5 Thoughts on Working at Home

There’s a lot to be said for working at home. From my perspective, a lot of it is good, but it’s certainly not for everyone. But if you have the right attitude and skills, it can sure beat working away from home.

1. Working at home is hard.

Sure, you can schedule yourself as you like… provided you can get the things done you have to in order to succeed. That means sacrifice for most people, especially in the early days. The The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich doesn’t happen for everyone, and generally takes a long time to build up to.

There are distractions at home, both fun and tedious. You have to have more control over your own impulses. You may also have to deal with family members and friends who just don’t get it and think you’re available all the time.

2. You won’t get rich quick.

That whole get rich quick thing… illusion. Fantasy.

The huge majority of people who work at home aren’t going to get rich, quickly or otherwise. But a decent living may be earned, one sufficient to support your family. Or not. It depends on your business model, the time and effort you’re willing to put into it, the money you can put into it and whether or not your marketing efforts get you the results you want.

3. If it’s for you, you won’t want to trade it for anything.

That’s me, in a nutshell right there. And maybe that’s where I belong. I just cannot picture anymore doing anything else.

4. It’s not for everyone.

That’s a simple truth. Not everyone is cut out for working at home, whether they get a work at home job or start a home business. The solitude gets to a lot of people. So does the flexibility. The things that may be most positive to those who love working from home are negatives to other people.

5. Your work is always there, waiting for you.

It is so easy to go and work at times I should be doing something else. Having fun with my family, for example. Even on vacation it’s hard to be away, knowing that if I’m not working, no one else is going to get the work done unless I pay them for it.

It’s very common for people who work at home to work more hours than those who work outside the home. It’s just so easy to put in more time. Not everyone who works at home will do this, but there’s the eternal urge to check email, make that blog post, check stats, brainstorm a new marketing idea, write up that new idea you just got in the middle of dinner….

You get the idea.