I work at home. I have a home office with two desks—one for personal use and one for my business—and a separate e-mail so I’m not mixing my personal and work messages. Closing the door and stepping away should be relatively easy. However, the reality is that pending deadlines, my to-do list and the actual business portion of running an at-home business come calling at all hours of the day and every day of the week.
This weekend I had the rare treat of actually punching out. My sweet hubby had a few days off last week, which meant he took on the household duties and gave me extra time to catch up on my to-do list, clear my desk and get three stories off ahead of my deadlines. As I shut down the computer on Friday evening, I realized I didn’t have anything I had to do over the weekend.
So, instead of thinking about work, we grilled outside (our first grill fest of the year), hit the bookstore, and delivered a dozen donuts to my hubby’s grandma for a leisurely breakfast of coffee and pink-frosted-and-sprinkled sweets. More than anything, I took time just to relax.
I did sneak away for an hour or so to catch up on some business thank you cards that are long overdue, but penning a handwritten note is something I so rarely have time to do that it felt like a special treat.
I need to start finding specific time to punch out and I’m going to spend the next month experimenting with different ways to streamline the business side of all that I do—expenses, invoicing, taxes, marketing. I’m going to be installing some new software, implementing more online tools and overhauling my current system of tracking expenses (something my CPA, who is also my husband, will appreciate). I’ll let you know how it goes and would love any tips you can share!