When working at home do you have hindrances applying yourself?
@chrystaltears (3392)
United States
March 4, 2010 2:37pm CST
I have worked for myself at home now for about 5 years. It's nice. Can leave when I need to. Go to appointments, whatever i have to take care of. But there are times when people don't realize I'm working, since I'm at home. They ask me to do this or that. Make phone calls for them. Run to the store and do this or that. Also, I have to be extremely disciplined in order to work at home. If I'm not careful, I will have let time go where I haven't done anything except personal things. Do you have any similar situations?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@workingmom50 (3091)
• United States
4 Mar 10
I also have been working at home for many years. We definitely have many more freedoms than the people who work outside of the home. We may not have a boss...but we must maintain a high level of discipline in order to keep working at home.
I have my own work area and my family respects that. I treat my online work as my JOB. Granted...I am sure I take more breaks than the normal 9-5 job. But, I put in many hours each day. My husband tells me that I work longer than he does..lol. But, that is because I also have a family and home to take care of.
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@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
5 Mar 10
That's good that they are all understanding of what you have to do. My visits are from out of the house. Unless my mother is staying with me a few days at home. That also takes alot of time with her several dr's appointments each month and calls to the dr.s. It's fortunate for you that you have that type of working atmosphere and that you discipline yourself.
@workingmom50 (3091)
• United States
5 Mar 10
And your mom is very fortunate to have a wonderful daughter like you :)
@DavidReedy (2378)
• United States
7 Mar 10
What kind of work do you do at home? I'm still looking for success in that department. (I've not heard back from you regarding that, so I assume you're not interested....?) So, anyway, what do you do?
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@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
8 Mar 10
You know, I remeber our discussion, but I have such a big schedule that I don't get my mind set to pay enough attention to anything else. I have been selling traffic and safety supplies to municipalities over the phone for several years.
@marief2rnurse (2704)
• United States
5 Mar 10
I also work at home and I always find myself doing things first that are not related to my work. Unless it's a busy day and I have a lot of orders for my online business, then I do that first. I also base my waking hours on the demand for my business. I feel sometimes I'm a slave to my work. But I love it because I get to be with my kids when they arrive from school.
@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
5 Mar 10
It is definitely nice to be able to be at home and have some freedom and even take a day off if you need or want to. I just started taking too much time, and too many people would look at me as not working because I could do that, and then they'd get in on the schedule I had to really apply myself because I had taken the time off.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
4 Mar 10
i know what you mean. you have to be very motivated to work on your own at home. when i was writing freelance, i was working at home and really had no problem motivating myself but my hubby on the other hand is looking for a job and is not really motivated at all. i guess it depends on the person, eh?
1 person likes this
@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
5 Mar 10
Yes, it definitely depends on the person. Some people can do this with no problem whatsoever. I was that way in the very beginning when I was so excited about starting my own business at home. I'm praying that I get that way again.
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
5 Mar 10
Yes this is something very common when you start working from home; I had a similar problem when I started working from home too.
Mostly it will be friends & relatives coming home or calling and talking non-stop for a long time, thinking we are free in spite of telling them that I work from home- for them home and work are two separate compartmentalised issues - so many times while working I switch on the answering machine on the land-line & do not take any calls on the cellular, and also switch off the doorbell.
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@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
5 Mar 10
Yeah. That's one of my biggest problems, even tho I tell them I'm working and try to focus on work while I have company. They'd just keep talking and most of the time it requires a response. I do have a neighbor, a guy, who is disabled mentally, and he wants to come by at 8 am to have coffee. That's ok, but then I hav to tell him I have to get to work. Then he starts coming 3 or 4 times a day, and I can't get him to understand that I need to be working. I can't continue to take breaks. Sometimes I just don't answer the door, and then his feelings are hurt. But he just doesn't get it.
@keisey (181)
• Philippines
5 Mar 10
quite similar a situation. Well, no one asks me to do errands but I am easily distracted. I have to have a great deal of self discipline if I want to finish my jobs. I often encourage my self to focus, unfortunately, I always end up wasting a lot of time doing unimportant things. It is a struggle to work at home if you have weak self discipline. That is why, I am tying to hone mine to the best I possibly can.
1 person likes this
@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
5 Mar 10
It is definitely a problem. I lived way on in the country, and I'd just have to get out of the house and walk around, then I'd find myself starting a project in the yard. Then if I saw something in the house I wanted changed around, here I'd go. I'd think, I want to do this now and wouldn't want to wait til I got off work.
@Beautyfactor (1512)
•
4 Mar 10
Hi chrystaltears,
Yes I have been in this situation before so I limit my working times to the evenings when the kids are in bed, the dishes are done and my other half is plonked infront of the television. At times it is like any other job, you can lose your motivation and you do get easily distracted at home. All you have to do is remeber that wasting time is wasting money, but if you do feel like having a day off, then do it. There is no point in being your own boss if you don't go easy on yourself from time to time. As for people asking you to run errands for you, explain to them that you are working right now and that you will be happy to go and help them later in the day.
1 person likes this
@chrystaltears (3392)
• United States
5 Mar 10
That's good thinking, but I can't work the evenings as my customers are 7-4 or 8-5ers. I do have internet business that I attempt to do in the evenings tho.
@fatimasiddiq (42)
• United States
10 Mar 10
I have just started to work from home and I have not had that many problems keeping myself motivated. I have noticed that sometimes it is hard to get any work done while my daughter is awake, lol. I have to do one of my online jobs only at night after she has gone to sleep but that is when I am needed the most there anyway.
