Work from home; pleasure or pain

Work from home, be your own boss, set your own work hours, earn unlimited is all myth and less reality. There are two categories of work from home, 1. when you hired on a permanent role and 2. When you hired as a contract employee. Under both heads you must need to 'over promise and over deliver', an employer would expect you to deliver as much as you can and nothing wrong in this, you have to perform in best of your capacities to give the best results. When you work from home chances of losing your work maximizes if you think nobody is watching, work speaks in itself. If you will steal time or won't work up to your maximum capacity, the employer will know and you will be fired anytime. When you decide to work from home, make sure you will do a little extra. This also holds true when you go office and work eight hours. But when you work at your own space where nobody is on your head asking progress responsibilities exceeds. When working from home, do not take responsibility but take ownership.

Get hold of the business despite knowing that you will make the only salary and not profits but if you are not ready to take ownership work from home is not for you. I am not intended to make you afraid or to say doubt your capabilities but I mean to say, check your performance like your employer and get better each day.

When you work from home many hurdles come into play, especially in Indian settings where spaces are limited or there are many family members and friends to disturb your routine.

Management is the key; self-management, temperament management, and time management. People fall into different categories. Everyone is different so personal priorities should also be different. When you tell someone you work from many will ask you how much you earn, and many suppose like you are making free money, do not give ear to such people. The best way to avoid such people is just to tell them I am busy now, I will meet you later. In India, they will, again and again, take your interview regarding your work, money, and family and if you ignore somehow many will try to engage you. Ignore such a useless lot. Your time is money to you, it's your best friend to avoid storytellers and gossip mongers who you will meet more than often if work from home.

Once I met an employer, who use to call me the whole day and talking all nonsense, explaining everything, I did adjustment for a couple of days, but one day I dropped his work. My time matters.

I live alone, why people are often worried if I cook or eat from a takeaway kitchen or I do not eat at all. At the start I the start of work from home life I was just confused about why people are worried about me, but when I got bedridden not a single person came to ask how I get food. And again when I am fit and fine every idiot has suggestions, buy raw material, cook food, meal from takeaway kitchens is not healthy, it's expensive, blah blah blah.

I don't interact to people beyond bare minimum till its not related to work, but I learn to just listen and say, yes, I will take your advice, thank you. Or I simply excuse and wish a goodbye. Avoid time passers, those idiots will reduce you to a nobody. Do not disrespect anyone or show but learn to avoid or simply do not take their words; listen and forget.

Parents are another lot to handle; I told my mother not to call me other than Saturdays, till its not very urgent. And when you call just give one buzz and I will call back. This was the same when I was in a regular office too. I don't remember when the last time in life she called me on Saturday. When I get really angry with someone I behave very nicely and then all of sudden detach all ties, this is my habit, I accept, same I did to her, but I would expect you to not make your parents suffer like that indeed you learn to manage time. There are many ways to handle it. After a couple months of isolation from parents, I also learned, I would repeat again, do not do this to anyone. I was wrong, but you won't.

Hothead leads to disaster, the cool mind gets you a solution. But everyone has some weaknesses. I get very angry when someone listens to me, agrees on my words and disobey,  but I am changing with time. The faster I change the better it would be for me.

Your soulmate is bound to call you in those hours when you are really sunk in work when you are truly up to something serious and always the same unusual question will come, 'will you support me throughout life'.  After answering a few times I realized this lifetime support virus is pretty serious than rabies, and I decided to change my time, not in practice but in theory only. You blame it to the theory of evolution curse on your fate, but there is no remedy, you have to adjust one way or another. If you work at night like me put off your phone, your employer is sleeping and no new business calls will be there.

The phone is a headache. Those customer care girls will call your number during work hours. Register your number for a Do Not Call  Registry, then to you will get some calls. They are doing their job. When its a customer call, simply I have one answer and same answer for all, sorry, I have this thing already and disconnect without listening to others.

Ok, so you stay home, we want to party. The guy who knows you least is willing to come to your home with his gang, spoil your place, kills your time and make your life hell, you will end up cleaning like a professional sweeper. To such people my answer is always ready, booze is not allowed at my place, you can come on Saturdays after 11 PM. And if you want to booze we go to some restaurant. Rarest if that happens, I accompany those monkeys but to myself never take anything at the restaurant except a bottle of cold water, and pay bills only. This happened only once. As many end up arguing why you take so late dinner, why you can't eat early one day, but answer is fixed, I have a fixed time. A good friend will never be mean, those are people who look to advantage, they have nothing to do with you, do not misbehave but do not make friendship. To be true, good won't need to ask you when he/she can come.

A good friend always respects your time, he/she will never utilize your freedom for own leisure or gains. Be polite to your friends. They are the only people who will help you when nobody is out there for you. But know well who is a real friend and who merely wants to use you.

Network marketers are a big pain. They will come to you selling this and that luxury and with a promise to make you rich. AVOID Just them you are not interested, they will approach you again but give the same answer, not interested.

Neighbors. Exams are there and neighborhood kids need your time to teach that complex algebra. Being a neighbor you cannot say a no and it's your responsibility too. When I am blessed with one such fellow my answer is the same, please come on Saturday. Today I am busy. What time are the next best question and my answer is constant for years after 5 pm and before 7 pm. Nobody knocked on my door in those times, never, and when I meet next time I am always like hey, I was waiting on Saturday, why you didn't came. Always I got the same answer, sorry, I forgotten or my mom was not home or I was at a party, can I come today, and here I have answer, Please come on Saturday.
Kids will play when you are at work or sleep. Neighborhood kids will be much energetic. Your kids you can control but what about neighbors, you can't just say them to go off. To get rid of the situation so no conflict arise, I often maintain very good relation with my neighbors, always wish them hello whenever to meet or give some gift or chocolate to kids on festivals. I know unwanted arguments will happen and that will be a real pain sho why not to use a two-bladed sword. Love those kids with small gifts and when they are full of energy say them please go inside or politely ask parents to control. But I always say to those kids, play one or two hours in the evening I will also play with you and they are happy. You cannot kill kids' freedom for your gains. Treat them truly nicely.

Housemaid, I cannot afford one now as prices they ask for cooking one course is almost triple than cost of restaurant bought food. I kept housemaid for several years though but my instructions were clear, cook anything that a human can eat. Those were old times, I used to give her a few bucks extra in advance so she can buy any essentials if required and I never bothered how much was spend indeed it was told to her that she also can buy small things for herself from that money, no need to ask me no need to tell me.

Landlord. The Internet was a luxury when I started working from home. If you do not travel 4 hours a day to reach work many landlords will suppose that you are earning free money, they are intended to trouble you from time to time. You cannot change your place every month over a small issue. But to by my freedom, I don't negotiate on rent. If a place is beyond my budget I look for another location instead of begging for a discount on rent. The second thing I make sure that rent is paid on time, so no excuse left, and third and most important thing whenever the landlord came to my doors I treat as a guest and always to make for dinner or lunchtime. When you treat them like guest they will realize that place belongs to you indeed temporary only but you are the honors for the agreed duration.

Leisure time. When working from home you can sleep anytime or go to a movie any day, don't do that, fix your sleep hours, and weekends and stick to that. To me Saturday is my leisure day, I can go for a walk or beaches or wherever I want to. So on Sundays either I am working and relaxing or if not at work then planning for the next full week or maybe months or I am just sitting and writing a new piece.

Food. Your stomach is not a gutter. While working from home must take responsibility for your body, do not eat all the time. Set your hours when to fill those carbs and proteins and how much and in what ways.  Develop good eating habits.

Exercise. I have no intention to become a marathoner. But 30 minutes a day I go to walk, even if I do not walk then too I go and relax, just do nothing. While on weekends I go for a truly long walk so when back I can catch up with my sleep like never before. Also, Saturdays I take one-course meal. If for some reason its not Saturday then sure on Sunday. I live only on the water the whole day, or sometimes tea without sugar and milk. This I do to detoxify my body that it stores over the weeks. And if I feel too much hungry then I do not punish me but eat something however that happens very rarely,  maybe two/three times over a year. But I eat a very small portion or take some liquid only, coconut water is best or if don't want to spend money then a cup of glucose or buttermilk.

I enjoy my work, while 60-70% of my work revolves around writing, I also love to do designing and coding. Reverse engineering is something that makes me happy. I love my work and enjoying it for years both inside the office and now from home over the last 13 years.

Work from home is a pleasure if you can customize your time and energies well around you. Critics will be there. Except with an open heart. Never try to be mean, never try to be opportunist, apply your full efficiency, learn every day and do something extra.