A number of people told me my last post about loneliness felt sad. In truth, I wrote it a long time ago, way before the site was up. I had met a number of people at that time who like me, made recent transitions away from the corporate world and that was how they were feeling.  I was feeling that way too, so I wrote about it.

Loneliness is much less of an issue for me these days as my calendar gets filled with clients that I love to work with and as I am developing a network of new contacts.  But just for the sake of balance, I want to provide you with some of the reasons why I love being an entrepreneur, and, for the most part, working from home.

What I love about being an entrepreneur.

1.    This is truly the biggest adventure of my life.  It's bigger than going to Africa or hiking the Amazon and anything that I have done in the past.  It's scary and exhilarating all at the same time. It pushes me...just little old me...further than I have ever been pushed before.  If I make it, it will be my success and mine alone.  And if I fail, it will still be one heck of a ride, filled with new learning about me and what I am capable of doing.
2.     I get to work with clients I pick and I love. What could be better than that? I know that I already said that.  But it's really important.  And really nice.
3.    My schedule is my schedule. Oh well, it's still endless hours and nights and weekends, but it's my work for me on my time.  And when it is something I truly love, like this, it actually doesn't feel like work.
4.    I get to eat lunch in front of the TV instead of scarfing it at my desk. A huge plus, don't you think?
5.    I can take an afternoon nap if I am tired.  And just get up later and finish what I have to do. Because I am most productive and efficient when I am awake and refreshed.  And I don't have to fake it anymore.
6.    It has allowed me to develop a deeper relationship with Justin, my talking parrot. Oh, yeah, I guess a really deep relationship with a parrot is a bit of a stretch.  But for sure, we have gotten to know each other better.

Some of these may seem silly, but they are all true and important to me. And none of them are things that I could have done in the corporate world.

Every job, like every human, has good points and bad points.  In fact, for us humans, some of our greatest gifts also turn out to be our greatest weaknesses. Know that and embrace both sides.  It is what makes us special.

Similarly, the things that make working at home great, like "it's only me" and "I have enormous flexibility", are exactly the things that can make it not so great. The "it's only me" part can make it lonely and scary.  And the enormous flexibility requires an equally enormous amount of self discipline.  Aw, hell.  Nothing is perfect, but I will happily take what I have.