Tuesday, October 21, 2008

"You should make your bed. It sets the tone for the whole day."

I heard this line on a movie trailer commercial. I haven't seen the movie nor do I remember the title of the movie (If you do, let me know...I'd like to see it). It stood out for me because I work from home, two minute commute and all. I noticed at that very moment, that I hadn't been making my bed in the morning anymore. When I was a corporate slave, I made it almost everyday, out of sheer habit after I got dressed. Since I now spend the first two or three hours of each day in my PJs, I just blew off the "quick tidy up before I leave" until much later in the day, if I do it at all.
To this end, I realized today, my house is a mess. I spend most of the day here and it is a disaster. How can that be, I asked myself? It's really quite simple. I no longer have a set pattern of behaviours that used to be habits. Make the bed before you leave, sort the mail when you come home, eat dinner and wash the dishes, laundry on Sunday. There is no delineation between work and home anymore. It's just work and decompress time. Now, I realize that when I decided to open and operate my own business that my lifestyle would have to change dramatically. Almost everything I do is geared toward growing my business and working for my clients. I feel guilty when I stop and take time to do things for myself. That is not making money, working toward success, staying focused, etc...or is it?
Perhaps making your bed does set the tone for the day. Doing nice things for yourself and keeping your home like a home may actually benefit your business indirectly and positively in the long run. The "experts" all say that when you operate a home based business, you have to avoid being distracted by your life. The question for me, however seems to be "How do I break away from work and find my life?"

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