I recently read a blog from a friend of mine in which she discussed working from home. I thought her blog was interesting and helpful, so I decided to tackle the same topic from my perspective.
With many family members joining us for the Christmas holiday, our house was bustling and noisy for much of the past month. However, the last of our kids left New Year’s Day and Nancy, my wife, is attending meetings in Seattle this week. Our live-in international student remains at her home in Ghana for another two weeks, so I am home alone this week. This enables me to more closely stick to my schedule.
I have been working from home for the past eight months. I have a comfortable office in the basement and a well-established routine. My day generally starts about 5:30 AM with a review of the email that has arrived during the night. I deal with any pressing issues. I also glance through the news headlines.
About 6:30 AM I head back upstairs for breakfast. I listen to my through-the-Bible-in-a-year reading while I eat my cold oatmeal, fruit, and nut mix.
After breakfast and Bible, I head back downstairs for my prayer time. I turn to an instrumental station on Pandora, gather a cup of tea, my prayer journal, and my iPhone where my prayer list is kept in the Notes App. I sit in the comfortable chair away from my computer. Pandora times out in an hour, so that is how I know my prayer time is finished.
Then I work out for about 45 minutes. Three days a week I prioritize lifting. The other two days most of the time is spent running a five mile loop.
After working out, generally between 9 and 10 AM, I go back to the computer and begin seriously engaging in the day’s tasks. I shower when I come back upstairs for lunch around noon. Lunch lasts about a half hour and then it is back to my office. Often I will not come out until 5 or 6 PM, or even later, except to get the mail and make another cup of tea.
I am an introvert and I can keep this schedule up for extended periods of time. However, periodically I realize I need actual human interaction. For example, I was happy to speak at the World Relief staff chapel service this afternoon. It refreshed me to minister to that group of godly servants of Christ.
I look forward to Nancy’s return this weekend. When she is home, this regimented schedule is often disrupted which makes me feel like I am not getting as much work done, but I am probably healthier.
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