Floundering About
I work from home now. It’s an awesome thing, and I’m still amazed and befuddled by the fact that it doesn’t happen more often – that it’s just not as commonplace as it should be. What with oil issues and companies cutting payroll when they *could* be cutting overhead…. I just don’t get it.
I really dig the fact that I don’t drive two hours a day – ok: I used the term “drive” very tongue-in-cheek. Forgive me. Let me rephrase: I really dig the fact that I don’t sit on the freeway for two hours each and every day. And, even my cat knows when it’s time to work: I’ve a morning ritual she’s come to recognize. I take my grandchild to school (it’s only ten minutes and a very calm and traffic-free ten minutes, thank you!), return home and fix breakfast. Eat breakfast while getting in my daily reading time. Then here’s where the cat joins me. I take my plate to the kitchen and put it in the kitchen for later cleaning. Refresh my beverage. Pick up my cell phone and head to the back to the office. Saavik (Yes, that’s “Mister Saavik” for you Trek fans and, yes, she’s female; and, yes, I’m a dweeb, but in this case I inherited Saavik 16 years ago, so let her have her name) – anyway, Saavik will “show me the way” to my office. At the doorway she pauses and allows me entry. Then once I’ve sat down and begun to check the daily email, she leaps to the desktop and curls up in the cubbyhole I’ve set up for her, and we spend the morning together until lunch time.
I’ve worked from home before. I’ve been a freelancer for quite some time, so making the transition from working in an office for a company to working at a home office for a company was no big deal. I work well alone and, no, I haven’t a clue what’s been on Oprah. Period. Or The Guiding Light or ComCentral for that matter. In fact, I know less now about what’s going on in the world of television than I did before I started working at home. I tend to work a bit more, actually. There are few distractions, so I get really focused and don’t want to stop until I’m done.
What I need to learn is how to better use my off-time. As mentioned before, I’ve lots of personal passions I’m ready to muck about in and now need to create some time-slots in which to fit them.
Because I work well at home, once I get writing and digital artwork time worked out, I should (that’s an important word – “should”) be able to transition at least writing into “work” and perhaps start working on that seriously. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed the excitement of submitting manuscripts, attending workshops, talking shop. And the industry has changed soooo much since I’ve been a part of it that now I’m a noob again. Feels a little strange, but I’ll get over it.
Just doing this – the blog – is forcing me to look at a disciplined writing schedule. I can’t just do it when I can. I need to schedule time.
Not doing so well, am I? Well, you get to watch while I flounder some more. Promise not to laugh too hard…
I really dig the fact that I don’t drive two hours a day – ok: I used the term “drive” very tongue-in-cheek. Forgive me. Let me rephrase: I really dig the fact that I don’t sit on the freeway for two hours each and every day. And, even my cat knows when it’s time to work: I’ve a morning ritual she’s come to recognize. I take my grandchild to school (it’s only ten minutes and a very calm and traffic-free ten minutes, thank you!), return home and fix breakfast. Eat breakfast while getting in my daily reading time. Then here’s where the cat joins me. I take my plate to the kitchen and put it in the kitchen for later cleaning. Refresh my beverage. Pick up my cell phone and head to the back to the office. Saavik (Yes, that’s “Mister Saavik” for you Trek fans and, yes, she’s female; and, yes, I’m a dweeb, but in this case I inherited Saavik 16 years ago, so let her have her name) – anyway, Saavik will “show me the way” to my office. At the doorway she pauses and allows me entry. Then once I’ve sat down and begun to check the daily email, she leaps to the desktop and curls up in the cubbyhole I’ve set up for her, and we spend the morning together until lunch time.
I’ve worked from home before. I’ve been a freelancer for quite some time, so making the transition from working in an office for a company to working at a home office for a company was no big deal. I work well alone and, no, I haven’t a clue what’s been on Oprah. Period. Or The Guiding Light or ComCentral for that matter. In fact, I know less now about what’s going on in the world of television than I did before I started working at home. I tend to work a bit more, actually. There are few distractions, so I get really focused and don’t want to stop until I’m done.
What I need to learn is how to better use my off-time. As mentioned before, I’ve lots of personal passions I’m ready to muck about in and now need to create some time-slots in which to fit them.
Because I work well at home, once I get writing and digital artwork time worked out, I should (that’s an important word – “should”) be able to transition at least writing into “work” and perhaps start working on that seriously. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed the excitement of submitting manuscripts, attending workshops, talking shop. And the industry has changed soooo much since I’ve been a part of it that now I’m a noob again. Feels a little strange, but I’ll get over it.
Just doing this – the blog – is forcing me to look at a disciplined writing schedule. I can’t just do it when I can. I need to schedule time.
Not doing so well, am I? Well, you get to watch while I flounder some more. Promise not to laugh too hard…
posted by p-dub at
4:38 PM
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