You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Work Here (But it Helps)

Greetings, y'all! 👋😄

It's the weekend again! 🎉🥳 I know I'm glad the week is over! 😌

I talked a bit about my job in a previous post, along with new responsibilities and more work. As we move into the third week of 2024, things are going a lot smoother. There are still a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out, but for the most part, my plan seems to be working out okay. 

Being an independent contractor and working from home has been interesting. There are many advantages - short commute, no dress code, I can pretty much set my own schedule, and I don't have to put on my "customer service" face. 

One disadvantage (aside from being responsible for all the employment taxes) is that it can be somewhat isolating working from home. Don't get me wrong, I'm not champing at the bit to start working in some office somewhere, but when your coworkers are scattered all over the globe, "socializing" is a bit more difficult.

Thankfully, my coworkers and I have Teams available to chat - I mean, collaborate. 😉 We do actually collaborate on tasks when it's necessary, but we also engage in "water cooler chat", and I've met some great people from all over the world. I have coworkers in Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, and various places across the US, as well. I've also worked with folks in India, Sweden, and Myanmar. Not everyone is a chatterbox, but it's been nice to find out about other countries and cultures. I also get opportunities to share south Louisiana's culture (which even in the US can seem foreign 😄). 

Troy Landry from "Swamp People"

I've been blessed to have coworkers who aren't about workplace drama. Some of them have had the unfortunate experience of being subjected to bullying and outright hostility in the workplace, and they make it a point to try to foster a friendly, welcoming environment where disagreements are handled in a constructive manner. For the most part, it's been a success. 😊 It probably helps that we're all in our individual spaces and can just hit the X in the upper right corner of the screen if we get annoyed. 😉

My coworkers are some of the best people I've never met. 😄 We've been through a lot together these past few years, and we've shared our ups and downs with each other. We celebrate each others' victories, and we mourn each others' losses. We've made a pretty tight-knit team, and I'm thankful for each and every one of them.

Working from home is not for everyone, and not all work-from-home jobs offer the flexibility that mine does. I don't have to stay chained to my desk all day and look like I'm being productive (whether I am or not), and I have some freedom to work in a way that works best for me. I do still have some work to do on my time management skills (maybe if I didn't SOCIALIZE so much...), but that's improving with medication. 😄 I don't know if I'll always work from home, but I'll do it for as long as I possibly can.

Be blessed, and be a blessing! 😊   

Megan