Wacko Families Operator's Manual
by Dan Reinhold
Published on this site: September 23rd, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
You hear about them, read about them...heck, our entire entertainment
industry is almost exclusively based on them.
But can you admit that you belong to one??
It's a never-ending waking nightmare. 24/7/365, you have
FAMILY.
There is some escape possible. When you worked outside the
home, you left to go to your job and were pretty much free
while you were away, except for the occasional annoying call.
Then you went and blew it. You decided to work at home.
The particulars don't matter, not the what, for whom or even
why. You're at home.
Now consider the wiring of most people today in our society.
"Work" and "home" have always been separate
places and functions. When you're "at work", you're
working. When you're "at home", you're not. Nice,
easy, simple and understandable concept that kept everyone
nodding and smiling like bobbleheads.
Think, then, of how haywire this rusty old wiring becomes
when it tries to comprehend "working at home". Ouch.
You may know the what, for whom and why. I would certainly
hope you do. Your family ( a loose configuration of various
real and "honorary" relatives you either married
or have known forever) only knows that you are "at home."
Does not compute, does not compute...
That's the reason why they don't get it.
You're there at home, open, vulnerable, accessible, recruitable.
To them, you can't "work" while you're "at
home." In their eyes, you're JUST "at home"
and so all the "at home" rules apply.
This is where "home business" and "home employment"
rules are born and nourished and grown until all family (well,
alright...most) can recognize and interpret them to the best
of their old wiring's ability.
You GOTTA:
Use workspeak. Set your "work hours" in your "work
schedule" and "go to work" and "be working"
when it's time to do so.
Work when you're working. No one makes a living playing Tetris
or Doom, except the game testers. Unless your paychecks are
from a game testing company, try sticking to business. That
goes for IM and chatrooms and video cell phones and whatever
the latest cool toys might be. Play later.
Show proof of working. I know this takes all the fun out
of driving them crazy wondering what you're doing, but it'll
really help. You don't have to flash pay receipts or checks,
but print out a confirmation, thank you note or hard copy
of a piece of a project. Whatever you do, show. All the time.
Remember you're dealing with seriously rusty wiring. My brother-in-law
still asks me, "So what's that you do again???"
Apply glue liberally to your guns and stick to 'em. The bad
news is you can never stop doing all these things. Just when
you think they've finally got it, the eyes glass over and
they start drooling again at the sound of your latest exploits.
This stuff is imperative to garnering whatever support and
cooperation you can get from these people who never go away.
Either they will get it or they'll decide to bother someone
else.
Well, we can all dream, can't we?
Be the first to know what you SHOULD know:
[email protected]
Dan Reinhold is the proud author of "The
WAHumor Way: Reality Check, Please!", the essential primer
for everyone starting a home business or even thinking about
it. With two boys, a dog, a cat, a rat, a wife and a household
to keep together to boot, Dan's also the editor of WAHumor
to hang on to his sanity by showing how insane the work-at-home
community can be! Subscribe quickly at [email protected]
You could Win Big!! "The WAHumor Way: Reality Check,
Please!"is now available at www.WAHumorWay.com
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