Yesterday, my work day was even more challenging than is typical—in addition to work, home, and family—I had the added excitement of trying to work at my desk and computer while a new door was being installed only feet away from my desk…
We’ve talked about the interruptions and distractions of trying to run a home-based business, but we usually focus on family and children. I hadn’t really thought about what it’s like to juggle service people, deliveries, gardeners, plumbers and all of those other individuals who are just trying to do THEIR jobs while we are trying to do OUR jobs. Regardless of how much appreciation and sympathy I had for the two men with drills, saws, hammers, and cell phones trying to put in a necessary new door, it didn’t make my own attempts at accomplish work any less stressful!
Years ago, my much-younger children had a VHS tape called something like “Busy People” and it was based on the characters by Richard Scarey. In the tape, all sorts of creature people went about their day doing all sorts of jobs—a baker, teacher, police officer, etc. I couldn’t help but recall how much my children had loved that tape—with all it’s business and overlapping workers. IN THEORY, the idea of all sorts of people doing different jobs in a bustling little community was rather sweet and dripping with capitalism and free market economy. In my work day, the sound of drills and hammers only feet from my computer was incredibly un-fun.
I imagine there are those of you out there who are building a home-based business, taking care of family, and also doing a major house renovation or doing some serious construction or gardening project. How is that going? I can only imagine the noise and chaos of trying to deal with all those workers and service people while working and parenting! Makes me feel a little like a spoiled baby to be complaining about one day of door-replacement, but still, I’d rather work without the distractions of service people too!
See Also: Coping With All the Interruptions and Thriving in Chaos