Working From Home

As many of you know, I work out of my home as a transcriptionist. I have not always done this type of work, I actually started after my ex-husband and I separated officially through the courts. I had been babysitting and that job didn't work out, so I needed income that I could do while keeping my kids home. As you know, that also didn't work out, but it pays to be able to work from home.

I want to start a series on this blog about working from home, how I started, what the benefits are, tips and tricks that helped me, and the difficulties it presents.

I will start that tomorrow (or the next day, or the day after that), LOL. Today, just a quick difficulty and then back to work. Distraction!

When you work from home, most often, you work for yourself. If you don't, you may have a "Computer Nanny" that watches you to make sure you stay efficient. These "nannies" take screen shots of your computer at regular intervals and make sure 1) you are not surfing the net (unless you are supposed to :) ) and 2) that you are making progress and not off folding laundry and leaving your computer idle.

When you are at the office, you are motivated by the fact that your boss is sitting in the next room, the fact that there are only 7 or 8 hours in the work day, the fact that you can't go home until it's done, or any one of many other outside motivators.

When you work at home, distraction happens more than in an office, even though you might be alone. If you aren't, distraction is paramount and you have to learn to work with it. But even if you are alone, things distract. That dish in the sink that's calling you. The phone that won't stop chirping with personal calls and texts and facebook messages, etc. The neighbor that knocks on the door (or the salesmen or other door-to-door people). The lunch that you decide won't take too long to cook, or getting engrossed in a book while eating and not having a time clock to punch.

Distraction is what led me to blog today. I am having some personal issues right now (okay, who isn't?) but they are persistent and the phone and the email just keep going. I ignore some of it, but sometimes, when it won't stop, I get nervous and then I can't concentrate, so I try to deal with the issue so that I can concentrate. next thing I know, it's half an hour later and the issue still isn't resolved.  And then I think about writing about it, and here I am! :)

So Tip #1 is turn off the phone and the alerts on your computer! I can't actually turn off my phone because I have kids in school, so I have to answer if the school calls for one of the kids. but I won't answer except for the school from now on. I wish I could actually turn it off because when I see who's calling, I want to deal with it now rather than letting it go.

Anyway, that's my issue that needs to be dealt with today - distraction. Just knowing that there's always tomorrow or tonight after the kids go to bed keeps me from being my most productive sometimes, but I have a tip that I have been following pretty well for that one - look for it tomorrow or Monday :)


God Bless, and a productive day to you :)
One Christian Mom