Yep, that's where I wrote this article - sitting on the back porch.

Well, that's probably inaccurate; actually, the idea for this article came to me while I was sitting on the back porch. I was enjoying my after-lunch coffee along with an unseasonably warm (but delightful) October afternoon, when it occurred to me that I was indulging myself in one of the true luxuries of the work-from-home lifestyle.

I began to flash back as to what it was like working the more traditional 9-to-5 job, and once again I realized how blessed I was to be able to work from home on MY schedule, not someone else's!

There's no denying it - I'm the toughest boss I've ever had - but even the most compassionate employers have no way of knowing, let alone accommodating, those times when you just simply have to say "STOP!"

You know what I'm talking about - you've been hard at work on your job for weeks, giving your all to your employer, and all at once your mind and body says to you, "I've got to get out of here!" We've all been there, right? You just want a break, a chance to be by yourself and sort through all the things that are weighing on your mind. Perhaps you'll just sneak outside for a few minutes, take a walk, grab a cup of java... you know it will make you more productive.

Sometimes you can do that...but more often than not, you can't.

Or you won't, because you don't want your supervisor to view you as a "slacker."

So you plug away, not able to give your all to your job simply because you're not able to refresh yourself on YOUR timetable.

No so when you work from home.

Make no mistake; I work very long hours - many more than I did at any of my traditional jobs. Sometimes I work as many as 14 hours a day. But when the time comes to take a break, regardless of the hour, I have the freedom to do just that.

And that's when I head for the back porch.