Don’t have unrealistic expectations when you are considering a work from home career.
Many workers tired of sitting in cubicles all day dream of working from their own homes. Problem is, once they achieve this goal, they have unrealistic expectations about what to expect when they work from home.
Those who never have worked from home generally have an idealized picture of what working from home actually is like. They picture peaceful days with no interruptions. They picture unbridled productivity as office gossip and long commutes no longer prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Unfortunately, while working from home is the perfect situation for many employees, it does come with its own challenges and drawbacks. If you are considering working from home, it’s important to consider these downsides before making the move.
First, don’t expect that just because you work from home that you won’t suffer from interruptions. This is especially true if you have a family with younger children. Your spouse may be the person responsible for the majority of childcare duties. But if you’re working from home, you’ll certainly be called upon to make a quick lunch, attend to a crying baby or change a diaper or two.
You’ll also face an entire series of other interruptions: Your dog will want to go out on a walk. The UPS man will need your signature. That phone call you thought was from a client is really from Aunt Martha, and she has a lot of catching to do with you.
Then there are the other distractions of working from home. Your refrigerator is nearby. It’s tempting to putt off that next line in your report until after you’ve snuck an ice cream bar from the freezer.
The TV, too, will work against you when you work from home. There’s an interesting interview on the morning news shows. There’s a sleazy afternoon talk show that you just can’t resist.
All these interruptions can seriously hinder your work flow. In fact, they may eat up more time than do all those long meetings at the office.
If there are too many interruptions, your increased productivity will be erased. You’ll find yourself consistently falling behind in your work. You may find yourself logging ever longer hours to catch up.
Fortunately, you can avoid all of these pitfalls with some advanced planning. Speak with your spouse or other family members about what they should expect from you when you work from home. You can help out around the house, of course, but make sure that chores and childcare duties don’t take away too much time from work.
Working from home isn’t the paradise that many think it is. But it can be the next best thing for those employees who take the proper steps.
