Part 2. Working At Home Ruins Family Life, or Does it? Work does NOT rule your life it provides Freedom.
In part one of this series, I got a little raw and unconventional in showing how working at home runs your life. It not only ruins your family life but, it runs your life. You become completely addicted to success and working that you forget all the other things that matter so much to you.
You can find part 1 here: https://steemit.com/blog/@ashleyonline/working-at-home-ruins-family-life-or-does-it-the-cold-hard-true-about-being-an-entrepreneur
Now that you have seen part one and how difficult it can be to run a business from home, I want to also show you how working from home does not have to be that way. Working at home doesn't mean you have to forget about family, paying the bills, doing the dishes, finding time for the kids, or the partner. Working from home means you have the FREEDOM to choose what is more important to you in that moment. You can choose to be glued to your computer screen when your six year old runs in screaming for you, eager to share a drawing they did just for you OR you can shut the computer screen and give your child the needed attention. The decision you choose in that very moment will define how your child looks at you.
FREEDOM
Working from home gives us an incredible amount of freedom. We do not have an overly baring, hard ass, rude, thinks they know it all boss to report too. There is no co-workers to eat lunch with. No supervisor to request a weekend off. There's no overtime. No having to work holidays and birthdays. No more missing the soccer kick off. There is only FREEDOM. Freedom to choose when we work and when we take off. Freedom to choose how much money we need to make each week. A freedom to choose when we take a vacation. No middle man and no overhead person trying to tell us how things will go. The choice is all up to us.
With Choices Comes Complications
Now with the freedom to choose what will happen each work day comes complications. Our choices not only affect ourselves but, our families as well. One wrong choice and the bills will not be paid this week. A wrong choice could mean no vacation, no food on the table, no gas in the car. Now it feels as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders and all because we now make all the decisions. When do we work? How long should we work today? Am I going to miss little league tee off again this summer?
The answers are simple. We can do anything we want to. We decide when we work and for how long not our job.
Sacrifices come at a high price
When we work at home we sacrifice much and give even more. There are times when those sacrifices have a high price. When I first started working from home, I immediately gave up hanging out with friends, going out on a Friday night, running every day of the week, essentially I gave up anything outside of the home. Friends could not understand why I all of a sudden became stuck up, too busy, rude, no fun. But, it wasn't the fact that I lost the fun in me I had to sacrifice something to work. Those four or so hours every Friday were hours I could spend working. The daily running was hours I could spend working on the computer or taking phone calls. The parties weren't bringing me in any money to pay the bills but, skipping them and staying home did.
But, the sacrifices weren't always easy. I remember, one year Valentine's Day fell during a work day, I had several calls scheduled back to back with potential clients. I had to make a tough decision. Stick with tradition, my husband and I would spend every minute together that day or I could sign these new clients. I still remember the look on his face, the look of total disappointment. I was too. There is difficult decisions we have to make as entrepreneurs and sometimes it will break out own hearts. But, the reward is better knowing our families are taken care of.
Is there a better way to have a family and still work at home
The answer is simple, YES. That is what Part 3 will cover. I will go into more details on how to juggle work and family without the headache and heartache. Trust me, I've been there done that there is a better way. It is all about how you work your business, when you work your business and if you give room for flexibility. After all we sometimes need to drop everything at an instant. You can with what I will be sharing with you.