From our Shak to yours, wishing you a Merry Christmas!

I finally bit the bullet and went back to work in an office job about six months ago.  It doesn’t leave me much free time to do my “home” work but I squeeze it in on weekends and in the evenings.

I so miss the freedom I had just a few months ago.  Go where I wanted when I wanted.  Have time to do philanthropic work.  Take an occasional road trip to see the parents.  And eat salsa right out of the jar, just like Will Bailey of nailsbails,

I work from home, which means I have a lot of…freedom [shudder]. Horrible, limitless, malaise-inducing freedom. For instance, my current outfit consists of boxer briefs and slippers, I just ate a bunch of salsa straight from the jar, and in about five minutes I’m going to lie face-down on my bed as a reward for writing this.

I miss my window from home as I sit in my office with two red brick walls and two regular walls (but no window).

Photo by Amy Loves Yah.

Photo by twidget via Flickr Creative Commons.

Being busy does not mean you are necessarily being productive.  I’m an independent contractor, so I set my own schedule.  I go to the office whenever I want or need to.  I mostly work at home these days.  No matter what, it feels I am always running.  My days and evenings are generally booked solid.  But what do I have to show for it?  Not always that much, really.  That’s why the post “What Productivity Isn’t” by Cordelia Calls It Quits struck a chord with me,

Each day, you can only fit so many rocks (to dos) into the bucket, so if you keep filling it up with petty, unimportant little rocks, you’ll never get around the big rocks (i.e., the things that really matter).  The way to approach life productively is to make sure all the big rocks get in the bucket first. Then, in whatever space is left over, you can try to fill in as many little rocks as you can. This is a concept I’m going to have to continually remind myself of throughout this mission to live more deliberately.

Me, too.  What is important to you?  Family?  Friends?  Church?  Home?  Figure it out and concentrate on making these “big rocks” your top priority.  Everything else is just filler.

Photo by Sean MacEntee via flickr creative commons.

If I worked at home all the time, the distraction caused by my sometimes cluttered house would be too much for me to concentrate.  I’m thankful to have an office to escape to on most days!  However, if you had no choice, perhaps these tips from Brip Blap will help you de-clutter.

• Stuff packed away in boxes is not sentimental. I have a couple of keepsakes, knickknacks, doodads, etc. I have my Star Wars baseball-style cards from my childhood. They are in a box in the garage.
• Take pictures. If there’s something you don’t need, but you want to remember it, take a picture. Put it in a screensaver. You’ll see it, the memory will trigger but you’ll still have less clutter.

Steve has lots more great tips, so go pay him a visit.

Photo from where I brutally went through my oldest daughter’s room
after she moved into the dorm last Fall. I was on a cleaning binge.

I think I’ll start my own series of posts entitled “Maddening Monday”.  Lately, I’ve had plenty of those.  We’re in the middle of a huge move, which is very difficult with no paid vacation days or PTO.  But when you’re self-employed, that’s what you have to deal with. 

Yesterday Patrick scheduled a job for after 3pm today, at the customer’s request.  That was convenient, as we figured we could get a lot done while our daughter was at school.  This morning the customer called, and told him that he could come anytime because his wife would now be home all day.  Patrick drops everything here, runs to Nashville to pick up the glass, and heads their way…because customers come first.  On his way, he receives a phone call from a woman saying she needed to cancel the job.  When he asked if she wanted to reschedule, she replied that they had called two companies, and they went with the company who arrived first!  Patrick just called to tell me that he was on his way home, after wasting most of the day and quite a bit of gas. 

99% of our customers are AWESOME…but it’s days like today that I long for some kind of mandatory “stupid charge” when we get screwed over!  Here’s to a better day (and smarter people) tomorrow!

Photo by boulter via Flickr Creative Commons.

Photo by Mingo.nl via Flickr Creative Commons.

Just over two years ago, when my husband was presenting all the “perks” of owning his own business, the idea of having more time as a family really appealed to me.  It was probably the biggest selling point my husband could present.  I don’t believe that either of us were prepared, however, for sharing our family time!

Yes, I admit, we do spend more time together as a family.  But very rarely do we do anything or go anywhere without my husband’s phone ringing.  Nine times out of ten, it’s a business call that he “has to take”.  At restaurants, movies, the park, family gatherings…EVERY CALL COUNTS. 

One evening had been particularly rough, and the two of us were just sitting down to watch some of the many shows we’d recorded on DVR.  About 15 minutes into our first show, at around 11:30pm, his phone rang.  To say I was irritated is putting it mildly.  He answered to find a very intoxicated man requesting a quote for a windshield replacement.  Being the good businessman that he is, he looked up the part and price, and gave the man a quote.  The man scheduled the job for the next day.  My husband called me after doing the job to inform me that he had met his first customer who actually jumped up and down with excitement about having his windshield replaced!  Yes…he was still drunk.  But he was a happy customer, and we made money we wouldn’t have made if Patrick hadn’t answered that call.  EVERY CALL COUNTS!

I am constantly reminding myself that the decision “we” made (in quotes because I only take responsibility for it when it’s good!) to become business owners requires us to be on call all the time.  If we miss a call, the next glass company may get that job.  And in this economy, we can’t afford that! 

This is why Patrick carried his phone into the ocean this past June…he was waiting for a call.  The call came, but several hours later when the phone was being eaten alive by the salt water after the largest wave EVER struck my husband…and his shirt pocket (where the phone was nice and safely waiting).  By the time Patrick could get back in touch with the caller, all eight jobs had been contracted out to another company.  EVERY CALL COUNTS!

So, do we enjoy our added family time…YES.  Do we like sharing it with strangers?  Not really!!!  But we have learned rather quickly that owning our own business is not an eight to five gig!  It’s all day, every day.  The key is learning to appreciate what it means.  Our business is growing.  We’re making more money.  We’re a step closer to reaching our goals.  We’re succeeding!

Photo by Mykl Roventine via Flickr Creative Commons.

I can’t help but think about how nice it must be to look out that window every morning.  Tough work!  Giada’s an incredible cook, and a very lucky one!  Can you believe I have a friend who watches her show daily, and has never noticed the background!  Sometimes I find it hard to focus on the show!  Great “work at home” environment! 

Photo couresy of Food Network