The Home Office – Unintended But Positive Consequences

This month is my company’s 20th anniversary. I took the leap and started Newgrange Consulting in October of 1995. I had high aspirations for what I could do and what I would become as I incorporated, set up my home office and learned to use QuickBooks.

Over the years, there have also been some pleasant and unanticipated benefits that accrue to people who have joined the world of single shingles, working out of their home office. Here’s short list of unintended (but positive) consequences.

• The dog thinks I’m the alpha. We have a dachshund named Fiona. Her dog bed is right next to my desk. I’m the one who feeds her, takes her out when she barks and rubs her ears during the day. As a result, I’m the alpha member of our family; I’m her favorite.
• Time to exercise during the day. When you have no commute to the office, it’s easier to build in time for exercise. I take Pilates a couple times a week and try to do a cardio workout four times a week. I have a Concept2 rowing ergometer in the basement; a 30 minute workout is just 30 feet from my office.
• Listening to the Diane Rehm Show. The Diane Rehm Show runs on NPR every weekday morning at 10:00 AM. If I’m at my desk, I turn it on; if I’m out of my office in the morning and miss it, I stream it when I return. I rarely miss the show.
• Great coffee. I have a Keurig coffee maker in the kitchen and I don’t buy cheap coffee for the help. My favorite is the Barista Prima Italian Roast. It’s bolder and a little more expensive, but I deserve it.
• Multiple workspaces. Though I have a comfortable home office, I move my workspace to suit my mood – summer afternoons on the back patio, rainy days on our enclosed front porch and when I need to feel peaceful, I settle into my Stickley rocker by the fireplace in our living room. The rocker is large enough to accommodate the dog, my computer and me.
• Time for power naps. I take power naps and I’m proud of it. All it takes is 20 minutes to recharge my batteries.
• Sharpening the saw. Most days, I have a little quiet time that I use to sharpen the saw. That’s the phrase Stephen Covey coined to remind us to continue building our knowledge, our human capital. I do it by reading, listening to podcasts or participating in webinars.
• Whiter teeth. Before I leave for a meeting, I brush my teeth. It’s not unusual for me to brush my teeth three times in six hours. It offsets the effects of the coffee.
• Playing music as loud as I like. I have half a dozen Sonos speakers in my home; they’re synced with my iTunes and all of them can be controlled from my Mac PowerBook, iPhone or iPad. When I’m not listening to Diane Rehm, I’m listening to music and I have total control over what I play and how loud I play it.

I know that some people who read my blog are single shingles working from a home office, like me. If you’ve experienced other unintended consequences of our work style, please share them.