In the not so distant past, working and making a living from home was almost unheard of. The going to the office culture is still very deeply rooted but with increasing penetration of WiFi as well as modern office policies that allow for flexible options, it is becoming simpler and simpler to make a living without as much as leaving the front door and a lot of people have embraced this. Including yours truly.
My attempt at working from home is mostly laughable. I’ve not tried it a whole lot but the few times I did I self sabotaged so thoroughly that in the end all that was left was the guilt of totally wasted days. I have not yet been able to muster the self discipline of spending the day at home without giving in to the seemingly million and one distractions. It is not for lack of effort on my end. When the ‘working from home’ fire was at its hottest in my belly, I made a home office and even bought a proper swivel office chair. But even the few times I did attempt to get some work done, I always worked from the sofa.
All through my spectacularly failed working from home attempts, I never ceased to remind myself and to appreciate the cons of it. You save lots of time that would otherwise have been spent in traffic. You also save on commute money which can and does add up to quite an amount in the course of time. You escape the perils of bad weather like being caught by unexpected rains in the office on the other side of the city. You eat home cooked meals through and through, therefore eating meals that cannot even begin to compare with restaurant foods both in terms of cost and superior quality.
However, you miss out on socialization and office banter which depending on your type of work can be looked at either as an annoying or as a much needed distraction. In my case, it is from office banter that ideas are mooted, bounced around and added onto. One may argue that it is from the same office banter that you may end up chattering for half the day and not get much done. But here’s the thing, anyone who can chat for half a day knowing full well that they have work to cover suffers from a general lack of discipline and they’ll carry this unfortunate work ethic even if working from home where they’ll be distracted not by office banter but by the kitchen, naps and the latest episode of Suits. Distractions are in plenty.
Proximity to your fridge means that yesterday’s leftovers are just begging to be eaten. Temptations are rife to keep getting up to fill your bowl with more finger foods and drink copious amounts of hot chocolate, tea, coffee or soda. Friends, relatives and neighbors will likely not appreciate that you’re working. To some of them, you’re just always home and should be idle enough to avail yourself any time they need company to the market or to other events.
My biggest hindrance from working at home was a lack of discipline on my part. In my defense, when I attempted this very convenient venture I was on a part working part holiday mode. As such, there was no urgency or deadlines to speak of. But with said deadlines, I believe I could get used to the idea and give it the seriousness it deserves.
See a hilarious twist on the same from The Oatmeal.
