If you’re thinking about continuing your past year’s experience with working from home…

 …a couple of thoughts. 

• One year is not enough time to arrive at your own best level of productivity.
• It’s not enough time for your boss to do so either.

It’ll take more like 3-5 years to find your own best grooves.

I worked at home with some success for 20 years, in the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s. My biggest challenges were…

• Finding the best way to manage my time—over time.
• Finding the best way to manage my social interactions—both in and outside work.

Both of these solutions are very individual—certainly much more individual than they would be working daily in an office environment. And although it was already emerging during my own ancient century, ubiquitous 24/7 connectivity no doubt makes these solutions more difficult today.

Certainly, no one way is right for everybody (which may be the most important lesson of the past year). Some have failed, some thrive. If you can’t wait to get back to an everyday office environment then by all means do. But if you think working at home holds promise for you, personally, and if you have the opportunity, stay with it for a while. 

For me, it was worth the effort.