Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Emily Ma is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Emily Ma and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Brazen careerist
Where ambitious young professionals connect and grow
Email
Print
If you've got eight minutes today, listen to this NPR story about work/life balance, mainly how a government office allows their employees to work form home, nearly mirroring a results-only work environment (ROWE).
While it's a story about a changing workplace brought on by advances in technology and communications, it's more than a story about productivity (even though a big highlight was that processing time for government claims actually decreased by removing people from an office and a 9-to-5 schedule). Tucked in the middle of this intriguing story was a quote from a 17-year veteran who was opposed to the change. He eventually came around, but with one complaint:
"The way it works," he says, "all three of us could be home and it wouldn't affect anybody. Now, one drawback is, I get lonely at home. It's too quiet!"
And such is the swift downside to working in a rapidly-moving digital world. The entrepreneur, while a quasi-celebrity, often has a very lonely go of things. Freelancing can mean freedom, but it can also mean solitude. Beware.
Photo by mwlguideSure, you hate office politics, meaningless staff meetings, and boring corporate trailings. Breaking out of your cube means you'll break out of these routines, too. But think quickly about what babies will get tossed out with this career bath water.
If you're like me - an E when it comes to Myers-Briggs - then you need that human interaction to give you energy and creativity, to keep things flowing and moving. Working on your own, while liberating, can also be depressing.
Loneliness is a terrible feeling, whether you're an E or an I, so think long and hard about when you want to be around people and when you want to be solo. There's value in blazing your own trail, but there's also meaning in joining up with a wagon train as you explore the great unknown.
For more timely, relevant, and engaging articles,
subscribe to Brazen Careerist.
- How To Find a Writing Partner Who Can Help You Achieve Your Goals and Make More Money
- A New Kind of Business Mover and Shaker
- Why You Might Be Better Off Without a Job After College
- Continuing Education: Extending Learning Beyond Your Campus Years
- The Anti-Stalker’s Guide for Converting Online Contact into Real World Collaboration
Comments
03.18.10
Hey Sam,
I agree. No one told me it was going to be a solitary pursuit as I build my business. This makes me savor all the time I have with friends, housemates and appreciate the interactions I have with others. It also means I might want to have more of a team approach as I build my business into the future. Sometimes the cure for me is to just go work at a cafe or write in the park to be around others. I'm curious how other solopreneurs deal with this.
03.18.10
Well put - it's good to hear from a solopreneur, and I think you highlight a key takeaway. If we don't work with a lot of folks, we can still have human interaction outside of work, and that may get us what we need. But we've got to venture out.
03.18.10
Ha! Well, when I started my coaching/consulting business, I planned it so that I could work from home, but I work WITH people ALL day! I am on the phone or IMing with someone all day long, so it isn't as lonely. But sometimes, I get "cabin fever" and go visit clients face-to-face, it really helps.
I put photos of my clients and their families on a board in my office, helps me be more REAL with them.
I also love training events, by gurus like Tony Robbins, these give you WAY enough fill of other people!
My best,
C
03.18.10
It's been for awhile since i started my working career and most of the time I am in the office. It is good to interact with people but what makes me relax are my office mates. Still, it is good to interact with people out side after work... Relaxes me more... ^_^
03.19.10
Christie: Good ideas! Pics of clients and attending training events are great ways to maintain those people connections. Well said!
Got Something To Say?
Got Something To Say?
Not a Member? Brazen Careerist is a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Set up a free account today to comment on this post and start sharing your ideas. Learn more.
Login to view your networks!
 |
 |
 |
|
|
