Doing Business in Your Boxers – Are You Ready?

Five days a week, I wake up to the same familiar sounds – the birds chirping, my A/C buzzing, then Jimmy Page rips a guitar solo on "99.9 The Hawk" telling me it's time to get up and face the real world. After silencing my clock radio, I freshen up, throw on some khakis and a fresh Polo and make my way out the door before rush hour. But wait, there's that kid again! Sitting on my couch in his boxers, eating a bowl of cereal and watching the morning news. "See you later man!" he says. "Damn," I think to myself. "He's got it made."

I'm talking, of course, about my work-from-home housemate, John. From an outsider's perspective, his life kicks serious ass. His office is two rooms away from his bed, a staircase away from a stocked fridge and twist-of-the-doorknob away from the great outdoors. It's the kind of life a cubicle jockey only dreams of – no stuffy office, no preset day-to-day routine and most importantly, time to enjoy during the hours time was meant to be enjoyed, the day!

Sure, this type of work environment is not going to work for everyone. John pulls it off well. He's organized, motivated and good at getting things done. Not everybody has these skills. Working from home may be something we want, but whether we have the responsibility to handle it is a completely different story.

So how do I know if I'm ready to work from home? In college, I couldn't even attempt to get things done outside of a study hall – too many distractions. But times are different now, I live with two people instead of 50, people aren't day-drinking in the quad and I think I've gained a little more maturity since my wild college years…just a little.

If you have the opportunity to work from home and you're thinking about taking the plunge, make sure you possess the following traits (laid out in an article from CNN Money.com):

• You're organized – if you lived in the kind of apartment I lived in at college, think twice about working from home. It's hard to prioritize to meet deadlines when you're living in a sty. Filing your files, keeping an up-to-date calendar and managing everything else in between is not going to be easy when your work stuff is mixing together with the rest of the "junk" that's a part of your life.

• You can resist distraction – the other day, I was going to mow the lawn, but then I turned on the TV. I got sucked into a Sopranos marathon on A&E for the next three hours. Can you resist the temptation and stay focused? If you hear the TV go on, lock the door and swallow the key. If you can't do that, working home ain't your cup of tea.

• You can stop working – this is one my housemate John is good at. He knows when to quit. He even takes the occasional break to go to the gym, read a book or just catch some rays on the deck (of course, this goes along with your ability to manage distractions. The bottom line is, if you're a workaholic, working from home may be even worse than being at the office and never seeing home at all.

• You're okay alone – "Hey, did you hear what Jim said to his boss the other day?" Sadly, you're going to miss out on these amusing office stories. You're also going to miss the camaraderie that a good office culture provides. Do you like working with others face-to-face? Learning in a group? Or just having people around so you don't get lonely? There are no workplace cronies at a home office. Make sure this is something you won't miss.

Working from home has its benefits. With rocketing gas prices, you'll save money at the pumps. Home-office tax deductions even allow you to write off certain house-related expenses. For me, the benefit is working in my own environment. If you're like me, the creative spark really ignites when you're in the right surroundings. A tiny cube, in a room full of a dozen other tiny cubes is not exactly the comfort zone I had in mind. Just make sure your creative juices can wield off your distractions, or else working from home is something you're just not ready for.

What else do you need to work from home? Speaker and home-based business coach, Jane Pollak suggests, "invest in a great chair." I say forget the chair. Be mobile. Work outside for a little while, maybe check your e-mail while you're tossing up some stir-fry for lunch and then spend a little time at your desk. You're working from home now! Enjoy it for all it's worth.

Leave your thoughts here. (12 responses)

This article´s comments All Employee Evolution comments

Rebecca Thorman

Jul 12th, 2007 at 6:55 am

I enjoy working from home, but I enjoy working from my favorite coffee shop more. It moves me away from the distraction of the "junk" of my life. It's the best of both worlds- the autonomy and flexibility to get things done your way, and there are still people around so you're not too lonely. I know the regulars at the coffeeshop I go to, so they too are my "coworkers!"

Sam Davidson

Jul 12th, 2007 at 7:03 am

I'm in the same boat as Rebecca. I tend to vary my days between home and the coffee shop, depending upon what I'm trying to get done that day. For me, I write better at the coffee place, but I email and research better at home. I think it's all about what fits best.

Devin Reams

Jul 12th, 2007 at 7:21 am

I do a lot of work from home (web design) and unfortunately I'm tied to one spot (I can't bring my 24" monitor to the pool). As you said, its important to take those breaks and get out.

I just wish I could do this full time…

Tiffany

Jul 12th, 2007 at 10:31 am

Ryan,
Great post. I think so many people say they want to work from home but don't really realize what all it takes to be successful at it. Even for people who don't work for themselves, with so much talk these days about flextime, telecommuting, and other flexible work options, people need to realize the discipline they'll have to use to perform their jobs well out of the office. I think everyone has to come to their own balance on these things, but you highlight some important considerations.

Ryan Healy

Jul 12th, 2007 at 11:09 am

Working at home is great for me. I actually get more accomplished. Today for example, I worked for a few hours then went to the gym and I just got back. Now I can grab some lunch and get back to working. In the office I would probably surf the internet to much and without the mid day work out, my energy level goes way down.

This style doesn't work for everyone, but if it works for you try everything you can to convince your boss to let you telecommute every once in a while.

-Ryan

Chuck Westbrook

Jul 12th, 2007 at 12:47 pm

Don't forget to invest in some high-quality boxers. Also, I'd advice the home-workers to check out this post over at Penelope Trunk's blog (http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/07/11/new-research-reveals-some-new-ways-to-buy-happiness-sort-of/)

It's hugely important that you make an effort to visit with people you like everyday.

Brad Maier

Jul 12th, 2007 at 1:49 pm

There's a great post over at Web Worker Daily today that touches a bit on what you're talking about here (http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/12/how-to-become-a-better-web-worker/#more-944).

I think the biggest issue as a millennial working from home is getting the people you live with to understand what that means and to give you the space to do it. Its very important to develop some continuity in how you work from home and a daily visit to a coffee shop or library to work a bit is not a bad way to develop a barebones routine.

-Brad

Devin Reams

Jul 12th, 2007 at 2:46 pm

I think you touch on a good point, guys (and Ryan mentioned it, too). Without being in an office with people it's a lot harder to make connections (both for rapport, and professionally).

Plus, you don't have those 'bump into someone in the hall' experiences that can lead to new projects, new friendships and so on. When you work from home a lot of things become explicit and literal, unfortunately.

Chris

Jul 12th, 2007 at 9:42 pm

Unfortunately I'm a cube rat. There are many days, much like today, that I wished that I could telecommute. The constant distractions of hearing people BS gets very annoying. I sit near the printer……good for picking up print jobs, but I think this is worse than the office "water cooler". I hear every conversation and all of the bitching that goes on.

All that I can say is thank god for Steve Jobs and the iPod! That has kept my sanity for many years.

Scott M

Jul 13th, 2007 at 9:12 am

Personally, I find myself or two minds when it comes to working from home on a full-time basis.

It's wonderful to be able to stay at home occasionally to handle things, like meeting the plumber or pest-control company, without taking a vacation day.

On the other hand, I know I don't have the self control to work on my own full-time, unless I had a very clear goals to accomplish.

Doing Business in Your Boxers - Are You Ready? | Career Blog

Jul 30th, 2007 at 3:16 am

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