My New Boss Is Kind of a Jerk

Hi there.

So this is strange. I wake up in the morning, sip my coffee, read some news, and then sit down at the kitchen table to work.

Working from home is weird.

It's been one week, and I've been insanely busy. Amidst all of it, it isn't lost on me that I get to do this work from wherever I want. For all of you who have worked from home for years — I'm honored to join the club.

Having never worked from home, I always had good excuses for why it wouldn't be a good fit. "I don't think I'd be able to stay focused." "I'd get distracted by doing laundry and cleaning." "I'd have a hard time sticking to a schedule if I didn't have to clock in." They were convenient reasons. They were also untested.

After one week, none of those are the challenge I imagined.

The real challenge is not working too much. It's incredibly easy to work all day. A good friend asked me how my new boss is treating me, and I told him: "He's kind of a jerk. He made me start at 7am, it's nearly 10pm and I'm still working." The work is exciting and new and fun, so it's easy to do. I just need to make sure I don't burn out in the first month, before the doors even open.

So I'm putting up some guardrails. When I get to spend time with the kiddos, I want to spend time with the kiddos — not thinking, "I still need to do this," or "I haven't reviewed that yet." The laptop is a good rule for me: when it's out, it's time to work. Put it away when work time is done.

I still need a schedule. Mine for the last 15 years was: 1) wake up and morning routine, 2) leave the house for work, 3) work till 5pm, 4) free time. That doesn't translate. I'd like to build in some real blocks of time and make an ideal structured week. There are a million books on exactly this, and I'll read a few of them. But for the next few weeks, I'm embracing the chaos.

And here's the part I didn't see coming: I can carry my chair out to the front porch and work through a gorgeous Michigan summer. I absolutely love being outside, and getting to work out there fills me with joy.

I'm so grateful for this opportunity. We're moving forward!

Until next time, God Bless.

Ian