The Disciplined Community
How do you curb your desires?
My tiler returned for an encore performance last week.
In chatting, he asked how I discipline myself to work from home.
My answer came easily enough, but it got me thinking more deeply:
Do we business owners approach self discipline in different ways?
TV Dinner
I don’t really like television, apart from docos and the odd movie. These usually run at night, when the day’s work is done.
I’ve heard, however, that the pull of Oprah (and even more hideous daytime offerings) is irresistible for many.
How about you?
Working Wife
Fonnie works 50 hours a week.
We have common goals, so it’d be pretty bloody ordinary if I lay on our couch eating chocolates all day while she busts a gut.
Debt Bidden
I’m so keen to kill our mortgage that I’m driven to rise as soon as I wake – even if it’s 4 am.
I get a kick out of nailing jobs and a bigger kick when the money finally rolls in.
Faffing round the house just isn’t as satisfying.
Safety Valve
Occasionally I feel unable to create.
At these times I default to less demanding admin tasks until the clouds part.
(If deadlines don’t permit this, I’m in hell.)
If my admin is done, I walk the dogs or take photos.
Gradually, the benefits of these activities override the worry and guilt of being away from my desk.
When I return, I’m in much better shape to pick up where I left off.
Freedom of Choice
Ironically, the liberty to do anything I want governs what I actually do.
I imagine it’s like having a balcony or swimming pool: you may never use it, but you know you can.
So, rather than blow six months’ time and revenue on a radio-controlled B-29, I’m content to snap my environs for half an hour every now and then.
Secret Life of You
How do you avoid the temptations of working from home?
Does your discipline derive from:
- Fear.
- Love.
- Habit.
- Need.
- Pride.
- Willpower.
- Something else.
Or are you a secret couch-hogging, choccy-scoffing, telly-watching sham?
If the latter, I don’t expect you to confess.
But it would be rather fun.
Mush!
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
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Oh great post Paul. When I read “Freedom on Choice”, I gasped in recognition. I thought I’d be taking daily naps when I started working from home. You know, to rest my brain and boost productivity
But in reality, I find myself starting earlier and working later than I ever did before. It’s amazing how addictive earning money for yourself is!
I also stay disciplined by considering the working week just that. I get up and get ready “for work” and I knock off work to enjoy my evening. I try and make sure I don’t blur the boundaries too much which keeps my mindset on track.
That’s a great topic Paul and I sometimes get asked the same question.
I very much agree with you that the idea you CAN do whatever you want, whenever you want, is almost enough in itself. But what if what you really want to do is work, because you love doing what you do?
I can’t wait to get behind my computer in the morning. I never ever watch TV during the day (and not a lot in the evening either) and find I have to almost force myself to turn the computer off at night and relax or do something else for a little while.
If the weather is nice and I sit in the garden with a coffee and the paper, I really enjoy it but if I spend too long I do start to feel guilty. It’s all a matter of what you expect from yourself I think (well, that, and deadlines!) and again, because I really like my work, I’d much rather spend my days behind the computer than doing anything else. I think that’s the secret.
What a fantastic reaction! Thank you, Belinda and Micky, for your powerful ‘amens’.
It’s such a privilege to learn how kindred spirits operate.
Great post Paul! You’re a disciplined fellow. I’ll speak at more length after the Home Shopping Show finishes.
You are a very funny fellow, Ad!
G’Day Paul,
I’ve been working from home for 33 years. I’m “doin’ what comes naturally.” And there were many times when I was an employee that I worked outrageously long hours to get things done.
When my kids were growing up and my business was offline, my golden rule was not to work between lunchtime Saturday and Sunday evening.I was often away on business so my wife and I made a rule that family birthdays must be celebrated with a special dinner and all that goes with it. The actual date didn’t matter. The event did. Interestingly, the family still follows that practice including sons and daughters in law and grandchildren.
I should confess that my father started and ran his business from home from before I was born. I grew up with a home based business so it wasn’t unusual for me.
Now the kids have left, the business is online and there’s only my wife and I in the home. If she or I need to work at night, the other understands. Our working hours are irregular, to put it mildly.
But we try to do things together, even if it’s only the weekly shopping.
But whether you work from home or in a luxurious suite in the Rialto, you still need a clear business focus and a narrow, specific target market. Without those two things in place it wont matter where you work from.
Hope this helps
Naturally, make sure you have fun.
Regards
Leon
Thank you very much, Leon. That helps a LOT!
I really appreciate the care you take over your comments.
Great post Paul
While I don’t run a business from home – being a connected world, I do work from home from time to time. I’m happy that I don’t feel the pull of Oprah or daytime TV! We have a study upstairs (away from the lounge room!), and once I log in that’s it – I’m all work, work, work – with the occasional visit from our Kitty Kat. It helps putting my mind in “work mode” – while I might be sitting there in my trackies and slippers (which I would NEVER wear to the office!), I am focused on work and what I need to get done. Having strict deadlines helps. And doing something that you love and are passionate about.
That said – if I did run a business and work from home every day – the story might be different! But I’d like to think I’d have the same self discipline – especially as work = income.
Freedom of choice is wonderful.
Onya, Naomi! There sure is a lot of love and sharing in the room today. I’m rapt to get your view on this topic too.
Leon, they’re some great rules to live by. Thanks!
Deadlines are a great motivator. They work best for me by far. Real ‘uns and self-imposed ‘uns.
Speaking of which, F-Troop starts at 10.30, so I’ve gotta get organised and update my Facebook status beforehand. See ya!
Worked from home the occasional day (and I do enjoy it). I start early and end early. With kids running around the house it gets hard not to get distracted. However I write my list of things that need to get done and that is the goal for the day. Not the hours in total but the work that needs finishing.
Hi there, MCB. I’m a morning person too. That could well be another whole topic. Many thanks for the idea and your always-welcome input.
You might find this article of interest.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/07/sleep-work-home-transport-rush-hour
I do, MCB! Thank you!
Hi Paul,
I’m starting to see a trend here. We ‘work at homers’ are probably more productive than if we were in an office. I love the complete lack of interruptions and office gossip. Still, when I need a some virtual office chat, I plug in to Twitter. It’s the best of both worlds, in my opinion.
I, too, get out of bed and head straight to my desk. Maybe it’s part of working in a deadline-rich profession but I just feel better if I’m working. Lately I’ve taken to keeping a notepad and pen by my bedside table to help the noggin switch off when I should be asleep. I’ve been known to jump out of bed to jot down an idea and still be sitting at my desk four hours later. The notepad stop the spinning long enough for me to drift off.
You know, I take my laptop on holiday with me. I find the quality of my writing changes and usually come up with some high-quality blog posts. When questioned on that I paraphrase Seth Godin, I love what I do so it’s not a hardship to take work with me. It would be harder to hate my job and show up to an office every day.
Does that make us all tragic? I don’t know. So far my clients are pretty happy.
Thanks for another awesome post.
Thank you for being so candid and generous, Sarah. If that’s a tragedy, you can put me down for all three acts!
As I now work for a business, albeit a small one, I’m mostly working from the office. But sometimes, on days like today where I need to focus on specific tasks, I work from home.
In the past, I have struggled a bit when working from home full-time. I find it hard, because, despite the benefits of peace and quiet, I just get lonely.
Having said that, I get much more done on the few days a fortnight I work from home – these are focused, productive times for me, when I get to rip through stuff with a minimum of distractions.
Personally, I find this hybrid model is optimal for me. But we’re all different, and for that we can be thankful!
Nice one, Stephen! Thank you.
It didn’t even occur to me to mention computer games. I’ve lost work time to those blighters in the past. I wonder if Company of Heroes is the new Oprah for some of our readers.
Were you reading my mind again Paul?
Ha! I thought that might be the case.
So, what game has eaten YOUR time!
Out with it, Cobber!
I may have been guilty of indulging in various EA sports simulations in the past… <:|
Interestingly, I actually view (or try to) much of what I do as a game. Game mechanics are very powerful – earlier you alluded to a driving desire to ‘beat’ your mortgage, which is a fundamental part of gaming.
I think understanding how game mechanics apply in my life, business or personal, has been one of the most important things I’ve begun to understand over the last couple of years.
If anyone is interested in this completely off-tangent subject, check out this TEDx video: http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_priebatsch_the_game_layer_on_top_of_the_world.html
That’s the way, Stephen; your secret is safe with us!
I’m very glad you brought up game mechanics, as I’m collating information for a post on that very topic.
It’ll be fantastic to get your views when it goes up. Off to check that video now. Many thanks for being such a good … sport!
Fantastic video, Stephen. Thanks for the hot tip!
PAUL,
Greetings from rural Australia.
My simple formula for the discipline required for working from home.
Work ethic + desire to succeed + self esteem + ability to avoid distractions (called focus) = discipline required for success.
Of course . . .
Nothing about that formula is simple.
Because . . .
Work ethic.
Desire to succeed.
Self esteem.
Ability to avoid distractions (focus).
Need to be quantified.
The higher the value for each component, the higher the level of discipline.
Which usually translates into a greater level of success.
Unless . . .
Of course . . .
A person can’t resist putting all that effort into tactics which constantly fail.
So have to add . . .
Ability to recognise failure and take action to change course.
Ahhh! Life was never meant to be easy.
Nice post. As always.
Best wishes and take care,
Carol
Carol Jones
Director
Interface Pty Ltd
Designers of The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover
http://www.InterfaceAustralia.com
Ironing Diva’s stories are at http://bit.ly/TheIroningDiva
Cor, Carol! You just gave us a cross between a haiku and a doctoral dissertation. I love it!
Mind you, if I lived where YOU do, I’d do NO work and spend my entire days with dogs, birds, walks, fires, trees, flowers, rainbows etc.
You must be VERY disciplined indeed.
PAUL,
Greetings from rural Australia.
I have no choice but to be disciplined.
Dogsx3 depend on food every day.
Can go out and catch their own.
But . . .
Foxes are a bit narky. Wombats too roly poly. Rabbits too quick for them. Kangaroos too big and dogs lack boxing skills.
Can, of course, rely on road kill.
But they’re very fussy.
Like their food in bowls. On the floor. With a human dishwasher cleaning up afterwards.
So.
Back to . . .
Have no choice but to be disciplined. Canine family depends on me.
You always make me laugh!
Best wishes and take care,
Carol ♥♥♥
Carol Jones
Director
Interface Pty Ltd
Designers of The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover
http://www.InterfaceAustralia.com
Ironing Diva’s stories are at http://bit.ly/TheIroningDiva
I hear you, Carol. My dogs’ teeth cost more than mine! But I’d do anything for the little champions. Such good friends.
Great post Paul!
I worked from home for two years and it took ages to get past my 15 years training of being at work from 8.30am until 6.00pm. Even when I finished work at midnight I felt I must be at my desk at 8.30am latest.
Self discipline is great but panicking about making a living is the greatest motivator of all. If we won several million dollars on Tatts, how would we go then?
Thank you kindly, Malcolm. I agree with you about panic. It must be even more powerful when you have several human ankle biters to feed, clothe and educate.
I do like copywriting. But if the National Trust offered me $5m to take over Empire House and establish a pencil museum, I’d probably limit myself to a limerick or two per quarter!
For me it is about structure. When working from home I know what I need to have completed for the day. In fact I project manage my working life pretty much on a daily basis with sticky notes all over the desk with lists on them. I work through these lists and regularly prioritise them. When working from home, I create another list that is dedicated to my day at home. I try to start early but if things come up I will work all night if need be to get things done.
Probably the biggest challenge is getting inspiration from others. If I had to work from home every day this would my biggest challenge. As much as I like to read, I also like to talk to people and gather ideas, I would need to fill this void somehow.
Thank you very much for another fascinating insight into your operation, Arthur. Sounds like you’ve got a good system going.
Great post Paul – really interesting to hear how other people deal with working from home, and somewhat comforting to hear other people facing the same challenges and overcoming them.
I find that my discipline comes from guilt – If I’m not in front of the computer or doing something business orientated I feel as though I’m wasting time and not moving forward.
Slowly I’m discovering that I don’t need to be in front of the computer for 15 hours a day to be successful though – actually it’s quite the opposite. The more I vary my day to day activities and get out and about, the more motivation I get from what people are doing around me and the more ideas I find conceiving themselves in my mind from external influences.
I think this is one of the main privilege’s of working from home – the opportunity to live a rich and varied lifestyle, rather than be contained to a 4×4m space 40 hours a week because someone else says that where you need to be to be productive..
Keep up the thought provoking posts!
Cheers
Dan
http://www.propagandahouse.com.au
Nice to see you, Daniel. And to receive your frank comment. We’re very lucky to have such forthcoming readers.
I found myself nodding at several points in your comment. In fact … ALL of them! With best regards and many thanks, P.