How I fail as a telecommuter

[digitaldiscipline]

(this was prompted by something yuki_onna shared earlier today)

I have learned that I hate working at home. Two consecutive office jobs in a row, I've had the option to work remotely via laptop. Both times, I lasted all of three days before the combination of being incommunicado (even though 98% of my direct communication takes place via phone or text) and having to use hell's little carpal tunnel and blindness device -- I mean, a laptop -- made me trade in not wearing anything but shorts and having access to good coffee for putting on shoes and pants and making a 13 mile commute.

Part of it was the lack of structure, and part of it was just the overwhelming feeling of stress: as the lead member of my team, I can't let go and trust things not to fall to shit if I'm not there to keep my hand on the tiller. Irrational or not, this is just the way I am (and why I will make a terrible, horrible, awful, no good, very bad manager). I honestly get a little twitchy if I go out for lunch.

On the other hand, when I'm on vacation, or it's my weekend not to be on call? The Office Does Not Ex Ist.¹ I draw a bright line between "at work" and "not at work" and attempting to erase or straddle it by working at home turns me into the social equivalent of a rabid wolverine.

I am a complete recluse when I'm out of the office; I'm not sure I've even been to the completely amazing goth club here in Tampa in like two years, because I just can't be arsed to get out of the house (also, I am tired in the evening after working all day and working out, and do not wish to be surrounded by loud strangers and fake smog, because either I will be surly, or I will want to dissolve my surliness in adult beverages; the former is no fun, the latter makes driving home a bad idea). So I prosecute my social life online (which is why you end up with me tweeting at you and darkening your journal, natch).

¹ This apparently blows the minds of folks in upper management, when, as we're walking in from the parking garage, they ask about some email that was sent around after-hours the day before, or on a weekend, and I have no idea what they're talking about. "When I'm here, I'm here, but when I'm not, I'm *not*."

Comments

[inulro.livejournal.com]

I've always considered the fact that I failed to finish my PhD told me everything I need to know about my motivation to work from home.

That said, I could do with being able to work from home for the occasional day or half day for when I'm feeling OK but mobility is shot, or to let in the plumber etc. and not use my holiday.