An Integrated Life
Posted by Gail | Filed under Thinking Out Loud
I’ve been working from a home-office for about two decades. Back when I started, it wasn’t chic. In fact, it was frowned upon by many companies. Back then if you didn’t have a “real” office, you weren’t serious about your business. Thing is, I could never thoil spending money on rent for commercial office space when all I needed was a desk, computer and telephone. Carving it out from my home space meant that I was not only controlling my company overhead, I was able to build an integrated life.
My To Do List isn’t segmented by “home” or “work.” I know I have to get a bunch of things done each day, week, month, and where or when I get those things done is irrelevant. So my List Book has everything in no particular order, including “get groceries” and “send invoice.” When I go to pick Boyo up from school, I’m answering email or checking in with Twitter on my phone while I wait for the bell to ring. When I’m creating a presentation for a client and need to take a break to clear my head, I fold some laundry, unpack the dishwasher or water my plants.
When the kids were younger, I’d have them do their homework beside me as I worked. We could talk, I could answer questions, we were together. Sure, this couldn’t be my highly creative, big-concentration work… but I could file, respond to emails, return messages and keep my life in order as Baby Girl and I did our homework together.
I can cook, clean, garden, write (or think about writing), plan, communicate, share all from my home-office. When I need a break, I climb on my couch and have a nap or I head to the grocery store to pick up the makings for dinner. I send off business mail and do my business banking on the way to pick up new vacuum bags.
I’ve learned to keep an extra pair of fancy shoes in the car to deal with impromptu meetings. I’ve learned not to obsess over things no one will remember in five years. And I don’t think of myself as split into separate roles: mom, broadcaster, writer, book-lover. Instead, I find a way to make each of those – and many other – roles integrate so I have a balanced life.
People sometimes ask me if I’m a work-a-holic. I don’t think so. I love my work, so it often doesn’t even feel like work. But I also take lots of time to garden, read, knit, and watch TV… although I do this off DVDs or itunes since I’m in bed early when all the good shows are on regular TV. I get up early, usually at about 5 a.m., and hit the hay by 9 p.m., when I read, listen to stories and play games on my ipad for about an hour while my brain unwinds. If I have had a long day previously, I grab a nap. A 20-40 minute kip recharges me so I can do Part 2 of my day.
Having an integrated life means I get everything I need accomplished. Last year I wrote 2 books, made 32 episodes of Princess, made a half-dozen presentations, blogged daily for my site, and for MoneySense.ca, wrote about a dozen articles, answered hundreds of questions. And that was just some of the work. Home was even busier. I have a great life and I know it. Integration lets me have so much more than if I were trying to keep it all separate.
October 10, 2012 at 4:49 am
I happened to link to you through an article by Steve Garganis. Glad to find your blog – as an expat without a traditional job and currently reinventing myself, I took inspiration from your blog today!
Kind Regards,
Deborah
October 10, 2012 at 5:35 am
It is official. You are an amazing inspiration Gail.
October 10, 2012 at 6:46 am
Very inspirational, Gail. This year I started a job from home, and I’m finding it difficult to be at home and work too. It’s hard to focus on the work, when I know that there are plenty of things to do “at home”. Maybe it’s because I’m not truly loving what I’m doing for work since it’s so easy to become distracted doing other things. Reading how you integrate your life in so many ways makes me realize I’m not alone – I just need to figure out how to make them work better. You are amazing Gail! Thanks!
October 10, 2012 at 7:12 am
I too work from home. We moved from one end of the country to the other, and my previous employer decided to set me up at home. I am so fortunate! I love working from home, and I’m much more productive as I don’t have those constant interruptions that come with being in the office. Like Gail, I take a break every 40-50 minutes, get up and throw the laundry in or fold it, let the dogs out, throw something in the oven, etc. I’ve found that I’m much more relaxed and now have time to enjoy my evenings and weekends doing “fun” things. I’m not racing home to cook supper, clean up, and then try & fit some household chores in before I hit the sack.
Working from home isn’t for everyone. You have to be disciplined and able to work on your own. And there are times when I miss having someone to chitchat with but those are minor things compared to the overall benefits. My employer pays my phone/internet costs, and between the amount I save on commuting, work wardrobe, not eating out at lunch and all the extra take out because I’m too tired to cook, well….it’s like I got a raise. I’m hoping I can make this work another 10 years or so, until I retire. I don’t know if I could go back and work in an office.
October 10, 2012 at 7:58 am
I started working from home about 3 and a half years ago. I just love it. Not having to fight the rush hour commute or worry about bad weather! I find my productivity is so high because I don’t get the interupptions you do in a regular office.
I also find I am not caught up in office politics since I am removed from the home office which suits me just fine.
@Brenda – it is easy to get distracted with your home life around you. I found that setting regular hours, including lunch& breaks allows me to take care of those chores that otherwise would distract me. I have also made it clear to my family and friends that I am actually ‘working’ during the day so dropping in for a chit-chat is not going to happen.
I think it is also important to make sure you get out several times a week with your partner or friends; otherwise you get shack-wacky. I try to walk at lunchtime for a bit a fresh air and a change of scenery.
The savings are amazing too. As Ann mentioned, saving on gas, parking, work clothes, lunches out, take out, Timmie’s; it all adds up.
October 10, 2012 at 9:30 am
I’ve been working from home for almost 7 years and can’t ever see myself going back into the office. I do laundry and dishes when an need a mental break as well.
Thanks for the tip on having the kids do homework beside me while I am working. I’ll remember that when I have kids.
October 10, 2012 at 9:30 am
I work from home sometimes, particularly when I’m writing lengthy detailed reports (i.e., no interruptions means reports get written faster and better), but prefer to see clients at my office for professional reasons. I have always been cued by context, so when I was in grad school, I did all my work in the spare bedroom that we made into an office, so I could shut the door on it and forget about it when I wasn’t working. When I work from home I find it difficult to stop thinking about work when I’m on “my time”. I guess I’m saying for me separating the two aspects of my life works well. Perhaps it’s the kind of work I do-if I let myself get consumed 24-7 by my clients and their concerns, I will burn out very quickly, which is not good for me as a psychologist. I try to give 100% to my clients when I’m with them, and try to give 100% to my family when I’m away from work. I guess the long and short of it is, to each her own. I love the sound of Gail’s way of life, and if I were writing full time, I would probably emulate it. For now, I have found what works for me.
October 10, 2012 at 11:10 am
I’ve recently transitioned from a more traditional 9-5 workplace to working as a university instructor, and I love it! I’ve been happily surprised by how productive I can be at home – I thought I would do all my work in my home office but I actually prefer to work sitting on my living room couch. The light is better, and since we live across the street from a school, I find I enjoy the noise of the kids and seeing all the people going back and forth. This seems to provide me with just enough stimulation and “company” that I can maintain the focus on my work. The image of working alongside your kids is a good one – I want to teach my kids that if you do what you love, work doesn’t have to be stressful. It’s just a part of life! And I think that being a role model of just getting things done in a relaxed way would be a good way to do that. So thanks!
October 10, 2012 at 11:14 am
You know the old saying, Gail, “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” This seems to work beautifully for you and others, including my H. I think it takes way more skill and organization to this and you should be admired for it. Kudos all round!
October 10, 2012 at 11:26 am
Thanks for the inspiration. As life progresses I’m looking for more control over my own pursuits and schedules, and I will return to this post frequently I’m sure.
October 10, 2012 at 12:13 pm
I worked from home for about 4 years and LOVED it. Yes I occasionally worked into the evening when I should have been done for the day, but overall the reduced stress of the morning rush and the cost savings was terrific. I could login for an hour early in the morning before my family was up and check my emails while the coffee brewed. I’d stop working when everyone arrived in the kitchen and we’d have breakfast and make lunches. Once they were gone and the house was quiet my real day began. Having that early hour to organize my day got everything off to a smooth start.
Yes we saved on the commute and clothing costs, but I did find that my Saturday errands list was substantially longer during the years I worked from home. Since I wasn’t going to the office, I no longer had lunch hours to run errands, and couldn’t make quick stops on the way home. Getting a haircut, shipping a parcel at the post office, renewing drivers license/plate stickers, dropping off drycleaning, etc etc all became things I had to do on the weekend, or make a special trip out after work if the place wasn’t open on the weekend.
I’m back in an office environment again after a job change. They are open to people working from home on a somewhat regular basis but not fulltime. I could reasonably work from home a day every other week and nobody would be bothered. It’s a handy option when you are expecting a delivery, or have a child slightly under the weather who just needs to spend a day on the couch. Being back in the office has meant I had to rediscover my dress pants, skirts and blouses and, horrors, the pantyhose! On the other hand, I now plan a regular midweek stop for a few additional fresh grocery items – I buy a little less on Saturday and plan to restock just a few things midweek. I’ve returned to getting haircuts and filling the gas tank on my way home from work, I’ve run out to do small amounts of Christmas shopping on my lunch hour (anyplace I can walk to is fair game). Until the first Christmas while I worked at home, I never realized how much of my shopping had been done on lunch hours. When working from home, it suddenly became a chore which I had to do on the weekend when stores were far busier.
October 10, 2012 at 12:41 pm
I work in a regular office setting, but wholeheartedly agree that working from home is a major boost to productivity and to being able to integrate all the different aspects of one’s life! I get to do it occasionally, typically when I have a major piece of thinking or writing work to do. I love being able to hop out of bed, have a coffee and get right to work without any commute – then maybe take a break later to unload the dishwasher or squeeze in a quick workout. I am way more productive when I work at home – both professionally and personally. No interruptions from colleagues (unless it’s really urgent and they call me at home) and no office noise means that I get to focus in and do some of my best work! Unfortunately, I couldn’t do it everyday – the office culture is pretty old-school and relies on in-person meetings and the expectation of “face-time”. over the next year, though, I hope to put in a proposal to work from home at least one day a week,which is when I will schedule my creative, writing and reading work, as much as possible.
October 10, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Great post Gail! And nighty night to you since you will be going to sleep soon!
For me, it’s combined whether I like it or not. I would prefer to keep it seperate but since I can’t, have been learning how to integrate.
Teaching is done in the classroom in person and to be honest, I love being in the classroom! I like the interaction and seeing students “get it” when you teach them something new and they catch on. The part that usually carries over into home is the marking. I prefer to keep it at work so I can focus on my family and my own kids at home but with so many students, it’s too hard to do.
Instead, I have learned to set aside time to do work at home for x amount of time (or until I have marked x amount) and then focus on other stuff. Like Gail, I have to take breaks. I try to make a game out of it or give myself incentive – if I can get through x amount, then I can do something fun (ex. with my kids). Flylady.net has a great idea for cleaning where you set a timer and focus on doing a task for 20 min – I have applied the same kind of concept to marking.
I also have my daughter do her homework when I am doing my “homework” – works well so far!
October 11, 2012 at 11:16 am
Hi there,
I have worked at home for 12 years and loved it till about 5 years ago. While I love my work, I still need breaks. My office is in my house and I tend to feel like I *should be* or *could be* working. I now never feel like I get a break – even though I take them. Also, my staff use my kitchen table to meet before they head out to our clients. I feel like nothing is really my own. I have been looking to rent space for the last couple of years but, it’s a long search to find something that fits with the type of business I do as I require more than just an office.
If you are the kind of person who feels guilty about not doing something, integration may not be right for you.
Cheers.
October 11, 2012 at 10:27 pm
I’ve often wished I had the type of job where I could work from home. At the same time though, having seen how employees can sometimes be abused by management it would definitely have to be the right employer as much as the right employee.
October 12, 2012 at 6:17 am
I have worked from home half the time since about 6 months into my job about 4 years ago. I took a contract job to get some experience, it’s a 1.5 hour commute one way, so they offered to let me work from home so I would accept a full time position. I love being able to work from home, I find it allows me a better work/life balance because as long as I’m available for a good chunk of core business hours I am also allowed some flexability in my hours as well. That way if I have errands I need to run I can work say 6am-2pm so I can do them. Though it means more scheduling for the errands as you can’t just stop on your way home from the office every day and I don’t want to waste gas making more trips per week than I have to. I have found to be productive at home I must have a dedicated workspace where I can close the door. When I return from my mat leave I will be working from home more often, only going into the office 1-2 days a week. I have not had a problem “leaving” work when I work from home. With the type of work I do, if I have a deadline to be met I will work overtime if it is necessary if I am in the office or home office. The rest of the time I have no problem stopping work at the end of the day. The only real problem I have had is feeling guilty taking breaks at home, because you don’t have the social atmosphere at home that you get in the office I find it is important to tell myself it is okay to get away from the computer periodically. It is something that I need to do too as sometimes a little mental break helps a great deal when somthing is frustrating me. I think now that I have worked from home I would have a hard time going back to a job where I had to be in the office everyday.
October 22, 2012 at 7:34 pm
you are an inspiration gail..