Making Your Job Right at Home

I "met" Julie Sanders through The M.O.M. Initiative, a group of mothers who help women walk through motherhood. In this post, Julie helps us UPGRADE our home life by encouraging those of us who work from home.

"If you clock in and out from your own house," Julie says, "it doesn’t take long to figure out it takes work to work from home."

As a stay-at-home mom and then a woman working from her home, I (Dawn) emphatically agree with that statement! Successful work-at-home occupations don't magically happen. It take intentionality and often, creative thinking. That's why I love Julie's approach to working from our homes.

Julie continues ...

There was a time when I left each morning to go to a place I called “work,” a place I left behind each evening. When I took on a new position with the perk of flexibility, I found myself staying at the house to tackle my new to-do list and put in my allotted hours.

I loved being free to toss in a load of laundry, and my family loved knowing I was available, but the benefits soon turned into burdens.

I worked harder than ever to keep up with family needs and to perform well at the job that sent me a paycheck. Before I knew it, signs of my employment turned up all around the house, and my flexible work from home position started to engulf my time and energy, as well as my joy of being at home.

Surely I could contribute to family finances, use my abilities, and enjoy family life while being employed from home in a way that honored God and my loved ones. After all, I was doing my best to do my work “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17)—to “do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).

Something had to change.

Four decisions made the difference.

1. Accept your limitations.

You may be doing new tasks from the comfort of your home, but added work means added time, energy, and concentration.

An industrious woman may envision herself with bottomless resources to match her motivation, but we all have our limits.

God is honored and our families are loved when we recognize the portion God has given us and use it wisely. This means we must accept our limitations.

2. Be realistic.

Though your added work takes place where your family lives, employment tasks are distinct from and in addition to routine needs.

The entire household needs to adjust their expectations of what mom’s day includes. Everyone benefits from a clear understanding of the job description and requirements.

3. Communicate your needs.

If working from home is going to work, clear and complete communication between family members is essential.

• How does the schedule look?
• What assistance do you need?
• What boundaries are required?
• How does everyone need to flex?

No one will know the challenges, and you won’t know your family’s feelings, unless you all communicate.

4. Do yourself a favor.

Instead of envisioning a seamless transition to work life at home, do yourself a favor and intentionally plan to take care of yourself, your family, and your spirit. Recognize potential stressors and counter them by making the care of your own spirit and body a priority.

Identify your family’s needs so they don’t get lost in the paperwork or quotas.

A host of benefits come with working from home, so don’t let the challenges intimidate or overwhelm you. With a little effort, your job can feel right at home.

What would your family life and work life look like if working from home was a success?

Julie Sanders works from home as an author and Women’s Ministry Director. Mother of two nearly-grown children, she enjoys opportunities to minister overseas with her husband. Her local and global ministry to women has made her passionate about the issue of human trafficking. Discover more about Julie at her blog.

Photo in Text: adapted, Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net