Two Dogs, A Glass and A Rabbit--OH MY!

We have two very active dogs--a border collie and a sheltie. Both are working dogs so they are consistently watching the house. They watch out the windows for any stranger that may come to the door (we always know when UPS arrives) and they take care of the mice that come out of the stone wall in our backyard. Then of course, there are the creatures that hop, fly and scamper throughout the yard and become deathly afraid of the dogs bark and charge. In the evening our two dogs become such cuddle bugs, you'd never know how busy they can get. It was early after supper when my husband and I had gone to separate rooms to complete some finishing touches to our work day. The two dogs suddenly were barking and running back and forth between a window in the living room and one in the kitchen. We didn't think too much of it. We've heard them assess each unwanted being before, watching out both windows to be sure of the safety of our well being. Suddenly, we heard a crash, and naturally both my husband and I ran to find out what had happened. As it turns out the dogs were barking at a rabbit and in their rush to get up into our bay window, they tipped over a tray that once held a glass, now shattered all over the living room floor. TV remotes had been on that tray as well, and now were pieces scattered abroad. Fortunately we have trained our dogs to be crate dogs and we were able to get them away from further disaster so that we could clean up and keep them safe. Why do I tell this story? Well, this is life when you work from your home. Anything can happen at any time and interruptions can multiply when others are around. It's largely different from working in an office in another building where all you have to concentrate on is what is in front of you. Learning to manage your time so that you can work with your daily interruptions can be a real learning experience as you begin your business. It's easy to plan for those expected interruptions, like a visit from the UPS carrier, but as life would have it there are many unexpected interruptions when family are nearby--especially when children are present. I don't have human children, but I do have two dogs that need potty breaks, and desire attention, and have their spats as well as their crashes, etc. One of our dogs has epilepsy. I have to be prepared to assist him at any time, without warning. I have a husband wo runs his own business from home as well. He loves to talk. He comes into my office quite frequently to discuss ideas that he needs another to bounce off of, or just to spend a few minutes with me. We both stop each other in the middle of something to ask questions and handle life's matters. I have had to learn to manage my time to add the interruptions (both expected and unexpected) into my day. Some days it means closing the door to my office. Other days it means taking 10 minutes of my time to meet another need, and all is well the rest of the day. Sometimes it means life has to take priority and work doesn't make any difference at all. I've been told that those with children will often set a schedule for them to follow, with chores and activities that keep them occupied so that you can work. Creativity comes into action, ground rules are set, and the day begins. Regardless of your situation, being able to accept those moments and deal with them as they come is very important if you wish to work from home. Thanks for joing me today. I look forward to hearing from you!