Monday, April 6, 2009

Has working from home affected your love life?

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I’m writing this as a single person, since at the moment I don’t really have what you call a boyfriend. I’ve never been a serial dater but I have had a date or two in my life. However, working from home has changed my dating pattern a bit. Maybe it’s all the things I have to do in a day, maybe I’ve turned into one of those careers vs love girls, or maybe I just don’t feel like it, but I’ve noticed working from home has affected my dating life and even social life. Now don’t get me wrong I am dating but since I started working from home it’s been different.

Here are some ways my work at home business has affected my dating life.

1.Far more interested in individuals who also work for themselves. It could be because they are better able to relate to the emotional highs and lows of being your own boss. I don’t discount guys who don’t work from home but I notice I’m dating more men who are at least interested in it.

2. Whereas a few years ago I would never meet a guy offline that I originally met online, it’s not such a big deal now. Working online teaches you to develop this weird sense of trust since you often do business with people you have never, and may never meet in person. Yes you still have to be cautious of meeting anyone offline but the possibility of having a decent relationship with someone has increased. If I can have a good business relationship with someone I originally met online then why not a love relationship.

3. Long term investment. Maybe it’s the age I’m now (early twenties) but I no longer want to date just so I can say “I had a date.” Just like how I only want to invest time and energy into a business venture with long term potential, it’s the same with the guys I date. If I sense early on he’s not interested in anything more than a fling, I don’t even bother.

4. Networking more. Everyone knows owning a business means networking and this can help your dating life a lot if you are looking. Not that every time I go to a function I find a love potential but meeting more people, especially those you have things in common with, helps to open a lot more door and windows for the potential of a date.

5. Flexible hours make for better dates. I can set aside my work and make some time for a guy I’m dating. If he has the day off I can meet him for lunch or we can see 2:00 movie or go for breakfast. It’s also nice that I don’t have to rush home (sometimes I do) or worry about getting up early for work tomorrow. This makes me feel a lot more relaxed and of course him as well.

6. You seem more interesting. Telling a guy what I do for a living makes him sit up and pay attention. Owning an online business, being a content provider, or social media expert are all new career realms. While most of my friends have bosses and work in a cubicle, I work for myself virtually anywhere. This is attractive to a lot of people. It takes a lot of confidence, self trust, and perseverance to work for yourself. I know I’ve been interested in meeting guys who worked their asses off to build high traffic blogs.

7. More open. It could be because of my increasing networking skills, but I’m more open to new experiences and types of people. I really take the time to listen and be present with the person I’m dating now more than before. This makes dating a lot more fun. Guys are more open and honest and every date seems great. This new found sense of openness and exploration has allowed me to just have better dates even if a long term relationship doesn't ensue.

8. Easy to become work obsessed. Because there are so many things to do, and each project takes so much focus, it’s easy to become self immersed and enter your own world where you can forget the rest of the world.

If I have a deadline or a launch I have no interest in meeting anyone. My friends can suddenly take a backseat to my career. I’ll still call them but I keep it decreases when I have a project. The last thing I want is lose focus.

People think, “You work from home; you can always get back to it.” But the truth is when a good idea comes and the motivation is there, the last thing you want is a distraction. The problem is, unless the guy also works for himself he can rarely understand why I’d rather stay in on a Saturday night and work then to go out with him.

These are just some of the ways working from home and being my own boss has changed the way I date and go about my love life. I’m interested in knowing how your love life has been affected since you started working from home. Has it even been affected? Maybe you’ve managed to remain the same and in that case I want to know about that.

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