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Work From Home

PERSONALWORK FROM HOME

Published on 11/22/2020, 5:44:35 PM

black and gray laptop computer beside black smartphone

Working Remotely

NOTE: The picture above is not my office setup but I do like it!

I have been working remotely most of this year. Reflecting on it, it has been wonderful. Filled with more time with the family, daily lunches, and less time alone in the car. Goodbye hour and a half commute, hello walk upstairs. Pre COVID-19 restrictions my team was working 2 days at home, 3 days in office. Since about March we have been working remotely almost exclusively.

I am lucky that my wife, Abby, is able to take care of the kids as a stay at home mom. Without her, this would not be as effortless.

Preparation

At the beginning of the year, I would work from the couch upstairs or downstairs at the desk in our reading room. After a few weeks this proved to be not a long term solution so I moved the desk upstairs away from where the kids and Abby would spend the day.

The keyboard tray on the desk had broken off a few years ago and since we had not used it much we did not bother fixing. Using it almost every day now this was at the top of my to-do list. That keyboard tray has made working at the desk much better. I also purchased a laptop stand and a better secondary monitor. Great improvements all around!

Home Office Setup

My desk is placed in a quiet part of the house away from the activity of the rest of the family. This helps during conference calls and times when I need to focus. I try to mainly work from my desk but occasionally take my laptop to the couch or rocking chair for a change of pace. My desk is big enough for my laptop, monitor, a few notebooks, and my audio equipment to fit nicely.

Equipment

Daily Routine

Not much has changed from being in the office. Most days were spent at my cubicle with no drop in visitors. Honestly, it did not make sense to be there when my work could be done from anywhere with an internet connection and a workable space. The daily office distractions have been replaced with visit to see the kids and Abby. I think that is a great trade!

I start my day earlier without the 45 minute drive in and end earlier without the 45 minute drive home. That’s an extra hour and a half I get back every single day. That’s a savings of at least 7.5 hours a week! My communication skills have improved since going remote full time.

Abby

My wife does not get enough credit for holding down the fort as an awesome stay at home mom. She gave up her career as a teacher and tenure to take care of our kids. That is a debt that will be very hard to repay. I almost never have to worry about what is happening with the kids while I work. I can drop in on them and know things are okay.

Final Thoughts

I would be lying if I said my employer was 100% percent on board with remote work full time permanently. It has been a challenge getting to where we are now. I am hoping that with real results I can help convince them that remote work for positions like mine is the way to go.

I work from home because I am able to, my job is able to be done remotely, and my employer is flexible. I wish more people had this opportunity. I am very grateful for the life my family has and work to make each day better than the last.

Image Credit

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

#FamilyTime#WorkFromHome

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