I am a creature of habit and love my routine. From my local coffee shop to my subway ride. It’s my time to think, plan out my day and psych myself up for my meetings, calls and other duties here at S+G. I have never been a work from home kinda guy. We normally have two work from home days each week, yet I still chose to go into the office on those days.
Well, going into the office is no longer an option.
As many of us are settling into the home office life and adapting to the “new normal,” I wanted to share how it’s been working at home with my wife and our 9 month old Lenny.
Noise
Before I start this section I have to tell anyone reading this I am the loudest person in the office. I am fortunate enough to have the ability to work through a hurricane. Working at home has a whole bunch of noise, a bunch of amazing noise I would probably miss if I was in the office. While most would likely be unable to stay focused in the noisy environment of this home office, I’m really loving it. Between meetings and calls I get to hear Lenny share a laugh with his Mom, I get to hear him bang around with his toys and learn new things. I also get to hear the times he is really fussy and how hard that can be to deal with. I am happy to hear those noises that I would not get to hear unless I was home.
Distraction
Even on a good day in the office it’s easy to be distracted. Being at home it is even more of a challenge. Staying on task when you have a little one with spaghetti all over his face is a bit distracting. I have allowed myself to be distracted…in a responsible way. I allow myself to have a jolly jump session with Lenny or be the one to get him when he wakes up from his nap. I am pretty happy with these distractions, and I feel lucky to be able to experience these precious moments while remaining productive.
Motivation
As I mentioned before, I always psych myself up on the morning commute, planning out my day and organizing my priorities. Having that time is a great motivator for me. Also being able to see the team in the office always gives me a sense of pride and responsibility to make sure we always do the best we can.
Walking a few steps to my dining room table has taken a toll on this routine. Without the morning commute, I have noticed that my motivation has gotten stronger. I’ve gained a whole new perspective. Seeing my family more has made me think about what we are creating and how we impact not only our team’s lives and families but also the clients we work with. With better perspective I have found more motivation…even though my routine is different.
Through these tough times I have found motivation in making sure we take care of the people around us.
Appreciation
This one is probably the biggest for me. The team here has banded together and it has made me realize even more how special these amazing people are. When Drew and I first decided to start this company we both decided it would not just be about us. It would be a collaboration between a smart, empathetic, hard working team that cares about doing an amazing job and treating our clients with the utmost respect. With all that said, having an amazing business partner is also something I am very grateful for…love ya Drewski!
Also, spending more time at home, I have to commend my wife Julia and all the parents that stay at home with their young children…it’s a tough gig to say the least and unless you see it day in day out you may not understand how hard it really is. I have a lot of gratitude for you all…from the bottom of my heart.
I know things are tough, scary and unpredictable right now. There are some incredibly sad things happening in the world that are bigger than the bottom line. As we move into the 8th week I have found it’s helpful to find the positives to the negatives. Trust me it’s not always easy but in the wise words of the great Billy Ocean “When the going get tough, the tough get going.”
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