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in serious cases, weeks without talking to another contemporary. Another downside to working in the privacy of your own home is a tendency to neglect the finer points of personal hygiene. There's just something demoralizing about realizing that you haven't brushed your hair or put on make-up for three days.

Pro: No daily commute. Let's face it, traffic can be the worst part of your day depending on where you live and how long your commute is. Add to that the aggravation of knowing that you're not getting anything constructive done and you're all set up for repetitive days of intense frustration. When you work at home you have the advantage of a commute that's no longer than the distance from your bedroom to your home office or kitchen table. You have the opportunity to use that time to increase your productivity or just take a little extra time for yourself.

Con: You're always on call'. When you work from home the stresses during the day can't be left behind at the office door. You're always there, which can translate in a lot of ways to always available. Generally when you work away from home clients don't call during dinner and you don't get into the habit of trying to finish just one more thing' before you go to bed instead of watching that movie or hanging out with your kids. The daily commute also helps a lot of people to get into the mindset for work without even thinking about it. When you work from home you actually have to put in the extra effort to get in the zone' every day.

Pro: No boss to deal with. Working from home, you no longer have to deal with personality conflicts with and unreasonable demands from, your higher-ups. You set your own deadlines and design your own projects. You get to decide where your career and your business are headed.

Con: You are now the boss. You now have to do all those pesky little things that a boss does. Like set deadlines, keep you motivated and , a big one, cut your paycheck. Gone is the security of knowing that all you have to do is put in your hours and you'll be guaranteed your check at the end of the week. When you work at home or own your own business in any scenario you'll generally find yourself working more and getting paid less, often with no guaranties that you'll be paid at all, at least for the first year or two.

Even with the drawbacks of starting you home office you shouldn't be dissuaded if working from home is something you really want to do. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience. As stated above literally living the dream'. The vast majority of people who work at home wouldn't trade their home office for one with a view under any circumstances, but it takes dedication, organization and the ability to look at the realities of a situation. So sit down, talk to your spouse, if applicable, and make up your own list of pros and cons. Think about what working from home will do for you and, correspondingly, what you'll lose when you ditch the office. Make sure your plan fits with your values and goals not what everyone says is the perfect life'.

Learn more about this author, Rachele Willoughby.
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