The Importance of Patience
As somebody working from home, my professional and my personal lives are blended together into an inseparable amalgam. It can, indeed, be very frustrating to be pulled away from the work at both scheduled and random times during the day.
It’s a problem many people face, and one that most people who work in office buildings don’t think about. Oh, they talk about work-life balance, but usually their equation is tipped in favor of work at the expense of life. For those of us working from home, it’s easy to allow the equation to tip in favor of life at the expense of work.
Knowing when it’s okay to delay a project, and when you need to draw a line in the sand is an important skill to master for people working from home. Those with older teenagers in the house know those days are likely coming to an end soon, so spending time with them is of paramount importance. In the not too distant future, those teens will be off living their own lives, forgetting to call, and visiting only on holidays.
Take the time and spend it with them when the work can wait. By taking the time when it’s important to family, they’ll better understand when client needs the work yesterday and the answer to the family has to be a solid, unbending no.
There’s always going to be more work that can be done. One more email to send. One more blog post. One more project to do. When on the job, work focused and efficient, but when the family needs you, be there for them. Have patience. The work will still be there when you get back. Often, that’s okay.
This post originally appeared in my LinkedIn profile.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141003205452-6235820-the-importance-of-patience?trk=mp-reader-card