Anybody else struggle with working from home?

[staranise]

As in, I'm meant to be working right now and am paying a fortune in childcare to enable me to do so but just can't get motivated, especially when I work sitting on my bed plus keep jumping up and down to put another load of washing on, tidy up some toys etc etc.

I normaly ban MN on work days but feeling weak today...

Wouldlove some colleagues to keep me focussed...

Hi everyone. I'm trying to motivate myself to get my business up and running - going to be a personal trainer though suspect a lot of people will be cutting out that sort of 'luxury' if the fabled recession kicks in. Seems like the media can't wait for it to happen, talking up all the bad news as usual!

So, I have a to do list somewhere at the bottom of a pile of crap, and I need your help to get me ticking things off it!

Whats on it 43today (happy bday btw)

Good question - I wrote it in a fit of enthusiasm about 3 weeks ago, and haven't seen it since..

thanks for the birthday wishes, actually it's not i just never got round to changing my name after having said birthday.. quite a long time ago..

I'm sure there are things to do like:

think of a name for business
design/get someone else to design logo/flyer/poster etc
ring up places where ads can be placed and find out deadlines
sort out some equipment

etc etc

Thanks Tracy think I might just have got myself a to-do list without having to look for the old one! this thread is working

Right, I'll go and do some of it.. Good luck to all other procrastinators

put it order - find out deadlines first - that may give/take away some time.

then equipment??

where are you based?
what's your target market? are they likely to be on summer hols with kids just now?

You could motivate us on here - TO KEEP AWAY FROM THE BISCUIT TINS!!!

Afternoon all...

Re. not invoicing till after MA - is this allowed? I trust my clients but do you ahve to keep it all secret and off the books?

My neighbour owes me some babysitting so is taking the kids this afternoon while I do some work...So no more MN til this evening if I'm being good

My two current projects are particularly dull however so it's sooo difficult to motivate myself. What other threads/sites distract you? AIBU? i smy facve but I also read the Guardian, Telegraph and teh Times, plus the Standard gossip page (I know, I'm very sad) and then if I'm being very naughty, thesartorialist, the New Yorker and yarnstorm. I recognise that's all very idle and accounts for why I get so little work done...

But I have made chocolate biscuit cake especially as an incentive to work this afternoon. Feel free to help yourselves!

I am looking at Garden Room websites - would love one.

Sometimes moneysavingexpert.com

also - trying to organise hols for down South in Aug and can't make up my mind where or when to go.

I am slowly dozing off sitting here at my laptop....zzzzzz.

Wordsmith, I regularly start work at 10pm after DS has gone to bed (and DH - lucky for me he is an early-to-bed bloke) - I think people are used to getting my emails timed between 10pm and 1am now!

Zzzzzzz.

Ping
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zzzzzzzz.

Hurray! thanks again Tracy have actually got started on stuff now, and spent the last hour and a half doing things. Have researched websites for local PTs to see what's around and get ideas for my 'look'.

Am based in Cambridgeshire, and my target market is definitely looking after kids during summer hols (as am I), so am planning to launch mid-Sept I think. Also got some deadlines for adverts which gives me till mid-Aug to get things sorted.

I need to sort out a website and - oh yes - get my last qualification done (just got an exam to do..)

Mumsnet has been a mixed blessing really, I only discovered it in the past year or so, and can happily -waste- while away hours on here, especially AIBU, Lone Parents and Relationships..

A lovely place to go down south is a village called Cawsand in Cornwall, just over the Tamar from Plymouth. By the sea, very picturesque, unspoilt..
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cawsand

being really really rubbish. Juut been on the Boden sale and bought unneccessary items(two coats for me!!! and I'm pg so they won't fit!!!).

On the up side, the little work I am doing is going very quickly. An dhave roasted a butternut squash to provide healthy supper as antidote to choc biscuit cake I have been eating all afternoon...

Okay, so I've only done 2 of the 4 things that are on my list... Which means that yet again I'll be working after putting DS to bed. This faffing thing is so annoying. Why can't I just flippin well concentrate??? Then I could be happily ensconced with my Buffy box set and a bag of marshmallows this evening instead of working on my laptop. And the time I've spent faffing isn't really like 'free' time, you know, because it has all the guilt attached and the 'I'll just do this, and then I'll get back to it' and... oh dear me. Better go and pick up DS.

Can I just drop by and suggest that all freelancers should treat themselves to an overnight spa stay with other faffers. Wow, it was fab. Lots of sparkly wine and naughty food and am still floating after my treatments.....

Off to pick girls up and satisfy the booby monster that is DD2!!! Having a mummy day tomorrow but will be back to faffing on Tues so no doubt catch up then - I do like this thread.

Sounds lovely...unfortunately, I'm very good at giving myself treats, but not so good at working to deserve them...

That's it, MN is off for the rest of the day. Borther is coming for supper tonight so really can't work tonight to catch up on work not done today. and we're away this weekend...

Ooooh I'd love an overnight spa. I'd have to put in a few extra hours to pay for it though! Sparkly wine sounds good too .

The DSs and I have just been shopping to buy my step-monster (as I fondly call her!) a birthday present. It rained while we were out and I had some washing hanging out. Grrrrrr.

DH is away in Telford over night doing a course so it is just me and the DSs. I don't know why but whenever he's away I feel really anxious even though he wouldn't be home until now-ish anyway and they'd be in bed in a couple of hours. I just find being on my own really hard and go through all the what ifs in my head: what if the house floods, what if I come down with flu overnight, what if the DSs get ill, what if the DSs have a bad night, etc., etc. I know I should enjoy myself by having a glass of wine and a hot bath or something (or sitting down with a Buffy boxset - yes we watch Buffy in this house too!). Perhaps I will do that.

thanks 43 - didn't want to go that far down south maybe Cotswolds? They're just near Birmingham aren't they?
I guess your opening campaign could be to get people thinking of getting trim for Xmas.

dh is at Scottish Open sowon't be home till late. So I have a choice - catch up on MY sky+ or do some work hmmm...

I keep putting off a whole pile of my work as I'm starting a job share next week and I know I can pass the pile onto her! But then it's less money for me. Maybe I'll do an hour...

I live on the edge of the Cotswolds. DH works in B'ham and it takes him 1 1/2 hours door to door by car and train if that helps! It's lovely here (and we are moving away - sob sob!). I'd recommend a holiday here if you don't want to go all the way to Cornwall.

Any nice family friendly hotels with pool nearby? So is it an hour and a half further South than bham? We're coming down from Glasgow and have friends in Bedford/North London/Guildford/Bournemouth. And thought that Cotswolds would be about 5 hours drive for us?? (Can do Manchester in 3)

hello!
just spotted this thread- funnily enough i am supposed to be tackling a massiave report .

you can kiss that one goodbye then suey!
Someone has switched off my computer at my remote office - so I can't connect - what a shame!!

yeah, i'll leave it until monday i reckon.
I find it really hard to focus when i am at home- much prefer being at work to do work IYKWIM. Trouble is, i am uploading loads of CDs onto itunes so i am feeling guilty that the PC is on and i am noodling around MN rather than saving myself a headache later. What's your business tracey?

Accounts. I've a pile of invoicing to do for my client - but I need the pc switched on at the other end - but it's off. Am going to catch up on sky+.

tee hee have just watched the last episode of heroes on sky+