Practice Perspective

Working from home myth buster:

The myth:

I don’t wear pants.
There’s booze in my coffee.
I sleep late, take a long lunch, and check out early.
I take naps.

The truth:

I don’t wear pants.
I drink too much coffee.
I’m logged in by 6am and have been known to leave the dinner table to "just check one thing."
I take naps.

Here’s the deal. I love my work. I’m hard-wired to be organized and efficient. But there’s no mental or physical boundary between work and home any longer. I wake up thinking about the next project. I’m already working in my head as I pour my coffee. If I take a break to grab lunch or water the plants, I’m pondering the last email or revising that document in my brain. I’ve already worked a half-day by the time folks even get to the physical office.

Socially, I don’t have my team and my colleagues stopping by my office to brainstorm or catch up on life. That world has collapsed into email and Facebook to keep up with my peeps.

The flipside is, well, the dress code doesn’t suck, and yes, I have the flexibility to take mom to an appointment or throw the clothes in the dryer, to exercise and make a healthy meal. That’s the goal, anyway. I don’t have to spend time getting ready or driving to the office.

I struggle with feeling "left out." Have the other lawyers forgotten me? Do they think I’m a slacker?

My ego screaming again. Chances are they think about me just as much as they did when I was in the office—which is not that much.

Keep doing what you’re doing. Practice some balance, intentionally.

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