The Black Hole
My husband, Michael, has come to refer to my home office as the black hole. I go in – and sometimes I don’t come out.
I spend A LOT of time in front of my computer. Although I’m active with friends, my kids sports, and their school, during work hours, when I’m not actually with a client, my time is spent in front of a computer. File management, transaction management, social media engagement, and most of my initial client engagement and interaction takes place in front of a computer – in addition to the obvious internet lead generation.
Computer to Connect
Last week I spent at REBarCamp and Inman Connect in San Francisco. Both events were amazing, but the connections are what really stand out for me. It was refreshing to be out from behind the computer and interacting face-to-face with some of the friends I’ve made online.
Many of us talk about IRL (in real life) or F2F (Face to Face) interactions after months or more of developing these online relationships. Every time I come away from another event, I’m reminded of the authenticity of these connections online, and yet how much depth is gained in those relationships when one steps out from behind the computer.
Emerging from the Black Hole
After a week of being out of my office, my calendar is packed with appointments and computer driven activities. Outside those appointments, I could find myself buried behind this screen for the better part of the week. It’s tempting.
Instead, I’m going to make an effort to do something new. I’ve got to get out of the office and connect even more. This morning, I brought my office to my local coffee shop instead. In the first 15 minutes of ‘working’ here, I ran into a friend, a past client, and a friend who has been kind enough to refer me business. Am I as productive? Maybe not. But maybe these are the kinds of distractions I should be welcoming.
We Know It – But Do We Do It?
We all know this is a business of social and personal engagement. We know it, but if you are reliant on your computer for much of your business activities, are you finding it too easy to work from home in your PJ’s til noon (not that I ever do that…)? Maybe it’s time to get out of the office and take advantage of the gift of WiFi and connect.
