How To Work Effectively From Home

Hi Friends!  I know many of you are new to working-from-home, given the current state of affairs.  Some of us have been doing this for years.  I believe you either love it or you hate it but either way, we do what we have to do! 

I have been fortunate that over the last 12 years, I have been able to work a few days/week from home.  Being a Recruiter, we can really do our jobs from anywhere...we just need a phone and a computer and we are good to go!

Truth be told, I enjoy my time in my office as I feed off my colleagues and love to hear the various conversations- I always want to be learning and growing and my office time gives me that benefit.

Nevertheless, I LOVE my days working from home!  There is nothing like getting your little one on the bus or enjoying a snack or a story together in between work.  These days, it is all from home and I crave that balance again.  These days can be too much to handle sometimes but keeping it all in prospective and know this is temporary.  So trying to soak up these days as I can while my girls are 11 and 6....before you know it they will be out in the big world...ok anyway let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I thought I would put together a few tips for you on how to work effectively from home.  You can take whatever you  may need or want.  These are just things that have worked for me over the last 12 + years and I think, by now, I have a proven track record as I not only get my job done but I have also had to hit various sales numbers over the years and I make sure I am doing everything I can to make that happen so here we go!

Oh yeah...and this has always been my mantra....in recruiting...sales....working with clients...what I practice always...

Ok....here are some tips...what has worked for me...

Dedicated Space

This is my little slice of heaven....I LOVE my desk...my office...it is where I get my work done and also have my decompression time and watch my favorite shows at night and on the weekends!  The 2nd shot is the view my girls and hubby see- I usually look up and ask yes??  Diana does the best impressions of me working...she makes us laugh :)

Anyway, you need a dedicated space to work and be productive- the kitchen table or living room couch just aren't ideal...you need your sacred space for focus and productivity.  Find a quiet corner- do what you have to do to make a dedicated work space.

Calendar/Planner

Staying organized is KEY!  Through blogging, I have learned about all kinds of planners and calendars.  A popular brand in the blogging world is Erin Condren planners.  

I know two of my besties who would love these as they still love paper calendars.  The rest of us are more "high tech" if that is what you can call it.  I started using Microsoft Office for work several years back.  It wasn't until I joined Willmott that I truly embraced the Office Calendar app.  I put EVERYTHING in this calendar- business calls, meetings, reminders as well as all of my personal reminders.  It is so helpful to have everything at my finger tips and in one place!  I love that the same calendar is on my laptop AND my phone- can access it anywhere!  This has been the key for me to be able to stay organized.

Technology

 I would be lost without my phone and my pc and nowadays, Zoom too!  If you have the right technology, you won't stress about it and you won't even think about it...you can just get to work and the best technology will enhance your work and not be a hindrance.

Self-Drive/Self-Motivation

I saved the best for last because I believe this is the most important component of all.  If you are not self-disciplined, self-driven or self-motivated than working-from-home may not be for you.  You really have to set your daily goals, decide what you want to accomplish and make it happen when no one is standing over you.  I love this.  I love meeting and exceeding my goals and feeling accomplishment at the end of my work day!  It fuels me to keep going...keep facing rejection...and keep striving to make the best placements ever.

Do you ever work from home?  Any tips you would like to share?  Would love to hear what works for all of you too!

The Pull

I have started and stopped this post a million times.  This blog is my virtual scrapbook...something we will have to look back on...forever.

It is also a place where I can exercise my passion for writing.

Many times, in my life, I have also had an easier time writing my thoughts than expressing them verbally and that is what I am doing here.

The pull?  Motherhood. 

I am a Working Mom and a Stay At Home Mom at the same time.  Why?  I work for an incredible employer who understands balance and family life.  It has been one of the greatest gifts of all.  Truth be told though, over the last 10 years, I have worked for three of these employers which has allowed me to work from home part of the week.  That flexibility has made me feel like I am still present and I can kiss my girl when she gets on the bus and be here when she gets home.  It also means that the little one's mama is home during the day a few days per week.

It is never enough though.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel "the pull."  Every day for the last 10 years (well Monday through Friday), I have felt these two feelings...

1. "I am working too much.  I should step away from the phone and step away from the computer and go play Barbies for a half hour."

2. "I am not working hard enough.  I am not good enough.  I am not going to hit my numbers.  I will never be able to sustain our life here in this wonderful town."

It is a vicious cycle.  What makes matters worse is when I am volunteering at night (one of my much needed outlets and ways to give back), I have to endure my favorite phrase of all time (and when I say favorite I am being facetious), "I don't know how you do it."

Really?  Well neither do I...I just do.  I do what I need to do for my family.  Of course I would love to stay home and have play dates every day and craft with my littles and be able to go to the gym for hours while they are at school.  I would love to spend every day of the summer with them...at the beach...at the pool...but I can't. 

and you know what?  That's ok!  Of course, sometimes I let it get to me but most of the time, I know what I need to do and just do the best I can. I am driven to give my family the best life I can AND I am driven to be successful.  It is alot.  Yes.  I trust God, however, that I am at the right place and doing what I am supposed to be doing with my life.

I guess Blind Faith has been my mantra all along. At work, when I was managing recruiters coming up, I would always tell them, "Do what you know is right.  The rest will fall into place." The ones who kept the faith and did the ethical thing, were the ones who ended up being the most successful.  When I look back on those I encountered who were shady, competitive in a mean-spirited way and greedy, they ended up miserable and searching for answers and meaning that they will never find.

I keep telling myself that same thing now. 

 "Have faith.  Do what you know is right. Set a good example for your girls and keep pushing on."

I would love your advice on how you balance it all.  When your little girl is asking you to play but you know you can't miss a minute of productivity for your job, how do you handle "the pull?"  I still try week after week and still fail always..but sometimes I feel little victories.

Like when we were in Storyland this summer...actually it was the day we were at Santa's Village.  I had a client asking me to do references on my candidate because they were "getting ready to make an offer."  Of course, this was one of two vacation days I took over the summer BUT when a client asks you for something, you jump!  It also meant a placement which I so desperately needed (it was 2017 remember- my worst year in 20 years in the industry-separate topic for a different day) I raced to get the references done...spotty reception up in the mountains and all and my client told me I would hear back from her later that day.  Well after racing to get that work done and enjoying the day of rides and games...lunch...laughs....I never got a call back.  Around 4pm, I called my client back and she said, "I am sorry it was a tough decision but we went with another candidate."  At that point, I thought we were on Candid Camera.  Seriously...no joke?

But I was talking about little victories right?  Yes...back to that.  Two weeks later, on a Sunday afternoon, as I was getting organized for the week ahead, that same client emailed me and asked me if my candidate was still available and interested.  The candidate they chose?  Backed out at the 11th hour.  I was ecstatic because I had been in touch with my candidate and she still wanted the job so bad.  I ended up making the placement so my work time at  Santa's Village did pay off.

Another victory?  On the mom side....just the other day, little Eva said to me, "I love the way you play with me every day, all the time."  I immediately welled up because that is not true but she felt it in her little heart.  It made me feel and believe that I am present and she feels me right there with her.

Blind Faith...Little Victories...Love....Drive...they keep me going...they help me to manage "the pull"...and I will forever strive to keep doing the best I can.  

I will also say that I am allowed to strive for a balanced life because of my husband.  The flexiblity with his job helps so much and when I am working crazy hours, he picks up all of the slack...breakfast..homework...driving.  I could not even devote the time to my career that I do today if it weren't for him.  As we say, we are a great team.  More importantly, we appreciate God's gift so we are able to manage it all.

I would, however, love to hear your thoughts on how you balance it all...I always gain inspiration and strength from your ideas and supportive words.  Until then, I will keep fighting the fight!  Thank you for listening....well reading ;)