This past week marked my first working for myself. Although I have been working from home for the better part of the last few years, there is a noticeable difference when you do not have a boss or co-workers. Becoming my own boss meant exercising a lot of discipline when deciding my wake up time, work time, and quitting time.
I’m happy to report that the first week was a success, thanks to the schedule I had set for myself before I even began. Deciding what my working hours would be and leaving myself time in the mornings before opening my laptop to take a walk or grab a coffee helped me to be more productive during the day. I also appreciated having the flexibility to use my working time as I wished and the ability to take a Masterclass with my business coach one day during the work day.
My biggest concern about working for myself was that I would lack discipline without a team or that I would lose motivation during the day. Thankfully, neither seemed to be an issue, thanks to my trusty daily to-do list I write out each morning. By the end of the day, the sense of accomplishment I felt from crossing things off and tangibly seeing how much I had accomplished was a win.
Then there’s the freedom that comes with being your own boss. On Monday, I had to attend a funeral service in the morning (not exactly how I wanted to start my first day, but…). Instead of being stressed about what time I would make it to the office like I would have been in the old days, this new schedule meant that I could have a leisurely start to my day that even allowed me time to grab a coffee at a local new-to-me place on the way home. Then, on Wednesday, the nursing home called me in a panic, and I needed to stop what I was doing and drive over to check on my grandmother. Both instances would have been infinitely more stressful had I been in the office and needed to account for my whereabouts.
While there are other stressors I’ve dealt with this past week (like trying to finish building my website while managing client work), overall, I feel much lighter knowing that I can decide when and how I work.
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