Working From Home Or How To Become a Stinky, Obsessed Marketer Unless You Help Me

For most of my life I have gone to an office where I had to get in my car and drive to get there. That required a shower, makeup, suitable clothing, shoes, accessories and hair done.

Now, I stumble out of bed, down the hall and flip the switch on the coffee pot that was prepared the night before. While the coffee is brewing I continue stumbling out the door and down the driveway to get the paper. I glance through the paper until coffee is done and I can pour that first wonderful cup that will give me the jolt of caffeine I need.

Then it is straight to my desk with coffee cup in hand.

Check personal email, my personal Facebook page, then it is work mode and on to clients Facebook pages, Twitter, LinkedIn or blogs. I begin researching over night developments for clients and begin the full bore work for them. By this time I have seen my business partner is online and we begin chatting on Facebook. She works from home also and is still in her pj’s with her coffee beside her.

That early in the morning, usually it is about 6:30am, we are planning our day via Facebook chat and who is doing what for which client and what has priority.  As we both wake up a bit more and the caffeine has done its work for both of us the laughter, actually the LOL or TFF, begins with our chats. One of us is apt to spew coffee because of something the other typed. We are quite entertaining.

Two cups of coffee done and time for breakfast. That requires walking just a few feet to the kitchen for the bowl of Cheerios and right back to my desk. Suddenly the morning is almost gone and I realize I have not stopped working and I have not even brushed my teeth or washed my face yet.

Oh shit!

I take a break finally and attend to cleanliness and put clothes on. Obviously, if I have client appointments the morning is different. They wouldn’t appreciate me showing up the way I begin my day normally.

Back to work, then fix a sandwich or something for lunch and bring it back to my desk to work. Finally in the afternoon I move my office to the outdoors for some fresh air if the weather cooperatives.  There are distractions when I am outside so I am not as productive but it is lovely with the birds, wind chimes and the waterfalls.

I have always worked at least 10 hours per day so that part doesn’t bother me. Now though, self employed and working from home has me working pretty much every waking hour of the day. My desk is in my den so even at night when I try so hard to just watch TV I hear a ding on my computer and just have to get up and see what is happening. I saw a sign recently that said “I Can’t Go To Bed Yet, Shit Is Happening On the Internet”. That pretty much sums it up.

For those who think working from home allows you to get more things done around your house or yard - not a chance! I barely clean myself up let alone the house or yard. Starting tomorrow I am committed to showering and dressing before 9am even when I don’t have client meetings just so I don’t someday find myself still in my pj’s when it is time to go to bed at night.

Now for the how you can help me......

Help me by reminding me from time to time to be sure I am on task with this.  A simple did you brush your teeth, did you shower, did you get dressed will do.  Oh, and for goodness sakes if I make a mistake and forget my state of disarray someday and go out in public

please, please, please

no pictures. Just pretend I am some crazy person who you ignore and then you are sworn to secrecy about what you saw.