[via British Vogue: My all-time favourite photo of Victoria Beckham.*]
Working from home takes a certain brand of self-discipline. People remind me of this all the time.
Most popular response to finding out I spend all day on my laptop in our tiny home office:
"I could NEVER work for home. I'm not that disciplined."
(Second most popular response: "Luckyyyyyyyy!")
So yes. I can meet deadlines without having a physical boss in the room. I can even do laundry at the same time. I make coffee. And a healthy lunch. BUT…I can't always look like a grownup while doing so.
When you work from home, you can adopt some pretty lazy habits. Like not showering until 5 p.m. Or not wearing pants until…um…do pyjama pants count?
When I go out in the evening, I swap the slippers for heels. I put on makeup. I wear perfume. I deceive my peers into thinking I'm chic. I'm not. I'm gross. Just ask Matthew. (Please don't ask.)
So. For the month of July, I'm going to shower EVERY MORNING before sitting down to write. I'm going to wear actual clothing. The kind that I wouldn't mind wearing in public. I'm sick of having to change my clothes to go to the grocery store. (Yes, my daily wear is often too grubby for No Frills. Sad.) I might even put on lip gloss.
And, to make it fun — because I think personal challenges are fun — I'm not going to double-up on outfits, either. I want to wear my wardrobe. And play with it. And stop "saving" certain pieces for the day when my lifestyle gets cooler. It won't.
So far, I've dressed up like Minnie Mouse.
Freelancers out there, do you struggle with certain areas of your daily routine?
*My airplane reading last month confirmed that British Vogue is far superior to American Vogue. Don't let Anna Wintour suck you in. British Vogue will tell you where it's at, style-wise, friends.