You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Note: We periodically delete user accounts with zero posts. Not to worry, those with one or more posts are unaffected.
Just started a new gig where I'm working from home 90% of the time for a large company... would love any advice and suggestions on how to make sure I can be the most effective. This is the first time that I've been able to do this being married and also being a father... so any tips on how to navigate those issues, establishing boundaries, etc...?
Would love the advice.
Buy good closed back headphones. Have a dedicated space with a door you can shut. Teach kids how to answer the phone with good manners. Get out of the house once or twice week to a coffee shop or something.
Ah... she's not old enough to answer the phone... yet... but she does like my iphone. Coffee shop... leaving the house... means I'd have to invest in some wifi. doh! thanks for the suggestions!
Like yr website, h3! 
You might want to check out the thread that Natalie Jost kicked off, although I don't know that the article she was working on has yet been published. Will be good when it arrives, I expect.
Ah... she's not old enough to answer the phone... yet... but she does like my iphone. Coffee shop... leaving the house... means I'd have to invest in some wifi. doh! thanks for the suggestions!
Oh - no free wifi by you?
It'd be worth it regardless, IMHO. I can go quite a while at home, but then have days where I just have to get out - see the sun, interact with people, etc. And -just because it's cool to sit at a coffee shop and get paid...;)
The thread DjR referred has plenty coming from me. I will add that it works best if I can hit work hard early in the morning. That makes me more available for things that come up throughout the day.
And I don't use headphones at all... partly cause I have trouble working while listening to music. But my wife has to make an effort not to distract me... until a coffee break. 
1) Find the time you work best (like Leovenous, mine is the early AM), 2) get a comfortable chair, nice monitor, kb, and mouse, 3) As Mike Boyink said, get out of the house on occasion.
I live in Austin, actually Cedar Park, and there are plenty of places that offer free wi-fi if you have a laptop. I recently got tired of my old laptop that would only last 45 min on battery by picking up a used Macbook Pro for about half the price of a new one. It isn't the latest, but it allows me to work "offsite" when I want to get out of the house. Let me know what part of Austin you live and we could meet up, if you need an excuse to get out of the house
Oh, and a bonus: 4) establish a 'closed door' policy with the family - if the door is closed, please don't interrupt unless of a fire or loss of limb. I have a 5 year old that understands that now
and always record your hours and what you do...then you can look back and see what was done and if improvements can be made.