The beginning of working from home

Although I enjoy being in an office and I miss being in an office, working from home has its share of advantages. I can take as many TV breaks and nap breaks as I'd like, as long as I'm respecting deadlines.

The thing is, being an army wife take its toll on your professional life. Well, unless you find a way to work around it! And in today's technology driven age - you can.

Now that I'm in Kanpur, working from home is a new idea, a new beginning. I plan to do this till I'm in Kanpur. Post which, if I get to be in my favourite cities again - I will definitely take up a daytime, 9-5 job again!

So, since the last 2 weeks I have garnered places to work for. Online. I write. I send what I write. The next day they tell me what more writing work they need. It's a good arrangement. I don't need to meet my bosses...now that I'm technically working for 3 companies online I do have several bosses. But being behind my laptop saves me from them.

I start my day with 1 article and a cup of coffee. Without coffee, I am nothing after all. I then schedule my day to meet the content requirements of all the companies I work for. I make a list. I plan who to write for between what hours of the day. And then I settle down to write.

But the initial hiccups were prevalent in the last 2 weeks. At first, I didn't have a worthy internet connection. The day the famous - BSNL broadband entered my home here, the laptop decided to give me problems. The minute I figured out a way around that, the electricity went off. And obviously with a landline inspired broadband connection, with no electricity - no internet works.

I managed to smile and complain through these initial hiccups. Today, 1 week later I am on top of things. I've become lazier because I write according to my will now. But as long as I'm working, I'm fine.

This is my conclusion and advice for everyone who wants to work from home:

-A reliable, fast speed, broadband connection is an absolute requirement

-A reputed, branded laptop or desktop is a necessity

-The will to devote at least 6-7 hours a day to your work is critical.

We face a lot more distractions while working from home. Focus on completing the assignments given to you. Otherwise, you will lose out on projects and your aim to work from home might die a slow death!

At the end of it all, all I'd like to say is that - giving "work from home" a shot is totally worth it. Everyone should try it, at least once in their life.

Working from home for a change

Working from home for a change

When I first entered the corporate world, I had an extreme sense of energy. A thrill. An urge, to explore the beyond. To be someone who is known, who is regarded as the best in a certain field. Youth does that to you. 

A marriage changed me. Marriage is anyway a gamble. But when you marry an Indian army officer, it is an even bigger gamble. Why? Because you not only have to deal with your husband being away from you and in sensitive areas around the world...you have to face road blocks in every new place you visit. Jobs come. Professions stagnate. Especially when you are an army wife. 

This year, when I moved again, to a northern state in India I faced another challenge. My willingness to look for a job here turned into water. Why? Because of the extreme weather conditions here. It’s not just hot here, it is incredibly hot. Stepping out of the room is a sure way to get scathed. 

So, what would someone like me do in this condition? I decided to give “working from home” a shot. A 6 month deadline in which I should earn what I aim to. This will of course require loads of hard work and loads of determination.Plus getting used to making a home office. I've always been used to working out of an actual office, to me it's better. You need another place to focus on what you do for a living. Office life was therefore always fun for me.

But like every new thing in life, it’s a start. I have 2 companies that I already write for. Sitting in the confines of a new house here. Will I be successful in this new phase of my life? Honestly, not me but only time can tell.