Monday, April 4, 2011

Challenges of "Working from Home", or "Telecommuting"

Whenever I tell people that I work from home I get the usual “that’s cool!” or “you’re so lucky.” But it’s not always as “cool” or easy as one would think. These are people who see you during your best hours and don’t see the 13+ hour days you’re putting in slaving in your office..Although working from home gives you freedom from long commute, and rush hour traffic, it also calls for strict self-discipline.

There are a lot of difficulties and challenges of working from home. In a regular office environment when your computer crashes, you just call tech support or just walk to the support desk, and they fix it for you and you’re good to go.  If there is a network/database issue at work, you don't need to worry, because it is not just your problem - everyone else is impacted. In such situations at least you could ask your colleague and confirm if he/she has the same issue... But, when you are working from home, even if there is a genuine network/database issue, you are still paranoid as to whether it is just something wrong with your network...While at work, if your computer crashes two hours away from your deadline, no problem, you could access most of your files from a shared online location, and you can access your files from a co-worker’s computer. When you work from home you are usually on your own. You are the maintenance man, the technical support guy and your very own Mr. All-in-All. When the internet or phone connection breaks down at home, it's very frustrating until you get it resolved.. It just adds up to the tention. If you are at work, even  when you step out for a long lunch break, or a tea break, or out for a walk, it might not matter so much - people know that you are in at work, so you don't need to prove yourself. But, when you work from home, there is a constant stress that you need to be very quick in responding to emails or IMs or phone-calls from work. There is always a pressure to prove that you are keeping up with your work.

Working from home has it's own advantages for a working mom, as it gives her the flexibility to manage her family as well as work. For instance, I have the advantage of picking up my kids from school, without having to send them to a daycare or an after-school care. I don't have to worry about looking for alternative arrangements for my kids, when they have day(s) off at school.  At the same time, it calls for a great deal of self-discipline. I adhere to my self-discipline, and be very organized, and try to keep confined to the office space during working hours to keep myself in “work mode” throughout my work schedule. I need to manage time wisely, so that I don't compromise on the quality of work that I deliver, and at the same time, I need to manage pickup/drop-off for my kids from/to school and other classes. It is a challenge to keep oneself away from the distractions at home, especially when the kids are around. But, kids too learn to be organized, and learn to manage time, and understand the seriosness and importance of the job that we handle. They understand that their mom is juggling with time, trying to keep up her good work with her job, as well as provide a great deal of support for the family.

So, for people who don't understand, working from home isn’t all gravy! Nothing in life is! They should understand that no one gets paid for not doing the job! For a dedicated mom, telecommute is a blessing if it really works well.


After overcoming the pitfalls of working from home, I have learned to handle it pretty well. I have also learned to be thick-skinned towards the mocking remarks of some people. The true beauty of working from home comes from the independence, freedom, and self-reliance you gain in “going it on your own". I understand that not everyone gets the option of telecommuting; and even if it does, it should work out well amidst all the challenges...

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Dealing with Insult...

Buddha explained how to handle insult and maintain compassion.


One day Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him. "You have no right teaching others," he shouted. "You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake."

Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man "Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?"

The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, "It would belong to me, because I bought the gift."


The Buddha smiled and said, "That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself."


"If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy."


The young man listened closely to these wise words of the Buddha. "You are right, o Enlightened One, "he said. "Please teach me the path of love. I wish to become your follower."


The Buddha answered kindly, "Of course. I teach anyone who truly wants to learn. Come with me."