Back to Work Reality Check

I have been back to work about three weeks. I understand that it may not call for a reality check and no, I have not been out of work for years. It has only been about two months. I have finally found another WAH job that I love and it is certainly keeping me at 40 hours a week.

I fail to remember that working at a job you love does take up a great deal of your time and you no longer have the luxury of doing things like you did when you were not working. I feel that people should work at least a little bit. It keeps idle minds from getting up to no good and it keeps you focused and goal oriented. I remember when I was not working it was simply a chore to get up and actually clean the house! Yes! Now that I am working. I still have a momentum built up when I get off work and am able to at least straighten up and get dinner and laundry started.

Of course I sound like a career stay at home mom. I am!  Only that I have a forty hour a week (getting a paycheck) kind of job and that is just like getting out of the house and going to the office everyday. Only I do it in my fuzzy slippers!

Working from home is a lifestyle and not many people are prepared for it because it takes dedication and some changes in your current lifestyle to ensure that it is successful. Many people believe (erroneously) that they can work from home and still have the daily interruptions of the dog barking, their children constantly in their face, or even be able to get up and run to the door should someone ring the bell.  That could not be farther from the truth.  You have to have the gumption to sit at your desk your entire shift and work.  That is what they pay you to do. Especially these companies that pay you by the hour and they take out taxes like a regular paycheck.  They pay you to work and you need to be at your desk working.  Whether it be chat support, phones, or letter writing, you are paid for the time you are working and it is a real job.

Sure, there are draw backs.  Nobody wants to have the highlight of their day to be the point when they get out of the house to go to the store for a soda run.  That is no fun.  There is a delicate balance that needs to be considered and it takes some practice to put it all into play.  While the opportunity for more hours is endless, you do need to make time for yourself and your family similarly to how you would do at a traditional office job.  It just takes a bit more effort than normal.  Also, don't fall into the staying in your jammies all day either. That is a bad habit and not healthy!

So, while WAH is not for everyone, it is a great opportunity to do something that is beneficial to American society and it brings the much needed customer service jobs back home. Just don't mess it up or the great companies that provide this service for their clients and employees will go by the wayside much like traditional jobs have been sent to South America,  India, and the Phillipenes.  Keep these jobs at home.  Literally!