I want to preface this post by saying, that I am extremely fortunate to have the ability to design my own life. I do not take that for granted – not even for a second. I thrive on daily adventure and spontaneity and cherish the freedom to not live under the superimposed rules or schedules of others.

With that said, as much as I love breaking the rules and living outside the norm in my personal life, I am a creature who craves routine and habit when it comes to work life. I am also highly susceptible to distraction which creates the perfect storm for lack of productivity when you consider how many distractions there are while working from home. When I had my 9-5 office job, I would have given anything on this green earth to be released from office life 50-100% of the time. But, now that I’m on the other side, there are a couple things I could have never guessed about the solo life of a girl boss taking over the world:

1. Loneliness. Despite being the kind of person who thrives off of alone time and really comes alive during solo brainstorming, working all day every day in a 7 x 18 box without seeing another human soul can get to anyone. There are no peers to bounce ideas off of, no laughs and no camaraderie.  Sometimes it would just be nice to waste 15 mins in the break room hearing about my friend’s latest news. Instead, I guess I could type little words into a screen…again….and see if any friends are free to type little words back. You can see how this would get old.
2. Motivation to Get Dressed. This might seem like a weird one but, it goes hand in hand with the loneliness. There are no people around so, where is my motivation to put on makeup? Or nice clothes? Or…clothes at all? Or even wash my hair? Why get up and move to the desk when I can work from bed? And then suddenly you realize you’re basically a paraplegic laying uncomfortably in bed with atrophied muscles and it’s a unpretty, downward spiral from there. While I am still a stickler about regular showers, I am also quick to feel fugly if several days go by without a reason for makeup and fun clothing. I also cannot do my best work (let alone creative work) when I’m feeling like a bed-ridden frog so this one is super important for me!
3. Lack of Structure. Jumping from the corporate cubical world into running your own creative business is like moving from 1st grade into the presidency of a foreign country. Suddenly you are responsible for everything AND you have to do it all in a foreign language. Plus, you have zero help. Each day is a constant scramble to teach yourself marketing and business while learning strategy and everything from new softwares to financial planning. Every minute is spent questioning: What should I do first? Or next? What’s a priority? What will get me the best return on my investment of time and energy? While it’s awesome to have ideas and work to execute them, life was certainly easier when you had someone planning out the big picture for you.
4. The Funk Factor.  I’m a person who needs fresh air and a change of scene and while working from home gives you the amazing opportunity to take a break whenever you need and go for a walk without a pesky boss timing you, the reality is that I take far less breaks than I ever did in a office environment. Not only am I more passionate about (and overwhelmed by) the material I am working on, but the time spent working on your own business to enable it to succeed is easily double that of what a 9-5 requires. And, without proper breaks, concentration falters and suddenly your head is no longer in the game. But, of course, you’re too stubborn and preoccupied to give in to rest and reset so, there goes the afternoon.
5. No Separation between Home Life & Work. Without a physical change of scene, a mental one is very difficult to establish. Typically, work is designated to be outside of the home and rest & relaxation are waiting for you when you cross back over that cozy threshold. But when your work life is only one room away – those lines begin to blur VERY quickly. Suddenly, all hours of the day become fair game for a little business social media and photo editing spills over into the late night or early morning hours. There is no longer any down time allocated to unplugging or truly tabling your work and the temptation to keep pushing is constantly present. This is even more amplified when living in an RV: Walk 3 steps to the bathroom. Walk 3 steps back to the desk to keep working. Oooo lunch time! Big excursion: walk FIVE steps to the kitchen. Omg the trash is full….YES! I have to walk it 100 feet to the dumpster. Heck yeah! Road trip! The world becomes quite small very quickly and I’ve even caught myself feeling guilty for not working on the weekends because…well, my laptop is sitting right there.

There are so many aspects of solo entrepreneurship and working from home that no one tells you about going into it and that you’re simply never prepared for. Much of it goes back to how much discipline you can muster for yourself: the ability to stay organized, the desire to maintain your health, and the will power to unplug and have a life outside of (though right next to) work. So here is my humble admission of the struggles I’ve faced over the last two years in hopes it can prepare some of you considering this step and console those of you already in the home/work trenches, diligently fighting those loneliness blues alongside me.

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Melody is a full-time nomad who calls an RV home while roaming all over the western US and beyond for couple’s adventure photography in the wilds of nature. Her style is cinematic, romantic and richly colored and she believes that the beauty and chaos of nature, with its twisting paths, coarse landscapes and breath-taking wonder is a poignant analogy for relationships. The Pacific Northwest will always hold a special place in her heart but, life is short and the world is wide so check out the travel schedule to follow along with her adventures.

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