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Working from Home is a CHALLENGE!

By Dawn Brenengen

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Dawn Brenengen - Trailwood Realty 202789

May 06, 2011 10:03 AM

Since I left my big box real estate company last year, I have been working from my home full time. I have a lovely home office upstairs that I haven’t used for the last six months, instead choosing to completely cover the kitchen room table in papers and equipment.

Kitchen Table

Finally, after being fed up with eating at the coffee table, I have officially moved my lazy butt upstairs to do some work. I had a whole second floor to my home that I never saw.

The biggest challenge is not knowing when to stop working and when to start paying attention to my husband or just relax. There is always another email to answer or a CMA to do, and I often find myself dragging my laptop down to the couch or bringing it to bed. I think my husband is pretty fed up with it! I start at 9:00 and typically go to 7:30 when my husband comes home. Then we eat dinner, and I get back to work until bedtime. Usually, I am sitting with him while the TV is going. Home Office

Does anyone else have this problem? For those of you who have managed o find a good work/life balance, how do you do it?

I will say that my company is new, and I have to dedicate a LOT of time to get it off the ground. I will also say that my husband is a dear, and he would never make me feel bad about working too much. Our dishes are not done. The laundry is not folded. The carpet is not vacuumed, and he feels just as responsible for the mess (I hope).

Does anyone have any good time management tricks, or is this just the way it for everyone who runs their own business?

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Tony Morganti

RE/MAX Crossroads in Cuyahoga Falls and Stow, Ohio - Cuyahoga Falls, OH

CRS, ABR, SRES - Cuyahoga Falls, Stow

Dawn - I have been working from home for about 6 years now and it has been one of the better moves I have made. I certainly can identify with what you are going through. What works for me is when I decide that enough is enough, I close the door to my office and stop answering the phone. I will check messages but only return calls that are of a critical nature. Everything else can wait until tomorrow. You do not need to be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and your clients need to know that you aren't.

May 06, 2011 01:07 PM

Robert Amato

Bob Amato of Empire Home Mortgage Inc - East Meadow, NY

Dawn,

One bit of advice. Don't forget to devote some attention to your husband. A relationship needs to be nurtured and you constantly have to be changing your environment to be reminded why you fell in love with your spouse in the first place.

May 06, 2011 01:16 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Dawn...For many of us, once we got our first lap top, our office was whereever we were. I think that still applies for me. I have an office at the office and I have a very large one at home. Right now I'm on the couch in our sun room. What's important is that it is necessary to shut down once in a while.

Kate

May 06, 2011 01:51 PM

Loreena and Michael Yeo

3:16 team REALTY ~ Locally-owned Prosper TX Real Estate Co. - Prosper, TX

Real Estate Agents

I didn't realize the significance of working from home, or how much I do it until just recently. I never stop.

May 06, 2011 02:35 PM

Bill Ness

55Places.com - Chicago, IL

55Places.com, Active Adult Community Guide

Dawn I used to work in an office with those same cookies! Now I work from a new office space yet I still do a lot from home. I agree I tend to get more done in less time when I'm actually at my office OR if I do work from home I really need to concentrate meaning turn off the TV and radio, and try not to get distracted on the Internet! Good luck!

May 06, 2011 03:07 PM

Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly Right Real Estate

Kelly Right Real Estate - Hood River, OR

Customized Choices for your Real Estate Needs

I have to admit my working at home habits are not as good as they should be. I enjoy sitting in bed and working on my laptop at times (guess where I am right now!). I always say I need to get more organized and set hours to work. Blogs like yours might help motivate me to do so.

Gretchen

May 06, 2011 04:00 PM

Dawn Brenengen

Dawn Brenengen - Trailwood Realty - Raleigh, NC

Sales and Management

I even have a mini table that I can set my heavy 17" laptop on so I can lay in bed or on the couch and still have a work surface. *Sigh* I need help........

Bob and Jeff - thanks for the reminder. I'm in a new marriage, and I make it a point to spend some quality time with hubby once in a while. I would love to have more, but he's a very understanding guy. Besides, if I'm busy he can watch sports and UFC uninterrupted ☺

May 06, 2011 04:07 PM

Nina Kuhl

Cherry Creek Properties, LLC - Denver, CO

Realtor - Denver Colorado Homes

I've been working from home and find that time management is very important. Just as a I schedule client meetings and business work, I also schedule personal time including yoga, spending time with the kids doing homework, and attempting to make dinner. Good luck and I'm sure you will figure out the balance.

May 06, 2011 04:21 PM

Tammie White, Broker

Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN

Franklin TN Homes for Sale

I also work from home but I do other things too. My husband is retired so if he wants to go out for lunch, I do it. Although, my husband has really taken over most of the household duties, I will sometimes go throw in a load of laundry just to get away from my desk. But most of my writing and posting happens after everyone has gone to sleep. I'm trying to change my night-owl ways and get up earlier in the morning to do these things, but it's just not working. I think better at night when it's nice and quiet.

May 06, 2011 05:35 PM

Evelyn Kennedy

Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA

Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Dawn:

I guess we all have the problem of working long hours. I have to schedule breaks otherwise I would go on and on like the energizer bunny.

Whats with all the spam?

May 06, 2011 06:06 PM

Laurie C. Bailey-Gates

Robert Paul Properties - Barnstable, MA

ABR, SFR

That's funny. I tried it for a few years and I just found new distractions. The dog, the cat and the vaccuum cleaner got more attention than my CMA. Procrastination and house chores took precedent. I ended up getting shared office space with others and it really helped with networking. Since they all have their own businesses there is no office politics and when we meet at the water cooler it sometimes gives me a boost. I am much more focused and now I need to hire a house cleaner.

Laurie

May 06, 2011 11:35 PM

Richie & You

pearlsforthesoul.com - Cedar City, UT

Author & Consultant

Water seeks its own levels after while....The learning curve will reveal in time how all things in your world can get the attention required....then, eventually it is only the squeaky wheel that will need oiling

May 07, 2011 02:55 AM

Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner

Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA

Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Ah....I hear this a lot. I've worked from home most of my life as an outside salesperson....love it. Going into an office takes up precious time from my day and half the time the salespeople just chat and go to lunch. That's a wasted day.

I have a home office (fairly new, by the way) it had always been there also, but I admit I had my laptop and printer in our "great room" downstairs so I could be a part of everything. Now...I work upstairs. My office is perfect, though...it has an arched opening which allows me to be a part of the house and see the front door and living room....so I'm not isolated.

At night....or off hours, I use my Tab to keep in touch. I monitor emails etc....and can do alot of my work directly from it. But if I really need to run upstairs to do something in the evening, I see it and then I can to it.

May 07, 2011 05:50 AM

Virginia (Ginger) Schott

Cabins & Canoes - Port Jervis, NY

Assoc. Broker, CBR, CHMS

Wow is that familar, my husband built me a lovely office in the basement, but I find myself using the dining room table, my lap in the living room when I'm at home. I find I'm productive in my home office, but I hardly ever make it down there. Something comes up my briefcase and phone are in the dining room where I droped them when I came in and it's off to work I go. I also find I can't put down my blackberry, ever time that little bell goes off for an email, I have to pick it up. My husband joked today (after watching GMA), that he is putting me on a technology diet. That's one diet, I'm going to fight.

May 07, 2011 07:39 AM

Julie Baldino

Front Door Realty - Vancouver, WA

Opening Doors to New Chapters...

Dawn - I am in the process of waiting for my new office to open, and have had to work from home in the interim. I feel like I work more than before, but don't get enough done. Too many distractions! I just posted this on facebook: "Meet my new assistant. Sleeps on the job all the time, but never argues!"

May 09, 2011 11:36 AM

Ken Barker Realtor® GRI, E-Pro Certified

Dilbeck Real Estate - Burbank, CA

Dawn - I have to say one main thing as to your family life. You control it. You have the ability to shut it off at night and be with the hubby and the kitty and whomever else. It is within your control. It is your choice to go upstairs or have the laptop in bed, WHICH I WOULD NEVER PUT UP WITH.
Having said that, I have had a home office set-up for most of my 9 years. I get distractions and I shut them out. I don't like to go in to the office often either as I try just a couple times a week because I get other things done that I have to pay for whether there or not.
ALSO, I do have my laptop on all night but mostly on AR. But my spouse does too.

You control what you want to control.

May 09, 2011 02:37 PM

Dawn Brenengen

Dawn Brenengen - Trailwood Realty - Raleigh, NC

Sales and Management

Julie - Your assistant bears a striking resemblance to MY assistant!

Ken - It's hard to balance desiring and seeking success with the rest of my life. It's all very intertwined, and I'm working on untangling. There just aren't enough hours in the day!

Karen and Virginia - a laptop really does make it convenient to bring the office to all parts of the house.

Tammie - I am putting work to the side quite a bit on the weekend to spend some time with hubby while he's off. I'm just finding that on Monday, I am spending the whole day catching up on things I should have already done.

May 09, 2011 04:01 PM

Maya Swamy

Funds Available - Long Beach, CA

Ph.D. Long Beach, CA - fundsavailable.com

I seem to work from when I brush my teeth to when I brush my teeth

May 11, 2011 05:49 PM

Lee & Pamela St. Peter

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty: (919) 645-2522 - Raleigh, NC

Making Connections to Success in Real Estate

❦ Love this post Dawn! Working from home is an art...

I love it! I too have my furry distractions but I can get done roughly 3 times more than in a conventional office setting. Less distractions (even though I know there's something I could be doing out 'there') I can get up REALLY early and start blogging which is my favorite time.

Do schedule appointments though, as getting out is very important... All the best and congrats on the feature!
Pamela

Jun 02, 2011 12:59 AM

Dawn Brenengen

Dawn Brenengen - Trailwood Realty - Raleigh, NC

Sales and Management

I try to schedule at least one thing outside of the house each day so I have a reason to shower ☺ My cats don't care if I smell funny, but clients and customers do!

Jun 02, 2011 02:55 AM

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