First Word

     I’ve recently seen articles addressing hybrid work environments. Over the years, I have had positions where I worked at home a few days a week and in the office. The last 15 years I have worked remotely (very successfully).             First, let’s address the reasons for remote/hybrid work – the pandemic. I want to share a story about illness in the workplace. I worked for an organization where I was continuously exposed to other sick employees and bad air filtration. We used to call these “sick” buildings. Older buildings where the air is recirculated also meant germs got easily shared among employees. When I worked in this sick building I was ill nearly all winter long. Years later when I began working exclusively from my home office, the illnesses ceased. Now I am rarely sick.             Many positive reasons exist...

  What do you think is the number one challenge a writer faces? Is it writer’s block? No… although many writers deal with some form of writer’s block throughout their careers. It’s distractions! Yes, writers face too many distractions that break their focuses. Between social media, online activities, the real world, and nonstop demands on your time, it’s not that easy to focus. Then we have what I personally call “brain mush,” which in my definition goes like this: too much screen time and tired eyes. Brain mush leads to allowing distractions just to get away from the computer, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.   I bet many of you are nodding right now and thinking, “Yes! Distractions are always pulling me away from my projects.” Whether you work in an office or at your home office, distractions can often stop your progress. When I worked in an office with coworkers, the water-cooler talk caused distractions. Although I avoided it. I have been and am always ...