch the TV even when my friends are in the Shows (I deal with Celebrities and my friends circle is mostly people from the Showbiz). So I guess, I don't keep my friends happy either.
    
    Personally, I know and feel that work should be treated like work. Personal Life also should be given the deserved importance as we live in a society.  I know work table should not be your dining table. I also know that discipline and healthy life style is essential for productivity. I am slowly and steadily working on my bad habits and hope to get rid of them fast.

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