3 Reasons Working from Home May Not Be Right for You

What's not to love about working from home?  You get to stay in your pajamas, set your own hours, and be your own boss.  Why doesn't everyone try to do this?

While working from home may be the perfect scenario for some people, for others, it's not the dream they had thought.  The key is to know if you're one of the ones who can successfully work from home or if you should keep working outside the home.

Before you make the leap, consider these three points:

1.  You love being around people.  While the daily 9 to 5 may be a grind, you are likely surrounded by people all day that you can interact with.  Whether it's taking a 5 minute break to gossip around the water cooler or going out to lunch with colleagues, you get to interact with others.  If you work from home, much of that sense of camaraderie will be gone.  Working from home can be lonely, especially if you're an extrovert.

2.  You're not disciplined with your money.  Unlike working for a traditional employer and drawing a regular, predictable pay check, when you work for yourself, your pay is likely to be irregular.  One month you may make several thousand dollars more than you need to meet the bills, and two months later you might earn several thousand less than you need.  If you're not good about saving the extra on good months, you'll find yourself struggling financially.

3.  You're not disciplined with your time.  Can you walk by a sink full of dishes or a load of waiting laundry and do your work instead?  Can you ignore an incoming family member's phone call?  Can you work even when you don't feel like working?  These and many other temptations will be awaiting you and trying to draw you away from your work.  You have to be disciplined and able to focus on your work when it's work time.

Working from home can be an incredible blessing, but before you make the leap, make sure that you're disciplined enough and that you won't miss the office environment.