According to this New York Times article on working from home, 3.2 Million Americans are telecommuters. This particular article says the current average telecommuter is in their late 40s, however this is set to change over the next decade. With millennials’ familiarity using the Internet to communicate, order food, and shop, using the Internet to work from home seems just a matter of “when” and not “if.”
As with any job, there are pros and cons of working from home. The following are some characteristics of those who excel at working from home and those who struggle.
Who Excels at Working From Home
Self-Starters
If you’re going to succeed at working from home, then you need to be a self-starter. Your boss isn’t with you while you work. If you’re a freelancer, then you have no boss at all. This might sound awesome at first, but you’ll be wishing you had someone to tell you what you need to do next if you aren’t a self-starter.
The good news is you can become a self-starter. The following video from Ingrid Nilsen gives some great tips on organizing time whilst working from home.
Independent Thinkers
This goes hand-in-hand with being a self-starter. Those who excel at working from home have no problem working and thinking independently. They don’t need the presence of bosses and co-workers to give themselves the mental focus to get work done.
Independent thinking is especially important for freelancers. Freelancers generally work on a contract basis and have to continually prospect for new work.The reality is some clients are a pleasure to work for and some aren’t. You’ll experience both sides no matter which niche you work in. The point is that being able to think independently keeps you from thinking of a client as an employer.
Who Fails at Working From Home
Procrastinators
Procrastination is my Achilles Heel. And the sad part is I was WAY worse in college. My nasty habit of letting things pile up is something I’ve been working on most of my adult life. When I started freelance writing I realized procrastination was going to keep me from reaching my goals.
One of the recent steps I’ve taken to combat procrastination is employing David Allen’s Getting Things Done system of organization. I now have a daily schedule, folders for all of my different projects and ideas, and a “next action” list to keep me working towards all of my daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
The Motivationally-Challenged
What motivates you? If it’s money, power, or any other material object, you are extrinsically motivated. This means you are motivated by external factors. The flip side is intrinsic motivation, which is motivation that comes from within. Working from home because it pays better is extrinsic; working from home because you want to try something new is intrinsic.
The catch is motivating yourself when working from home is often difficult. If you don’t perfect time management, then you will find yourself having even less free time than at a traditional job. Once people realize working from their pajamas and having no co-workers to deal with has its downsides, their motivation tends to wane. I like to watch a motivational video on YouTube each morning to keep my motivation levels high. Check out one of my favorites below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRaTpTVTENU
Let’s talk more about working from home on Twitter: @BPucino
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