I once got an ‘F’ for sportsmanship

October 25, 2012 by Have A Laugh On Me 5 Comments

Working from home isn’t all shits and giggles but it does have its advantages.

Not having to get dressed properly, not having to hold in my stomach all day, not having to be nice to annoying, nosy or bitchy workmates and not having to wear shoes – EVER!

And if it’s stinking hot I can look inappropriate in a singlet top without worrying about my tuck shop arms knocking out an unsuspecting person who passes me by.

I can also go for a swim in my birthday suit – too much information? Well my kids are always telling me that sharing is caring.

Then there’s the fact I can sneak in watching an episode of Revenge in between interviewing clients, hanging out the washing, doing the dishes, starting dinner, changing sheets and writing press releases.

Of course when husband arrives home I make sure I’ve got a HUMUNGOUS pile of washing to fold and make a few remarks about how I just didn’t have time to get it done during the day (because I watched two episodes of Revenge not one!!!)

As for the not so great parts about working from home – I NEVER GET TO LEAVE WORK!

And because I don’t actually attend an actual place of work I swear people just think I sit on my bum all day and do nothing –  well they are right about the first part.

It also requires a much higher level of motivation to work from home that being at an actual place of work, where you are watched and it’s frowned upon to sing out loud to your favourite song in your birthday suit (after just getting out of the pool!)

Sick days don’t exist, you don’t free cake at morning tea time and you can’t show off your weight loss to peers (okay well not that I’d be doing that, but I’m working on it)

And with 3 kids there is always a helluva mess to clean up somewhere, whether it’s food smears on the wall that catch your eye or a half eaten carrot under the couch (which I’ll probably leave as it’s only been there one day and No.3 is teething at the moment and he might enjoy that later).

And don’t even get me started on the numerous ways to procrastinate on the internet, eBay, social networking, email, banking.
And let’s not forget those cheap discount websites that offer daily deals for suckers like me who buy something because it seems too good of an opportunity to pass up!

Right now I have 4 articles to write, but I’m going to finish off breakfast dishes, put a load of washing on, pick up Makka Pakka off the floor and try find a home for 25 matchbox cars I’m sick of tripping over.

The thing is I’ve a little secret weapon, it’s called a deadline! So no matter what happens I have to get the work done by a certain time, and I do. This is because of another little trick I like to call ‘working well under pressure’.

This comes from my years on a daily newspaper, where if you didn’t get it done, it didn’t get published and shit would hit the fan, and your rival paper would get the scoop.

And I hate that because I’m extremely competitive.

I’m not as bad as I used to be though, I once got an ‘F’ for sportsmanship at primary school because if I didn’t win I’d have a meltdown.

Over the years I’ve become a lot smarter and have learned to harness the power of competition for good not evil. Now it only comes out when it matters and when I know I can triumph!

Must get back to ‘work’….