So - What's it like to work at home?

OK - That's pretty easy! It's GREAT! But it's different than I thought it might be.

I worked in the corporate world for 19 years and I wondered if I would have the necessary discipline to work at home, or would I be watching TV, running to the mall, reaching for my cross stitch or a book?

Well - quite the opposite! I've found over the last six years that I have no real problem sticking to my work, rather, I have a problem getting away from it.

Sure there are days (or weeks), where my creative juices just aren't flowing like they should be, or when I start to get a little 'bored', as we all do with our jobs at some time or other.

But , for the most part, my job dominates my time at home.

Here's a typical day:

Get up at 6:30, run down to the office and do a quick check of emails, orders etc.
Get DD up at 7:00 and off to school at 7:30 (yes she gets ready quick!)
Back down to the computer by 7:35 with coffee and print out orders that accumlated since the last day.
Process orders until 9:30 or 10:00 - go get more coffee.

Then - decide what needs the most attention. Do I add new cross stitch inventory, work on jewelry, do last months bookkeeping, try to work on advertising strategies, order supplies, look through catalogs for more ideas, order more bead inventory (can never have too much, although my DH disagrees), contact potential consignment stores. You get the idea.

From 10:00 - noon I work, checking email often. Lunch around noon, maybe read for 30 minutes, then back at it.

DD comes home at 4:00, start thinking about supper, work for another hour. Fix supper, work from 6:30 - 8:00 - watch some TV, work from 9:00 - 10:00, go to bed, read until midnight and start all over again.

Weekends are slightly more relaxed - but not much.

I have a big problem leaving work. I still read a lot, but I haven't really cross stitched for years. I also have piles of pictures waiting to be made into scrapbooks. When I have a spare minute I'm thinking about what I should be working on, because like any job, there's always something that needs to be done.

Would I trade what I'm doing? Not for anything! But I do wish I could put some discipline into my schedule to say I won't work. I've tried different things in the past, such as - no work after supper, or no work on weekends. For me - it just hasn't been effective.

I regret that I've abandoned some of my favorite pasttimes, and I keep thinking I'll get back to them eventually. But I'm going to have to change some die-hard habits for that to happen.

Lucky for me that I really, really, really, like what I'm doing!

How about you - have you worked at home? If so - share your experiences with a comment. Also - feel free to post any questions you have.

Top Favorite Things about working at home:

1.) When I have a migraine I can lay down for as long as I want!
2.) I can take as much vacation as a I want. (and I do take time off)
3.) I'm the boss - Yeah!
4.) Direct relationship between the amount of time I work and my paycheck.
5.) Being home for my family.

Least Favorite

1.) No one to talk to, miss my colleagues
2.) I'm ready to go out when DH is ready for a quiet weekend at home
3.) I really dislike filing thousands of cross stitch books.
4.) Taxes - Yuck!!!!
5.) Cleaning my bead table after months of making jewelry.