It’s more possible than ever to make the leap from an office job to “work at home,” and this site isn’t just about work-at-home opportunities; it’s about us, the real people who make up the “work at home network” on the Internet.

This series of articles will focus on the reasons we work from home, the challenges we face, and the things that improve the work-at-home lifestyle. I have discovered so many things that help me work online and enjoy a professional home office, and many of them are for pure enjoyment. That’s why I work at home in the first place!

For example, I woke up this morning, had coffee with my husband and we chatted until 9:00, then I did the dishes, got dressed, threw a load of laundry in the washing machine… and sat around checking email. from 10:00. :00 am That’s what I call a great morning and a perfect time for me. Your schedule may be different: if you’re a morning person, you’ll probably start hours before me and finish long before I start my “night shift.”

I prefer a quick review in the morning and then a long, long rest throughout the afternoon. My kids homeschool, and that’s when we do their lessons. They are not early risers either! For a few hours after they’re done, we play with our exotic parrots, the kids ride four-wheelers in the fields around our camp, and I often spend quiet afternoon time reading, researching, or watching a movie. At night… that’s when I set the world on fire in my “home office.”

Being able to schedule my work around my “busy hours” and “bad mornings” is what I like best about working from home, but other parts are also very important to me.

One of the best things is working with a laptop. I can take it anywhere, and I do. We’re at our winter home right now, on beautiful Lake Bruin in Louisiana, and when the weather is nice, I just pull out my laptop, turn on the wi-fi button, and work on my creative ideas while watching the clouds. drift over the lake. The sound of wind chimes is soothing in the background, and those are the moments when I think, “This is the life!”

Other times, the phone rings, it’s someone from a big advertising agency that I’m dying to meet, and the dog starts barking, the parrots start rampaging, and the kids come into the room arguing… and that’s moments when I think: “I wish I was in the office!” But truth be told… I will never go back. Even with the challenges of working from home, it’s worth it.

There are just a few things I would highly recommend to anyone just starting out with a home office:

If possible, a separate room or area of ​​the house that can be a “quiet place” for your phone calls

A combination scanner/fax/copier to take care of all your office communications

A good and fast Internet connection.

A comfortable and truly ergonomic computer chair

A desk that is comfortable and has storage space, made for computer use

I can’t stress enough: be good to your body when working from home! Take care when selecting your chair and don’t forget about comfort. You will spend many hours there.

With just the most basic office setup, you can accomplish anything, but early on, you’ll need to draw some lines in the sand. If you want to work at home to improve your life, don’t forget to improve your life! Here are some guidelines below, to help you balance work and family life. You MUST separate the two, at least a little.

Set a schedule for yourself and stick to it. You won’t make more money working 12 hours a day than working 6 hours, if you stay focused and don’t allow distractions during your “work day.”

Set limits with spouse and children. Work time is work time. When you are working, tell your family that you expect them to respect your time and space.

It’s perfectly fine to schedule your work around your family’s demands, and it’s often necessary, but make sure you have some structure and let everyone know when you expect to be left alone.

Treat your work space as separate from your home. Even if you don’t have an “office,” create an area that is ONLY for work-related items. It’s hard to focus on your goals when there’s a laundry basket or car parts on your desk!

If you can’t afford a separate phone line, coach your spouse and children on how to answer the phone professionally and create a professional answering machine message.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg on HOW to work at home, and future articles will cover where to get office supplies, how to work from home in rural areas, great services available for small businesses, and much more.

For now, just create your own world wherever you can. Get started, that’s what matters. The rest is a matter of taste and lifestyle, and it’s a work-at-home lifestyle that is uniquely yours!

Your Work at Home Coach,

Anne Pierson

learn-to-work-at-home.com [http://www.learn-to-work-at-home.com]