Friday Funday!

I’ve written before about various games you can play for team engagement, socialization, and general fun. Today I want to keep it simple! There are plenty of things you can do using a social media or collaboration tool that require no prep work from you, and allow your teams to respond on their schedule. These can be just as much fun as activities you participate in “live”.

Before engaging in any fun-tivities on your social channels, make sure that you are partitioned to do so. You should segregate your play from your work so that one does not drown out the other, and proper attention can be placed on the matter at hand. If a feed or channel is too noisy with a wide variety of chatter, all messages will seem less important and activity will dwindle.

Each activity needs to start with a top level post. You should provide the instructions, along with an example or the starter to the activity.

Allow for side convos. Someone’s post is likely to spawn a comment, such as “That’s the best movie!”, “Dude… too soon!”, “Now I want pizza”, and so forth. This is the real fun of such activities. You learn something about people through their top responses (even indirectly just by the type of meme or Giphy they use), but you also foster watercooler chat and informal socialization by permitting the rabbit holes. These activities are intended to be organic. When they are allowed to twist and turn, you end up on an exciting road trip. If you keep too much to the map, you reach the destination, but missed some fun stops along the way.

Here are some ideas within that social thread:

• Dance Party! - Respond in Giphy with your favorite dance moves. Use likes to vote for the best dance, if desired. (I favor headbanging from Wayne’s World, and the Carlton from Fresh Prince!)
• Ruin a Song with One Word (Add version) – Respond with a song title, but add one word to it that wasn’t there to totally ruin it. “I will NOT Survive”, “Gin and Juice BOXES”, etc.
• Ruin a Song with One Word (Replace version) – Respond with a song title, but change one word already in the song to totally ruin it. “Dr. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (This one still kills me!)
• Song Title Piggyback – Respond with a song title that starts with the last word of the previous post. “Good Day Sunshine” > “Sunshine of your Love” > “Love Me Do”…
• Movies A-Z – Respond with a Giphy related to a movie, in alphabetical order. Person 1 starts with A, such a Giphy of Fievel from “An American Tail”. Next person has B and posts a Giphy from the movie “Batman Returns”, and so on.
• Desert Island Movies – Respond with the five movies you would keep if stranded on an island, to watch until the end of time. No reason needed, just list ‘em! You can do the same with Desert Island Music Albums, Desert Island Books, Desert Island Food, etc. 
• Chopped – Respond with the four ingredients you would be if you were a Chopped mystery basket. No explanation needed! 
• Create a Playlist – Name songs around a certain theme, like sunny days, weekends, a holiday, road trips, etc. This is even more fun if someone volunteers to compile and share on Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, or the like.
• Dream Vacation – If you had two weeks off, and an unlimited budget, respond with where you would go and what you would do.
• Popular Things You Don’t Like – Respond with ten things that seem to be popular but you don’t care for. (Though I live in the state and it’s all the rage, I truly do not care for bourbon!)

All of the above require no advanced work. No meeting to be scheduled. No gathering of info. Just make a post and go! If you have five minutes, you could do some other easy ones such as:

• Never Have I Ever – Find a PC version of this online. Post the image. Ask people to respond by giving themselves one point for everything they HAVEN’T done.
• What’s your X Name? – This could be your Halloween Name, Troll Name, Rockstar Name, or whatever. Usually this is some combo of your birth month, first initial, and last initial. Find an image online, paste it, and get responses! Or, find a name generator, post the link, and have people respond with their results.
• Point Lists – Pick a thing like visiting Walt Disney World, “adulting”, how much of a 90’s kid you are, so-called “Millennial” foods you have tried, states you’ve visited, etc. Create a list or grab one from the web. Have people respond with their point total, or with an X next to the things they are counting.

Remember – As a leader, you set the tone. It’s not enough to tell your team that this type of thing is ok. You need to illustrate it by actively participating, preferably having fun in the process.

This is just a short list of ideas to get you started. Please add your comments on other ideas to help keep the party going!

The Open Road

I’ve told my husband previously that my two favorite vacations we’ve taken together were the two when we did a TON of driving. We drove to Canada, across to multiple regions, and home. We also drove from Vegas to Carmel, and entirely down the coast to LA. We’ve had other amazing vacations, including other trips to Vegas, and many to Walt Disney World. Why were these my favorite? And what does this have to do with working from home?

On Friday, we had to make an unplanned trip to St. Louis. This is a trip we’ve taken so many times before for hockey, baseball, concerts, and family. (Sometimes every weekend!) We hadn’t been since January due to conflicts and then COVID19. I was honestly missing my second home, so when circumstances presented themselves, I wasn’t really complaining. After taking an unscheduled day off, aligning my parents to watch my girls, and working late on mid-year reviews the night before, I was ready to go.

There was nothing extraordinary about this trip. It’s the first time we’ve driven there and back in one day. We just drove, took care of business, had some lunch, and drove home. I spent about 10 hours total behind the wheel. But I discovered something…

The road looked bigger and brighter than it ever had before. Now, this stretch of road can be pretty boring. It’s flat with farmland, and no real points of interest. And having driven it so often for so long, there was nothing new to discover. Yet, this time, there was.

I mentioned in a previous post about my red bench, and the different perspective it offered. Well, the open road kicked that up 100x. There were no walls (other than the car obviously!) In every direction, the view stretched out for miles and miles. There were no obstructions. At home, I’m still locked in by trees, other homes, and general suburbia. On the open road, there was expanse. There was no “screen” in front of me (again, except the car). My eyes were free from digital interruption and able to focus on distances I had not seen in some time.

I realized then that the road trip was freeing. It could be looked at as a tedious means to an end. Or, it could be looked at as an exciting openness of boundless possibility. This was the first time I truly felt like I had been let out of my cage in months. Every cow, cloud, and cornfield was renewed, and in-turn renewed me.

Now that travel is opening up, I highly recommend a road trip. It doesn’t have to be anything more than the road. You can drive for hours, stop for lunch, and drive back. There’s very little we can do still, with tourist attractions and exhibits restricted. But that drive – man, that drive! Feel the freedom of the open road and revel in the unencumbered view of the world. For anyone struggling right now with home walls closing in, get in the car and remove all the walls. A few hours of your time and a few bucks in gas are a small price to pay for a mental recharge. This is a brand new meaning for the phrase "the open road". 

Too Legit

Today, I celebrate 7 years of working from home. I can’t believe it’s been this long! In some ways it feels longer, and in other ways shorter. And it certainly feels different now compared to pre-COVID19, let alone how it was when it all began.

Getting here wasn’t easy. There were a lot of doubters and downright saboteurs. The technology has struggled to meet the demand for both speed and functionality. Every day was another day of battle, fighting to prove that this workstyle could be as productive and engaging, if not more so, than a traditional office. While the global pandemic has introduced many new people to this way of working and changed some minds, the fight still isn’t over.

With that said, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some at-home moments and lessons over the years to reflect on the good times and the opportunities with renewed optimism for the future. As part of that reflection, I sent a note out to some members of my old team from around that time to congratulate them on setting the foundation for where we are today and generally check in. I’ve received some touching responses in reply, such as this one:  “…I can with tell with 100% certainty 2012, 2013 and all those times under you were the best time of my work career. Sometimes I feel like I want to go back to that time and re-live that moment again…” (I saved the really sappy parts for myself!)

This puts it all into perspective. Sometimes I get so caught up in supporting the work-at-home movement that I forget that it’s bigger. The responses aren’t that this was the best virtual team, best virtual leader, best virtual coworker, best virtual whatever – it’s simply the best. Whether it is in spite of or because of being virtual, or a little of both, we created an amazing experience. We delivered awesome results and supported each other like family.

While most of my original at-home team is doing other work, just as I am, my hope is that this legacy continues and has multiplied. I hope each team member took something positive and carried it forward, and took any opportunities and made them better, and the result is that each separate team they now work within is better for it. I hope I’m doing the same with my new team, each class I teach, and each new blog post.

This journey has been legit. Definitely, too legit to quit.

Back to the future?

“…Back to work…”

“…Return to normal…”

“…Productive again…”

These are all phrases I’ve been hearing lately. These phrases irritate the heck out of me.

First, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been working. I was working at home before the pandemic, during it, and will continue to afterwards. I continue to push myself and my team every day to be awesome. Sure, we have some distractions, but we’ve churned out some awesome stuff over the past few weeks. We’ve onboarded new people. We’ve been conducting business. To imply that we haven’t been working or haven’t been productive is insulting.

Second, how do you define “normal”? Science can define conformance to documented standards. But for the Average Joe, the things you define as “normal” are simply those things that you have come to accept as routine through pattern, teaching, and experiences. Your normal may be entirely different from someone else’s. The world is full of differences, and these differences make it beautiful. These differences also drive innovation and creativity by provoking alternative thought.

I understand the sentiment. Some people want to get out of their homes and see family and friends. Some people want to go to the mall or take a vacation. Some people want to return to school. While still some people want to escape abusive relationships or gain access to meal programs. Many people want to go about their day without a mask on and once again shake hands. Others want to work without the distractions their home may currently offer. I get it. What you are saying though is that you want to return to doing some of the things you did before – your normal.

The problem with these blanket statements is the implied “we”. These statements indicate everyone is unproductive, everyone isn’t working, everyone wants life a certain way. It’s wrong of us to assume that everyone feels the same way or is going through the same thing.

It would also be a mistake to go back to life exactly how it was before this pandemic. After all, there’s something about that before state that landed us here! We’ve learned so much. Companies and people that didn’t believe they could work from home have proven themselves wrong. We’ve seen the impact we have on our environment. We’ve seen compassion creep up to being a core business value again and a differentiator versus simply managing the bottom-line. We’ve seen creative solutions to connect and collaborate. If we simply return to the exact same state, what have we learned? And what will we lose?

I could continue my rant. But my point here is to watch your words. If you mean to say that you will bring team members back to physical offices, say so. If you want to note that restaurants will now be open for sit-down patrons, say so. But please stop blanketing entire populations with generic statements that imply that today is somehow less than tomorrow. 

Free Your Mind

I’ve written before about the importance of leaving your house when you work at home. Being stuck in the same place, all day, every day, leads to cabin fever which may take on various forms: loneliness, despair, depression, anger, and more. But now we find ourselves in a time when connecting with others is difficult and getting out of the house is socially irresponsible. So what do we do?

Personally, I’ve found myself sitting under my maple tree a great deal more. I have a covered deck (see prior posts about working from home while living through that construction!) and a nice patio. But I’ve been drawn to this bench out in my yard. I’ve never sat there much… until now.

Why do I sit there now? What changed? As I thought about it, I realized it was multiple factors. First and foremost, it is further away from my house. It gives me the feeling of getting out even though I haven’t really gone anywhere. Second, it has no walls and no roof. I am not enclosed by anything, which provides me more feeling of freedom and less entrapment. It feels roomy and limitless. Additionally, it provides me with a different view. The view is one I am not used to, one I don’t see out my window all day. This simple bench under a tree has renewed my spirit.

Of course, there are the other benefits of being outdoors such as fresh air, sunshine, disconnection from devices, etc. But I could have had these benefits in my prior outdoor hangouts. This one is different.

I share to let you all know that I, like you, struggle with being locked down. I miss the things I did to disconnect from work and reconnect with myself. I miss the adventures and the people on “the outside”. So while social distancing is still active, and will be for a while, I have to find new ways to reset.

I encourage you to look for this opportunity. Seek an outdoor location, socially distant per your guidelines, and soak in all that is great about being outside. Use this opportunity to explore a new vantage point, looking at something with renewed appreciation. I may have seen my neighbors tree many times before, but I never truly saw it until now. Look around you and appreciate the freedom that outside offers and remember that you’re only confined if you allow your mind to be.

Find your bench.

BINGO

There are a lot of work at home BINGO boards floating around these days, most of which are on the funny side. You get credit for staying in your PJ’s all day, having a glass of wine, only yelling at your kids so many times, etc. These are all great and make this trying situation a bit more entertaining.

However, I thought it might be helpful if we could all play BINGO for things that we really should be doing to make our work at home situation the best it can be. Each of these items really should be done daily. Can you get BINGO today? What about a “cover-all”? Can you do it all week?

I’m not perfect. I’ve checked off my board for today (shown below) and missed some things. Note that I shower in the evenings (TMI…) so I’ll still get that checkmark! This also allows me to take stock in how my day went, why I didn’t hit those other things, and make a plan to do better tomorrow.

Give it a shot and let me know how well you did!

BINGO Board: (click to enlarge)

My BINGO Board for today:

Imagine

Take a journey with me through Imagination Land. Just pretend for a minute:

What would happen if a vast majority of technology workers did not return to the office after the “all clear”, but rather continued working from home? Some workers have to be in-person for their jobs. But for those that can be as productive (if not more so) from home, what does the world look like if they stay put?

There have already been many press releases about the environmental impact that social distancing is having. Some of these claims are a bit sensationalized, but the reality is that there is a true impact. It is fact that air pollution has decreased as a result of less traffic on the street. If you are interested in more about fact versus fiction on the NO2 levels, clear water, and wildlife impact, this USA Today article is a great source. There is hesitation to state that this is having a positive impact versus a temporary relief because the situation is temporary. But again, what if it wasn’t?

If even 50% of the population remained at home that wasn’t at home previously, that’s 50% less emissions. That also reduces the likelihood of accidents, traffic jams, road damage, and other ramifications of increased drivers. This means the air is easier to breathe, you have less traffic headaches, and you can make your meetings on time. Less traffic jams and accidents also reduce the number of calls emergency services must take, freeing them to help others, and reducing the strain on health services.

Now imagine the office buildings. Have you ever stopped to think about how “piggish” we really are? We have nice homes. We leave them every day to go sit someplace else for hours, and our homes are empty. Then, we return home, leaving those buildings empty. It’s like we have summer/winter homes but by day versus season! Do we need to daily homes?

What would happen if we didn’t return to those buildings? Now there is suddenly a ton of real estate available, often times where such space is non-existent. Let’s dream about what this space could become…

• Housing for the homeless.
• New classrooms, from elementary to university.
• Traditional hospitals, VA hospitals, children’s hospitals, or even research hospitals.
• Shopping centers focused on local businesses, providing them an opportunity to turn things around after pandemic impacts.
• Markets, like a farmer’s market, but even more with locally made goods and art.
• Museums to showcase local artists.
• Restaurant rows, where local chefs can start up and showcase their eats
• Indoor greenhouses and farms for local produce
• Rec centers, sports facilities and gyms for youth and adults

You get the idea. Just about anything really. Most of these facilities have some level of rooms and plumbing on every floor. They are already equipped with stairs, elevators, accessibility items, and safety controls. They are located in the heart of the city. They are surrounded by parking and/or public transit, making them accessible to visitors.

This could be the dawn of a new era. It could be the start of truly utilizing our technological advances to keep modernizing the world, but also bring back local commerce and community development. The opportunity to provide opportunities is abundant!

I ask you again to just imagine. Pause for a moment and think about the positive changes to the environment and the community that could be possible if we continue working from home. I’m not sure it will come to fruition, but it sure is fun to ponder!

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

Yes, This Impacted Me Too

Ever since social distancing was enacted and many folks started working from home, I have been asked every day: “This really hasn’t impacted you, has it?” Implying that because I have worked from home for some time that nothing changed.

My world has changed. Without question. Sure, I already worked at home. I have all the equipment I need. My office is comfortable and tweaked to meet my demands. But work isn’t all keyboards and monitors.

First, even the physical connections and tools for work have changed. There are far more people at home sharing the same internet connections, and more people sharing the corporate remote connection tunnels. This creates traffic jams and impacts productivity. To manage the traffic, many have been requested to stop using video during conference calls, and other conveniences like GIPHYS in collaboration tools have been disabled. Visually seeing people is a key way to connect, and I greatly miss this! It seems lonelier when it’s just disembodied voices. I also miss the humor that GIPHYS bring to lighten the mood and connect on a “real” level with people. The result is slower, less connected work on a daily basis.

Additionally, the distractions are greater. My husband is home and that creates more noise in the house. Far more people are walking around in the neighborhood and that causes my dogs to bark more, which interrupts more of my conference calls and deep thought. My mom and dad, who live next door, are watching my niece and nephew more. While I love seeing them and love being “Aunt Cortney”, when they play outside or try to wave through the window, that’s further distraction. Sometimes that’s an amazing break and sometimes it just upsets my furbabies! While it doesn’t impact me, others are also trying to be parents and teachers while also working. I'm truly grateful I'm not trying to juggle working, parenting, and teaching at the same time - bless you parents!

There are other distractions that are more mental. Every day I’m bombarded with the latest news. I’m trying to stay informed with closures and rule changes. I’m trying to check in on my friends and family, both remaining social and caring for their health. I’m so thankful that everyone in my family is healthy right now. But so many others are also sick or balancing sick families while trying to still work. I’m trying to find toilet paper, which we use more of since we’re all at home. I have to plan days in advance for grocery shopping and getting creative on how we get the goods we really need.

My days all run together. I can’t get out of the house to see my friends and family. I feel disconnected. The things I did before while working from home to be social, I can’t do any more. My getaways to help recharge my batteries, such as sports and concerts, are all canceled. There is no solid way to differentiate one day from the next. They all look the same and grow in isolation.

I’m not complaining. I’m truly not. I am very blessed to still be employed, to be able to work from home, to have my spouse do the same, to be healthy, and to be putting food on the table. My only point is that it is different. And there are emotions tied to it being different. There is loneliness, concern, frustration, depression, anxiety, and so many more. And I’m one of the lucky ones! Many others already working at home are dealing with so much more.

Understand that today, like any other day, there are constraints in peoples’ lives that impact their mental and physical state. They may not show their cards, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have struggles. Working from home before does not mean someone is not experiencing issues now.

Realize that everyone, truly everyone, has been impacted by current events. Don’t assume you know anyone’s situation. Let’s all be kind. Allow people to feel their feelings. Support one another. We’ll get through this together.

For all those new to working at home – we’re here to help.

For all my existing work at home peeps – it’s ok to need help too.

When Two Isn’t Company

I’ve worked from home 7-8 years now. (I’ve honestly lost track!) During that time, there has only been the rare day when my husband has also worked from home. He’s one of those office people. When he’s been home, it’s been novel, cute, and a bit of a treat. But then suddenly, he began working from home daily. Every. Single. Day.

I love my hubby more than anything. We had our first date 13 years ago today. I never thought having him here all day would create an impact on our work and home lives. And yet, it has. Here are some experiences and tips to cohabitate together to keep work productive and home life sane.

Physical Separation – You must be in different spaces. Preferably different rooms. You and your significant other didn’t sit across from each other before, and there is no need to now. When you learn your spouse is a “loud talker” or “dad-joke maker” or “let’s put a pin in that” person, you can never go back. You see them differently. Let them keep their work disguise on. And same for you – you don’t want them to really know how you yell at your team do you? Not only this, but it’s likely that you talk about confidential matters, you type really loud, or your mere cuteness is a distraction.

White Noise/Noise-Canceling – Even with space, it’s possible for noise to travel. Sometimes these noises are just nuisances, and sometimes these can be private conversations that really shouldn’t be overheard. You may not realize it, but most office buildings have white noise at all times. This helps to deaden the sound and keep your noise from carrying. You can do the same at home with a white noise machine or app on your phone. My prince charming shakes his leg all day. He’s a tick he has. He doesn’t do it on purpose. He’s now sitting directly above me in his office and that shakes the floor. It’s amazing how loud it is, at least when I’m used to the only noise being me. I’ve been telling “what’s her face” over here to “Play some background music” when it gets to be too much. If adding some cover-up noise doesn’t help, you can remove the noise altogether by sporting some noise-canceling headphones. The only problem here is that when I yell to tell someone to stop shaking their leg, they literally can’t hear me!

Do Not Disturb Notice – Sometimes you need to let the other one know that you cannot be interrupted. There are multiple creative ways to achieve this. You could simply text each other. You could have a sign on your door. We’ve devised a creative way with smart devices and lightbulbs. We each have a button that controls a light in the other’s office, and turns on red if in DND mode, and then cleared when not. It’s kind of like an “on air” signal. This is the least invasive way for us. It also allows us to keep the signal up for the duration of the need.

Share Your Schedule – I don’t mean you should make your calendar public. But, we do discuss meetings we have for the following day to generally understand what we have going on. In particular, if we have meetings with senior executives, are conducting training, or otherwise have some of those “do not disturb” times, we let each other know in advance. This helps us as well with managing our dogs and other potential interruptions by planning ahead. It’s even as simple as lunch. We work at different times as we support different timezones. I want to ride the bike during lunch that is next to his office. Usually that’s ok, but if he doesn’t want the TV, 3 dogs, and me at that time, letting me know allows me to shift my schedule or plan an off day.

In general, I go about my day as if my hubby isn’t here. I’m at work. He’s at work. We have work to do. He’s adjusting to working at home in general. Meanwhile, I’m adjusting to the changes his presence brings to my operating procedures. With some open communication, creativity, patience, and lots of love, we’ll be able to keep working together for as long as necessary.

To my hubby – I love you so much! Thanks for your support now and always. There’s no one else I’d rather share an office with 💕 XOXO

No Connection

We all get disconnected from time to time. Sometimes we lose our Array/VPN connections. Sometimes our internet goes down. Sometimes a particular technology has load issues. Does that mean you just hang it up for the day? No – You get creative.

Contact Information - First thing, you need to have contact information for your leaders and teammates in multiple locations. If this is only on a SharePoint list and your network connection goes down, how will you reach anyone? Even to just let them know you are down? At minimum, you should have an HR system or team list or whatever you use to track this information. You also need your backup. This could be a local copy. For me, I prefer to keep my peeps as contacts in my personal cell phone. I keep their work and personal info so that I can reach out to them via phone or text if something happens. I like to keep these on separate devices, disconnected, for disaster recovery purposes. If one is hard down, I still have the other.

Alternative Methods to Connect – Many companies and products allow for a variety of ways to interact. With email, for example, there is the email client on your computer. But there is also likely an email application you can configure on your cell phone. Collaboration tools often have the same capabilities. It may not be as easy as your connected computer, but it’s still an option.

Meetings – Most meeting clients also offer means to connect through your computer, your phone, and alternate machines. Many have smartphone applications, and almost all have a web client you can use from any device. If you are participating to listen or contribute through talking, you can still join in. Unless you are presenting content you cannot access or control effectively, or trying to look at content that’s just too small on your mobile, there’s no reason you can’t be a part of the call. (You could even listen while going for a walk and getting those steps in!)

Work Product – This is the hardest part. If you work on documentation, source code, or other artifacts that live on the network that you cannot access, there’s not much you can do here. If you have advance warning about a planned outage, you could save a local copy and then upload or merge later. If this isn’t an option, there’s still likely something you can do locally. Many people still have word processing and email applications installed on their local machines. This might be a perfect opportunity to write some of the support documentation we all neglect to do.

Training – Worst case is that you just can’t get to anything. Hard to believe with everything above, but if you can’t or the downtime is extended, it could happen. If you truly can’t do something with your work product, look at what training you could be doing. Does your employer offer books and classes online? What about training resources on the web? Or even those physical books you have on your shelf? People always complain about not having time for training, so use this as an opportunity versus a setback.

Exhaust all of these options before walking away. Your company still needs you. You might not be as productive as your usual self, but you have value to add. This will also save you from getting behind schedule when all is well again.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I was talking with one of my mentors today when I said, “So right now it’s sunny”, referring to my feelings about work. She then asks, “Are you affected by that?”

She was asking if I suffer from Season Affective Disorder (SAD). I was just referring to my mood for the week so far! But that got me thinking…

Let’s start by reviewing SAD. According to the Mayo Clinic: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons — SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. If you're like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.

Typical signs of SAD include feeling depressed (sometimes mistakenly called the “winter blues”), losing interest in activities, low energy, trouble sleeping, change to appetite or weight, difficulty concentrating, agitation, and anxiety. SAD is a legit condition that may require support from your doctor. Please don’t ignore the signs!

So how does this relate to Work at Home and my train of thought? I don’t suffer from SAD. Or do I?

One of the things I have written about time and again is that Work At Home folks need to get out of the house and be social. Humans are social creatures. And if you stay locked in your home all day, you will likely end up with cabin fever. No TV and no beer make Homer something something…

Now add on Winter. With shorter days and bitter cold, who really wants to go outside? It’s dark in the morning before you get started. It’s dark after work when you are done. Just looking out the window at grey skies is enough to make you sad. So, what do you do? You stay inside. You’re less social. You aren’t doing yard work. You’re not walking the dog. You’re a hermit until the spring thaw.

In-office workers leave the house. Granted, they must drive in the snow and ice and walk to buildings in frosty temps. But they are out of the house! You, on the other hand, never escape. You’re being held captive by your work and the seasons. There is no escape, no way out. You stare at these walls all day, every day, waiting to be released.

This is why I started looking at SAD differently. I never considered it before. But, Work At Home can actually create worse conditions for you and cause new suffering. Even if you broke free from your home, what would you do? There are no fairs, no al fresco dining, no picnics, no walking groups, etc. because it’s dark, cold, and no one wants to be outside. So how do you cope?

First, you approach SAD from a traditional mindset. Light therapy, aromatherapy, exercise, opening the curtains on the rare sunny days, manage your nutrition, and meditate. You may also need professional help with medications or talk therapy. But, when Work At Home is adding to it, you absolutely MUST create ways to get out of the house. Try new indoor activities such as paint classes, joining a gym, book clubs, wine tastings, volunteering, adult education, potlucks with friends, and so on. There are plenty of possibilities. The key is effort from you.

Sure, it’s tempting to put on your comfy pants and curl up in a blanket for the entire evening. I know my pups and I certainly enjoy that time! (Hubby does too I guess – LOL!) However, you must force yourself out into the world, or your home will consume your wellbeing. We’ve created new causes influencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, but we also hold many keys to unlock ourselves. Be free and be well!

Remote Interviewing

Interviewing for a work at home job is not much different than interviewing in-person. This all comes down to being prepared and professional. Some of the technicalities may be different, but the principles remain unchanged.

First and foremost, you should prepare to be on video. You are welcome to check with your recruiter or interviewer, but just assume you will need to be. As such, you need to ensure you have access to the proper equipment. A computer with a webcam is preferably (laptop or PC), but a phone can do in a pinch. If using a phone, be sure you can place it at a proper distance and keep it steady – this isn’t a Facetime call with your crew.

Try to log into the session days or hours ahead and become familiar with the controls. You need to ensure your video stream comes through, and know other controls for voice integration, muting, sharing your screen, and similar features that will allow you to operate within the meeting comfortably. Some meeting invites will not let you do so, but if you can, it’s well worth it. If not, try to do some research on the platform. If there’s a free trial, set up a test call with a friend to run through your setup.

This is no different than looking at Google Maps and planning your best route to your interview, understanding where to park, learning a little about the building entrance, etc. Before I interviewed at my current employer, I took a practice drive downtown the weekend before to ensure I knew where I was going and could make any adjustments.

Once you know your equipment works and you are comfortable with the logistics, prepare your location. You need to ensure you have good lighting for your video. You need to ensure you have privacy for your call. If you have distractions, such as my two furbabies, you need to find alternative solutions during that time. My girls are good almost all day, but I can bet that the mailman rings my doorbell during an important time and they start barking their heads off. You certainly don’t want that, crying children, TV noises, or other random distractions during the interview that take away from your message or make you appear unprofessional.

You need to clear your desk and check your backdrop. What is visible when you turn the camera on? Can people see the wall behind you? Your desk? Make sure these things are clear of clutter, don’t display any HR hot buttons, and don’t show anything that you wouldn’t want the world to see. A plain wall is typically best to avoid distractions and pitfalls, but tasteful art, your degree, or something you are proud to show off is welcome. There’s a fine line between professional and boring.

You should plan to present yourself as you would in-person. Be professionally dressed with hair, makeup, and accessories in check. You are welcome to display your own style, but keep interviewing best practices in mind. Try not to wear anything distracting, revealing, or controversial. Check the angle on your camera as well – what may look ok in generally may not if the camera is pointing down and staring down your shirt!

Prepare for the interview like you would any other. Do your homework. Have notes and questions ready. It’s still ok to have notes readily available, just as it’s ok to take notes. Be sure to make eye contact through to the camera and not stare at those notes or your screen.

Being able to properly conduct a remote interview is a big signal to employers on your ability to actually work from home. This is their first impression. If you can’t use the equipment, have a bad office, or don’t interact well on camera, the employer will translate this to how you do your job. Your goal in the interview is actually double what the average interviewer is trying to achieve. Not only are you trying to land a job, you are trying to convince someone that you can do that job from home.

Remember! This is still an interview. It’s not really about you. It’s about the value you can bring to them.  Be prepared to show off your unique selling features and include how working from home has made you more efficient and engaged. When the interview is through, the employers should be excited for the potential you bring and the location you bring it from.

Mess Causes Stress

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage that a clouded home/office/whatever leads to a clouded mind. Oh my, this is so true! There’s evidence supporting it! When multiple visual stimuli are competing for your attention, you have a harder time narrowing your focus to just one of them. Not to mention that voice in your head that nags you about it! This all goes back to discussions of multitasking. Your brain isn’t built for it. And, subconsciously, that is what you are asking when your trying to focus through the mess. This is amplified when you work from home. When your house is cluttered and you escape to the office, it’s easier to leave the mess behind (especially if your office is neat!)

Many of you have probably experienced the “sticky cheese in the suitcase” – a reference to Everyone Loves Raymond. In the “Baggage” episode, Ray and Debra fight for 3-weeks on who will put away the suitcase. It sits on the stairs with no one moving it. Ray even tries to up the game by putting stinky cheese in the suitcase, forcing the issue. Both believe it’s the other’s responsibility to pick it up, and it just festers. Surely you’ve had a similar situation – you’re cooked dinner and your partner needs to do the dishes. They didn’t. So now you let them pile up to prove your point. Or the laundry. Or the whatever. It’s a passive aggressive way to deal with your irritation.

First off, that really doesn’t work. You just have a mess and a messy relationship. But that’s worse now that you work at home! Your partner, child, whoever, probably gets to leave that mess behind while you stare at it all day. It’s cluttering up your mind with its mere presence, let alone the constant reminder of whatever fight you’ve dreamed up. This won’t end well.

It may be that you are the Messy Marvin. No one to blame but yourself. And that can also weigh on your psyche. You may want to be better. It may be a sign of depression or other deep rooted issues. It may just be laziness! Whatever is creating that mess will eventually mess up your ability to be your best at work. Everyone’s tolerance for clutter is different – but we all can reach that tipping point.

I do. Heck, I did last week! I actually had to take a personal day because of brain was a pile of goo. This was primarily due to cranking a bunch of work out and extra hours and overall exhaustion. But at the same time, this table area in my office that has had the same amount of stuff on it for months suddenly became too much. While I was working on this really ‘heady’ material, I found myself staring at the table and its clutter was so irritating! It bothered me every day, though for months I hadn’t noticed. So, when I was finally done with my work and my brain gave up, I took a day to clean up. It’s so nice and straight now!

Clutter can cause so much damage. It increases the stress hormone cortisol and your overall stress levels. It overwhelms your brain and you resort to coping mechanisms, such as overeating, to block the noise. It creates a health risk with odors, dust, and gross things you don’t want around. It can even be a safety concern, such as a tripping hazard or sharp object. The stinky cheese can impact your relationships. And overall, it decreases your productivity.

Now, multiply that exponentially when you work at home and never escape it. Kinda makes you want to listen to your mother and go clean your room, doesn’t it?

Peace in your Workspace

One of the major benefits of working from home is having your very own office space that you can situation exactly how you want. No office rules. No judgements. (Being mindful that you still need to observe HR rules for some things, especially if they might show up on camera!! No nudie posters behind your chair!!) I’ve written before about how to use paint colors and other office decorating tips to your advantage but want to focus on how you can incorporate peace and tranquility, maybe some magic, into that space as well.

Let’s run down what I have in my space:

• A diffuser (along with an entire collection of essential oils) – To use aromatherapy to help with motivation, concentration, eliminating headaches, or just making my space smell good.
• Other essential oils – I have multiple rollerballs within arms reach for motivation, tension, tuning in, etc. that I can apply topically for the boost or help I need.
• A salt lamp – I love the soft light it provides, plus there are multiple benefits such as improving mood, reducing stress, increasing energy, helping with seasonal affective disorder, and more.
• Crystals – Specifically citrine (attracts wealth and prosperity, helps you achieve goals), amethyst (brings stability, peace, and balance, plus helps healing with things like headaches), and clear quartz (amplifies energy and thought, promotes creativity).
• Crystal Chakra Suncatcher – Refracts beautiful rainbows reminding me of the wonders of nature and the fun of life. Plus, it brings back fond memories of playing with the suncatcher at my Grandma’s house as a kid.
• Chakra Stones – Heart-shaped, colored for chakra, used in meditation and mindful awareness
• Journal – To get thoughts out of my head to clear them away, or to provoke inner exploration. I try to journal a little each day, usually before work, but each day is unique. Somedays have prompts, somedays are just about releasing.
• Cell Phone – This may sound funny, but it’s where I have my guided meditation app, along with my goal tracker, and other related utilities.

I’m sure there’s more, but you get the idea. Now, you may be thinking you are walking into the office of a hippie, and you might be, but I would bet that you actually wouldn’t pick up on too much of these things. They aren’t in your face. And of course, they are in competition with my desk, my electronics, my easy chair, etc. So, they are here, but they are subtle.

All of these things help me raise my vibrations to perform better each day. There’s wise convention in both Eastern and Western interpretations of the world, and my office is the perfect balance of both.

Since you now work at home, you can consider working similar “alternative” support into your office. With more space and less judgement, you are free to explore and open your mind to alternatives. It doesn’t have to be everything, but maybe pick one thing you’ve been interested in and see how you like it. See if it helps, which I’m betting it will. Use your office as a way to give you competitive edge and increase your inner peace.

Namaste.

What is Networking?

What is networking? Merriam-Webster defines it as “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.” But if you’re like me this immediately brings up the idea of a stuffy hotel conference room, people in business suits wearing name tags, making small talk and exchanging business cards. Sure, now they are hosted at cooler places, but still. I know I don’t go to those things and find them to be torture.

My observation with those typical kinds of networking situations is that you have 2 types of people there: 1) Sales people looking to find their next lukewarm sales call instead of cold-calling, or 2) People looking desperately for a job, seeking anyone they can sell themselves to. Herein lies the problem. Everyone is in it for themselves. There’s no cultivation of a relationship. There’s only “what’s in it for me.” And if everyone goes in for selfish reasons, everyone leaves with nothing.

I often get asked how to network when you work from home. It’s not really any different from how you would network in the office, if you truly understand what networking is about. For a network to take shape, it takes… WORK! It’s in the root of the word! It’s so obvious!

Networks must be about giving more than taking. How much do you like being with that coworker or friend that always forgets their wallet or relies on you for everything? At some point, you burn out. So, don’t be that person in your networking relationships. Oh, and every relationship is a networking relationship!

Too many people think that networking is about some formal engagement and must be with people either at their company or in their field. This could not be further from the truth! Each and every interaction has the potential to go from casual to meaningful if you treat it as such. This means your neighbors, your volunteer organizations, your friends, you coworkers, you church, your whatever! Why? Well, you never know when that florist you talk to at your volunteer gig each day is best friends with the hiring manager of the firm you are applying to! Or maybe they worked at the company or in the field you are interested in previously. Or they know of some great book or mentor or other connection that proves to be what you need to get where you want to be. The more real connections you have, the more opportunities await.

More importantly, however, is your participation in those engagements. How much are you helping others? How much are you giving back to the community and people in your network? How much as you branding yourself in your journey? You have to work at yourself and cultivating the relationships. Only if you water your “network” will it actually grow into one. Your garden won’t grow just because you want it to!

How does this change when you work at home? It doesn’t. It goes back to networking being WORK. Are you actively participating in work and community activities where you are giving more than taking? It’s just that simple. You can’t join a group and ride its coattails. You can’t sit on the sidelines and expect magic by proximity. Give and you shall receive.

Can't find my way home

Today I had a meeting regarding a presentation I’ve been asked to do for my company, largely focused on networking, branding, and self-promotion when you work at home. All of these are topics I love to discuss, so I’m really excited for the opportunity. To give them more background on me, I sent them links to my past presentations and this blog.

In our meeting today, they wanted to discuss the title for the session, brainstorm the direction, and requested my bio – all things that are easy. Then they said they wanted to be sure to provide a link to my blog in the registration for the session. Here was an “Oh Fudge” moment.

Not that I am embarrassed. I’m 1000% behind everything I have written here. It only served to remind me that I hadn’t written in so long. I had a long break, had one post to say I would do it again, and then poof. No more words. Had I run out of things to say? To know me is to know that couldn’t be farther from the truth! So what then?

Turns out, I’ve slipped into the things I would advise people not to do. I stopped eating my own dogfood, and now I’m eating my words. I used to wake up at the same time as I did going to the office, and initially used that extra time for a walk. Rain or shine, I was dedicated. I’d have a nice breakfast, watch the news, and kick-start my day with that extra hour working from home provided me. Today, I woke up at 7AM (after setting the alarm for 6:30AM and allowing myself to reset it – something I NEVER used to do.) I spent the next 20 minutes or so laying in bed snuggling with my dogs. This is truly quality time though! It’s my 2^nd favorite moment of the day! (The first is before-bedtime snuggles!) I putzed around getting dressed and whatnot. I came down and fed my pups, took my vitamins, and grabbed my graham crackers to take to my desk. I sat down at 7:58AM to start my day, breakfast waiting to be consumed.

Here I am now, during my lunch, writing this blog – but that started as the intent to work through lunch. Had my plate at my desk and my laptop open. I was getting ready to work on the aforementioned presentation, but found my mind stuck in my hypocrisy. So, at least I stopped working today to work on something else.

All this is to say that no one is perfect. Clearly I’ve slipped into some habits that won’t bring me the most success or make me my best version of me.

I’m starting over, again. My goal is to have more posts before my presentation at the end of the month. I want to reawaken the wonders of working from home, along with my spirit. So, feel free to keep me honest! Comment or post of you don’t see traction. Or send me questions you’d like me to address. This is a journey we’ll take together. Here’s to the next first step.

Julie & Julia

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I’ve written here. What the heck happened? I still work at home, and I’m still passionate about it, so it’s time to dust off the keyboard. I’ve even had people at the office call me out about it. One person did so during a class I was teaching to hundreds of people! Dang, girl! I get you!

As I sat here during the last week, trying to decide if I was going to blog or do something else, I stumbled upon “Julie & Julia” on one of the movie channels. In fact, I think I watched parts of it on three separate occasions! It was like a sign. If you blog it, they will come. Somehow watching this movie about someone else blogging was reiterating that our unique voices, are meant to be heard.

I did consider alternate means for sharing about the work-at-home experience. And I’m still open to that. Do you have suggestions? Would Instagram or Twitter be better? How about some cute inspirational quotes and lots of hashtags? Whatever gets your attention – This is all about sharing experiences so that we all become better people.

So why did I take a year off? I guess it was just life. Sometimes that happens to the best of us. I honestly lost myself for a bit. Lost my drive. Lost my passion. I took on too much, and it eventually showed. So with this new year, I am focusing on a new word: BALANCE. I’m also focusing more on: ME. It’s not selfish. I can’t be of any good to others if I’m not good to myself. That focus includes removing things I don’t have to do and don’t enjoy, and adding more things I want to do because I want to! Weirdly, writing is one of those things.

If you’re working at home and feel a little lost, a little alone, a little meh – realize that it’s natural and ok. The most important thing is that you realize where you are, and when its right for you, you take back control.

So here I am, back and ready to share. And I didn’t even have to debone a duck.

New Year’s Resolution

It’s that time of year again, when everyone says goodbye to the year past and makes promises to change something for the better in the next. Typically these resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more, increase time with friends, decrease time with the TV, etc. Why not take a look at your work-at-home situation and see what may need some fresh perspective there as well?

When you work from home, you have some advantages over folks in the office, especially as it relates to change. Many things are within your direct control. So, take a step back and take a close look…

Consider changing your office around. Move the furniture. Change it to a different room. Do something to mix it up and break up what has become the “same old, same old”.

Repaint! Color psychologists believe that the colors in your environment can have profound impacts on your emotions and productivity. For example, green is considered a restful color for your eye. It may be good to have green walls to give your eyes a break from staring at your computer monitor. Green is also said to help you relax and unwind, which may help you if you are in a high-stress position. Blue is said to help lower blood pressure and slow heart rates. However, it can also be perceived as chilly. So if you typically get cold or don’t get much sunlight, consider another color or some warm accents.  If your office is in a tiny spot, consider painting it white to help it feel open and airy. Tread lightly around colors like red (too passionate), orange (appetite stimulant), and black (melancholy). It’s your room – paint it what works for you!

Sitting is the new cancer, so they say. Consider altering your office to allow you to stand, such as a higher desk or even a treadmill desk. A wireless headset may help you break free from the desk cord and stand or pace while working, even with your traditional desk. A balance ball could replace your chair and help you at least work on your posture and core while sitting. Bonus: When used for work purposes, many of these can be tax deductions!

Take a fresh look at your routine. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating a healthy lunch? Are you taking routine breaks? Are you getting your exercise time in? If not, adjust! Go to bed earlier, get up earlier, change your lunch time, or do whatever minor schedule changes it takes to work in those habits. Remember, you aren’t sitting in traffic coming or going to work. That’s bonus time you need to put to good use. Know your power hours, when you are most productive, and align your work time to those hours, reserving the remaining time for other activities.

Turn on your camera! If you are feeling disconnected, multi-task crazy, or maybe even just a little lazy, then make sure you are using your webcam. The camera will be an instant connection with your coworkers. It will also typically force you to be more accountable towards your participation and personal appearance. Not many people want to be on camera in their jammies. And it’s hard to fake engagement in the conversation when people can see you looking at your phone. So, if you can’t trust yourself, trust others to watch you!

These are just a few ideas to help stimulate the conversation. The key to making any change is you. You must see the need for a change, want to change, and put the change into action.

Don’t let work-from-home become so monotonous that you take it for granted. Keep pushing yourself to be better so that you can keep this awesome perk and show everyone just how valuable this option is. Look out 2017 – we’re coming for you!

Virtual Holiday Party

One of the things I hear when teams work from home is that they can’t have parties together and feel left out of the merriment, especially around the holidays. It’s hard to have everyone over to one house and share in the libations of the season and the comradery. Well sure, if you don’t have the budget to fly your team from around the country to one location then you won’t be physically together – but it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a good time!

Yesterday, I had the joy of hosting a virtual holiday party for our department. It was the first I’d conducted of this size and breadth, so honestly it was an experiment. I’ve been receiving great feedback from it, so I’ll deem it a success and share some of the activities here with you.

I’ll start by noting that this was a nondenominational, represent all areas as fairly as possible, yada yada yada event. Essentially – it was clear that it was not required, not discriminatory, and no reason to call HR. The event was 1.5 hrs, and everyone was invited to come if they could for as little or as much as their schedule permitted. Again, it’s optional, and don’t screw up your work priorities. So much red tape!

The most important aspect of ensuring success (besides people participating with jolly spirit) is utilizing a web collaboration tool with the right bells and whistles. In this case, we wanted audio and video, the ability to screen share, the ability to chat publicly and privately, and the ability to annotate/draw on presentations and whiteboards. Not asking for much, right?

To get everyone in the right mindset, we asked folks to dress in their favorite holiday garb, such as an “ugly sweater” or a reindeer ears, and be prepared to turn on their cameras (even if not dawning their flavorful apparel). I was wearing a silly shirt with a light-up holiday lights necklace and light-up bouncy Santa hat. We had others in Santa hats, a cute snowflake headband, reindeer headbands, and so on. And of course some that sported their everyday wear. Either way, it was great to see their faces. By using a collaboration tool that syncs audio and video, we were able to see whoever was talking as well as the others “in the room” and be together.

Our first activity was easy. I displayed a weather map for this coming Sunday and had folks use their annotation tools to share where they would be. This sparked conversation about who was traveling, and who was jealous of the Florida warmth versus the Wisconsin snow.

Our next activity was to decorate gingerbread houses. I shared an image of two houses, just their structure, and had folks use the various drawing tools to decorate at their will. So this may sound silly for adults. And you may be thinking about how you wouldn’t do it. All of these activities are only as fun as you elect to make them. This wasn’t fun because of the coloring. It was fun to tease people about the way it was done! We had a house with dots that someone said was chicken pox, and that opened a door for mockery. We had some good artists drawing trees and animals in the windows. We had a not-so-good artist attempting what was claimed to be a reindeer, but it really was just a Pandora’s box for entertainment.

Up next was “Name That Tune”. I asked folks to get a pen and piece of paper and write down their answers as I presented a lyric from a popular holidays song and they guessed the song title. The fun for me was trying to say the lyric in a non-sing-song way! The team was having fun talking about how little they knew or how embarrassing it was that they couldn’t recall. People were asking “Where’s the Led Zeppelin” and other comments sparking laughter while guessing. During the reveal, I actually sung the lyric (how embarrassing!) and most people immediately knew the answer. There was also plenty of debate over what could be deemed as an acceptable answer. The winner got bragging rights.

Activity Four was probably my favorite. We played “Pictionary”, or a rendition thereof. Using private IM, I would send a person the name of the popular holiday movie. On the collaboration whiteboard, they would then have to draw it and see if others could guess it. Let’s just say that some people should keep their day jobs! The guesses on some of the less artistic ones were truly hilarious and kept the conversions flowing.

The final activity was another pen and paper game. I showed images of the Top 10 Holiday Toys for 2016 (per CNN) and would see if people could guess them correctly. Of course, I started by showing some top toys from the 80’s and 90’s, which sparked nostalgic conversations. The reveal included the prices, so that became interesting fodder as well. We talked about each toy, and the team would explain it for those that weren’t familiar. Speak Out happened to be on the list, so then a team member demoed the game and we played a round or two. (If you haven’t seen it or played, check it out – it is a laugh!) That was probably the funniest moment of the entire event! I can’t even repeat the guesses!!

We had great participation and made every activity fun because we wanted it to be. The spirit and open-mind of each team member, along with the advanced preparations, were the keys to making this event so successful. I received feedback from the staff such as “I truly enjoyed yesterday’s party”, “Who knew {person A}, {person B}…et al were so much fun…!!”, and “Thanks for everyone that joined the Holiday party and made it so much fun. I now cannot stop singing Christmas songs!!! Feliz blah blah blah..." (inside joke from the event and my husband!)

It just goes to show that distance is no excuse for not gathering together to celebrate each other’s company and have a good time.

Happy Holidays

Very thankful

“Thanksgiving after all, is a word of action.” -W.J. Cameron

There’s no better time to reflect on all that work-at-home has provided me and give thanks for the life it allows me to lead. Too often, we don’t step back and realize what a gift we’ve been given, and working from home is truly that. So looking back at some moments from this year…

I am thankful that I was home with Gidget in her final months. In between meetings, I was able to take her outside and clean up any accidents. And while on meetings, I was able to hold her in my arms and help her feel secure and loved. My husband and I are both convinced that she would have left us much earlier if she had not had mommy at home to help. It was no disruption to my work day, but made a huge impact on her quality of life.

I am thankful that I was home when my husband had his shoulder surgery. Again during breaks, I was able to get him his meds, change his ice, help him get around, and so on during those first weeks of recovery. Had I not been working from home, I likely would have had to take time off to be at home. This way, I was able to do all of my work and take care of him when he needed help.

I am thankful that the late nights, early mornings, working lunches, and weekends were conveniently in my home. I don’t enjoy when those happen, but it it’s part of the job sometimes. Instead of spending time commuting for extra work, I was able to just work. Instead of worrying about safety in a dark building in a dark parking lot all alone, I was home and secure. Instead of feeling isolated from my family and neglectful, I was still able to pet Lucy and talk with my husband. That takes a little of the sting out!

I am thankful that I can wear comfy clothes each day. It saves a ton on wardrobe money! But it also allows me to take Lucy for a walk during lunch or get work done around the house with ease. In doing so, emptying the dishwasher and doing laundry during my lunchbreak saved me time in the evening to spend with my family and friends.

I am thankful that I was at home while we had our deck project taking place. I was able to check in on the progress of the build and correct any issues in a timely manner, and see things in their “in between” state, catching issues that may have been covered up. This wasn’t a picnic, and drove me a little crazy, but I’m glad I was able to ensure things were done properly.

I am thankful that my lunchbreaks are “my” time. In addition to chores and taking walks, I am able to just chill in front of the TV if I need a break. During the summer, I was able to go tend to my yard and enjoy that new deck. And I was able to visit with my niece and nephew, whom I absolutely adore! They brighten any day!

I am thankful that on those rainy and snowy days, I don’t have to drive. I’m not fond of driving on slippery surfaces (dating back to a horrible wreck in college), and not having to deal with that keeps so much stress away. Not to mention, I get more time being productive at work rather than doubling my time in traffic. And, believe it or not, I’m thankful even for the “snow days”, where I still have to work when others don’t. I’ll gladly work on those quiet days and keep the wheels on the bus in trade for everything I get back.

I am thankful that when my grandmother fell at my parent’s house, I was able to get right over there. No driving, no fuss. I was out the door and able to help in 5 minutes. I’m sure my mom is thankful for that as well!

I am thankful for the opportunity to explore this new work-at-home passion. Because of this arrangement, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to write, present, and coach on this subject and open up a career path and affinity for helping others that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I’ve met many new people, and hopefully had a positive influence on most. Most of these folks I’ve never even met!

I am thankful for the extra time I have in the morning before work, because I am not driving, to spend working on my volunteer activities. I’ve donated over 300 hours of my time this year to charity, compared to last year’s 30 hours. Each extra minute I have not in traffic, not walking to a building, not putting on makeup can become a minute used to help others.

I am thankful for a year in my new role and the ability to continue to be a valued contributor. Distance has not kept me from making an impact. In many cases, I believe the quiet time, comfortable space, and ability to concentrate has made that impact far greater than if I had been in the office.

I am so very, very thankful that I get to work from home each day.