Don't think for a minute that, because you have shifted gears to
your career working online, that the whole world around you will
accommodate itself to your convenience. The same unforeseen emergencies,
setbacks, and pleasant experiences, too, that disrupted your former
work schedule and turned it upside down, will persist. So, how do you
adjust your new professional paradigm to align with that sometimes
intractable serendipitous phenomena called "daily life?"
First, establish a firm beginning and an end to your work day, and faithfully stick to your schedule. If you don't set boundaries to when work ends and play begins, neither will clients, family and friends. Moreover, you owe it to yourself to take time to renew and refresh yourself - physically, socially, and psychologically. The inherent danger in being your own boss and working from home is that you will never find it possible to ''call it a day."
In keeping with this importance of tending to mind, body, and spirit, to assure that you tackle cyber work speed bumps with ease, you need to build in extended and short term vacation jaunts throughout the year, as well as allow adequate preparation time for holiday celebrations. Never lose sight of the importance of balance as integral to your quality of life.
Second, don't abandon those hobbies, interests, and passions that have always been a source of personal revitalization. If white water rafting exhilarates you, continue to plan and pursue that extended weekend on the river. If your scrumptious, mouthwatering desserts have always earned kudos at holiday and family affairs, don't stop baking. If theatre is your passion, make sure that you renew that subscription to your local theatre guild's annual performance series. In fact, why not offer to audition for an acting part? Again, you need all these forms of mental therapy to maintain that sense of balance.
Third, learn early on to make a conscious, steady, consistent attempt to go with the flow of events. As in your past professional work life, emergencies will continue to rear their ominous heads. The untimely death of a family member, the unanticipated trip to the vet with the family llama, a child's sudden broken arm, leg, or ego, a storm induced power outage - all have the potential for ruining your best plans for today.
Good, pleasurable things, too, will occur in the form of fun opportunities and experiences. An out-of-town wedding or family reunion; a spouse's opportunity to attend a conference at an exotic resort, and happily to be able to include you as a guest; your best friend's daughter's fiancé's college graduation. You should handle these happenings somewhat as you did when you were traditionally employed - with one major difference. You then might have been entitled to use paid personal, vacation, and bereavement days. Now you are only paid for hours actually worked and tasks actually accomplished. But you knew this before you made the decision to cyber work; hopefully you factored this limitation into your business plan.
Yes, you can... re-create yourself, interface with others, and plan your life, while becoming a highly successful 21st century cyber worker. Just learn how to handle those speedbumps with foresight, alacrity, and determination. And remember to employ those three vital mechanisms - anticipation, planning, and balance.
First, establish a firm beginning and an end to your work day, and faithfully stick to your schedule. If you don't set boundaries to when work ends and play begins, neither will clients, family and friends. Moreover, you owe it to yourself to take time to renew and refresh yourself - physically, socially, and psychologically. The inherent danger in being your own boss and working from home is that you will never find it possible to ''call it a day."
In keeping with this importance of tending to mind, body, and spirit, to assure that you tackle cyber work speed bumps with ease, you need to build in extended and short term vacation jaunts throughout the year, as well as allow adequate preparation time for holiday celebrations. Never lose sight of the importance of balance as integral to your quality of life.
Second, don't abandon those hobbies, interests, and passions that have always been a source of personal revitalization. If white water rafting exhilarates you, continue to plan and pursue that extended weekend on the river. If your scrumptious, mouthwatering desserts have always earned kudos at holiday and family affairs, don't stop baking. If theatre is your passion, make sure that you renew that subscription to your local theatre guild's annual performance series. In fact, why not offer to audition for an acting part? Again, you need all these forms of mental therapy to maintain that sense of balance.
Third, learn early on to make a conscious, steady, consistent attempt to go with the flow of events. As in your past professional work life, emergencies will continue to rear their ominous heads. The untimely death of a family member, the unanticipated trip to the vet with the family llama, a child's sudden broken arm, leg, or ego, a storm induced power outage - all have the potential for ruining your best plans for today.
Good, pleasurable things, too, will occur in the form of fun opportunities and experiences. An out-of-town wedding or family reunion; a spouse's opportunity to attend a conference at an exotic resort, and happily to be able to include you as a guest; your best friend's daughter's fiancé's college graduation. You should handle these happenings somewhat as you did when you were traditionally employed - with one major difference. You then might have been entitled to use paid personal, vacation, and bereavement days. Now you are only paid for hours actually worked and tasks actually accomplished. But you knew this before you made the decision to cyber work; hopefully you factored this limitation into your business plan.
Yes, you can... re-create yourself, interface with others, and plan your life, while becoming a highly successful 21st century cyber worker. Just learn how to handle those speedbumps with foresight, alacrity, and determination. And remember to employ those three vital mechanisms - anticipation, planning, and balance.
