We were at a neighbor-gathering in a local RV park and a woman asked me why I was wearing earrings. She wanted to know if I was planning a dinner out, or attending an event. I said no, I wear earrings everyday and she promptly asked me, “Why? Why would you put earrings on everyday, even if you aren’t going anywhere?”
We live full time in an RV, but also work full-time in our internet-based business. Everyday we are at our computers – as we have been for the past 12 years of our business, even before we decided to full-time-it.
I have actually worked for myself for more than 20 years, and there are a few things I have learned about being at ‘home’ (wherever that is), and working:
- I dress for work everyday. No, I don’t put on heels and a suit, but I do get dressed. I have never been one of those people who loves to work in their pajamas. It messes with my attitude, and doesn’t give me separation of my work day and my personal life.
- I want separation with the work and non-work parts of my day. Dressing for work gives me the ‘work’ attitude, while staying in my yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt means its Saturday! I also try to work a consistent schedule as much as is possible – meaning, I begin my work day around 8:30, and finish around 5:30 each day. Without separation, I find myself working (or thinking about work) 18-20 hours per day – which rapidly leads to burnout.
- While I may choose (or need) to work evenings or weekends, I almost NEVER email or call any clients during that time. I want work boundaries for myself, and want to help my clients respect my boundaries.
Owning our own business while enjoying the RV lifestyle gives us the opportunity to do things differently in our lives. That doesn’t mean we don’t still want to maintain the professional structure that has helped us succeed.
What about you? Do you see a need for a structure in your RV lifestyle?