Has this ever happened to you? You have your coffee ready, your desk is set up, and you’re ready to tackle the day. Then… knock, knock, knock. You already know who’s standing on the other side of the door. They know you’re home, and you know that once they come in, getting them to leave is nearly impossible. So, what do you do? Put your work on hold and hope you can make up for the lost time later.
The Free In Freelance Worker Doesn’t Mean You’re Free From Working
This is a concept that family and friends don’t seem to understand. Just because you work from home does not mean you don’t have responsibilities, deadlines, online interviews, meetings, and other tasks to keep your business running.
I love the response I get when I tell someone I’m kind of busy right now. Their reply goes something like this: “No worries. I’ll wait until you’re done doing what you’re doing. I’ll just stick around, and we can talk or hang out afterward. Pretend like I’m not here.”
Of course, those words usually come from some of the least self-aware people on the planet.
So while the TV is blaring in the other room, your friends or family members are raiding your refrigerator, and their kids are destroying your house, you’re sitting in front of your computer accomplishing two things: rubbing your temples in frustration and wondering how to get people to understand that this is a job—a career—not a hobby.
I wouldn’t go to somebody else’s place of employment just to chit-chat about the riffraff while they’re trying to handle their job responsibilities. Their boss probably wouldn’t appreciate that very much. Most likely, your friend or family member would face some type of reprimand or, at the very least, a conversation about how work is for working and socializing happens off the clock.
How This Annoyance Starts
First, you have to set boundaries before people become comfortable with having none. It’s kind of like why you don’t feed the wild neighborhood cats or hand out money to every person asking for spare change. I’m not saying don’t help homeless people or those who are genuinely in need. I’m talking about the people who are always asking to borrow 50 cents for the vending machine or stopping by your workstation just to tell you about their “crazy” weekend partying with the coolest people in town… who turned out to be their buddies playing video games in the basement.
Once people decide that either you don’t mind them being a nuisance or you’re so easygoing that you won’t say anything, they’ll keep doing it until you establish some boundaries.
So how do you get your friends and family to understand that working from home is every bit as important as getting up every morning, putting on your big-boy pants, and driving to an office?
Set Boundaries And Stick To Them
For some people, being blunt comes naturally. For others, it’s almost impossible to say what needs to be said and let an unwelcome guest know, “I love you. We’re still cool, but I’m just too busy right now.”
It can be uncomfortable, but if you don’t let intrusive guests know that this isn’t going to work, they’ll never get the message. Before long, you’ll have people dropping by whenever they feel like it.
Remember: it’s your life, your time, your house, and your rules.
Make it clear that everyone should contact you before stopping by. And if you don’t answer, that is not an invitation to come over and “check on you.”
This isn’t about being a jerk. It’s about taking control of your life, protecting your sanity, preserving your career, and, in some cases, protecting the roof over your head.
Nobody enjoys being rude to people they care about. Just like nobody enjoys disciplining their kids. But if you never establish consequences, people start assuming they can get away with anything.
Set The Record Straight
If you want to succeed in your remote career, make money, enjoy what you do, and avoid being constantly aggravated, you have to set expectations from the beginning.
Working from home doesn’t mean you’re available all day. It doesn’t mean you’re sitting around waiting for visitors, running errands, or looking for ways to kill time. It means you’ve chosen a different workplace—not a different work ethic.
The sooner your friends and family understand that your home office is your office, the sooner they’ll begin treating your work with the same respect they’d show if you worked downtown in a corporate building.
After all, the “free” in freelance refers to how you earn your living—not to how much free time you have.tart setting boundaries sooner rather than later.