Re: On Working Remotely

[David Radcliffe <david () davidradcliffe org>]

Yes, it is easier (I think) if you have the space to dedicate a work room.  My 
game system is in my computer room but I only game twice a week and only with 
my friends.  I have no doubt I might be diagnosed with a little OCD (or 
something) but

Q: Game?
A: It's not Wednesday night.
Q: But you could run the game now?
A: Yes.
Q: But?
A: It's not Wednesday.  I could force myself but the universe would feel odd.

I guess it's really about the mindset.  I suspect I would still work 
effectively in a smaller, non-dedicated workspace.  I have before in hotel 
rooms.  Not at my mother's house.  She doesn't get "Gee, mom, I need to focus 
for a while."

Obviously, there is no one solution for everyone but I hope to find a way (with 
current employer, but most likely will have to change employers) for me to 
work from home.  Part of my goal is actually to find someone who will more 
deeply use my talents.

As you say, you can find yourself rolling out of bed and dropping into work 
without eating or showering.  I have often done this and am quite comfortable 
with it.

On Monday, December 05, 2011 10:35:27 AM Sean Harlow wrote:
> I can not agree with this more.  I have been working from home for two
> years now and unfortunately live in a small apartment where I do not have
> a dedicated space to assign for "work".  My "workstation" is also my
> gaming machine and my servers sit right next to my game consoles.  It's
> impossible to get entirely in to a work mindset when your bed is literally
> two feet from where you sit.  This one's hard to solve when you don't have
> the space, I can certainly say there's a reason I have the most time put
> in to Skyrim out of all of my friends.
>
> Another thing you might not think about is how much it can interfere with
> anything you consider part of a morning routine.  Where you used to get up
> at 8, shower, eat breakfast, get dressed, etc. before heading in to start
> work at 9 it doesn't take long before you realize you can instead wake up
> at 8:59, put on whatever pants might be within arm's reach, and sit down
> at your chair.  Next thing you know it's 6 PM and you haven't eaten or
> showered yet.  I've started setting an alarm and trying to work out in the
> morning to counter this and it works pretty well, but it took some effort.
>
> tl;dr version: Working in an office provides structure that you may depend
> on without realizing it.  Be prepared to replicate as much of that
> structure as needed to remain productive and not turn in to a slob.
> ----------
> Sean Harlow
> sean () seanharlow info

-- 
David Radcliffe
Network Engineer/Linux Specialist
david () davidradcliffe org
www.davidradcliffe.org

Nothing ever gets solved better with panic.
If you do not know the answer, it is probably "42."