Working From Home for the First Time

I did it. I never thought I would be one to have a home office. After almost six full years in business for myself today I am writing this from my desk in my new home office. I’m 99% transferred out of the office my business called home for six years and abot 90% set up in the new home office.  I’m awaiting the local cable company technician to come and install my phone service and move our high speed internet connection across the hallway in our home. We we still need to hang some pictures and re-connect the wireless network so that I can print but other than that I’m in business.

Right up until Saturday night I was apprehensive about the move. I had always told myself I needed to have a place to go to in the morning so that I could be effective because at home there are just too many distractions.  And, I just have a cat and the TV to distract me as my wife works outside the home and we have no children.  Ironic isn’t it, that I train, consult and coach business professionals the discipline of focus and yet was concerned that my level of focus was not conducive to successfully working from home.

Saturday night, as the work my wife and I were doing to put the office together began to take shape, I started to get a comfortable and exciting feeling about the transition.  The office looked nice, neat and clean. It was bright with light from the two windows in the upstairs bedroom into which I was moving and I began to sense that this new approach to running my business may just work out after all.

It’s 8:41 am and I’ve been working this way for all of 41 minutes as I await the cable guy, wonder if his name will be Larry.  More later, got to get back to work.

Remembering Names a Key to Business Success - Got to Get Better, What About You?

Remembered the name of a potential prospect in a ‘get to know you meeting’ with whom I am going to have a follow up meeting in 7 days.

I should have done what I teach my clients to do and that is put myself in a focused mindset and tell myself “I will do whatever I need to, to remember the names of everyone I’m going to meet in this meeting.”

My mistake was assuming I was going to be meeting with just one person, not the entire leadership team in this meeting, and as such I went in ill-prepared for that part of the meeting, but still had a very productive meeting with a business I know I can help. 

I will do better next time, what about you?