As a Computer Consultant, I am often found spending time lighting a candle at both ends. Fortunately for me, my entire working life has been working, at times, very long hours or for days on end without a day off. Sure, working for yourself gives you plenty of time, some might say, to schedule time off. This is not always the case, but maybe it should be. Burn-out is most certainly something to watch out for in any occupation since even doing the same thing over and over again can cause similar stress. Like any good business, they say you should have a good business plan, some might have a 3 year or 5 year plan and some may even go 20 years or more. Since electronics themselves are marketed for about 3 months before a new product is in the making, doesn't give a lot of time for rest in between. That goes for any training by means of reading up on the new technology, to actually using it and then when it breaks, know what to look for to fix it. Fortunately when it comes to the physical hardware, that seems to be getting more modular. For example, when a CPU goes bye-bye it usually means replacing the CPU Cooler as well, since these are in many cases a warranted item (even though you probably won't be using the warranty since it usually costs more to ship it, insured, etc the one-way as you have to do) when the replacement is no longer available since they stopped making PIII-500mhz CPU's... Which means you are going to be replacing the mainboard as well... Good news there is that the average mainboard is relatively cheap, considering they now have 3d graphics and 5 channel digital sound, network card all built in. Once you do this however, you find that you will also need the newer memory "DDR" stuff since your old board had the SDRAM (pc100/133). But this is what I deal with TODAY... Tomorrow it will be something else.
This goes on all over the world... There are computer consultants helping remove viruses, install a new wireless network, set up an office with new computers, printers, etc. On and on, technology pushes forward, and there are these people that are trying to soften the blow when it comes to learning the new ways. This means teaching and/or training as well. Many consultants find themselves in "waves" of work, where they might be fixing viruses like crazy for what seems like an eternity, and then all of a sudden there is this dead time where there are no computer problems, or so it seems.. Quiet time when you actually feel guilty that the phone hasn't been ringing and you wonder if it is still working. Then if you are anything like me, you will realize this is just another "calm before the storm"... A time when you should probably be either taking a break and getting some fresh air by climbing the nearest mountain geocaching or out catching the grandfather of the local fishing hole. Maybe traveling.. But how far can you go? When there are computer problems, it is like being a doctor sometimes, where you are on call 24 hours a day. Of course that is entirely up to the individual doing the work. No, I am not alone out there, I know this... And I often wonder if there is ever a way that one could vision a time where, like in a time-share situation, you spend a period of time, whether it is a week or two, at a local destination, which is a complete working office, work-bench, set up just like other consultants as like myself may have. Since much of your work is off-site, a lot of it is now being done remotely using active desktop/server software, the future looks to be even more connected. Virtually every item will have an IP address and can be controlled remotely. Gates mentioned how vehicles should have the technology in them to prevent them from crashing in to each other and other objects. I look at this and think how this should be a priority. With the current price of a gps, knowing that all new cars have a computer diagnostics terminal on them now, why not add the necessary "computer" to each car.. Much like onstar does now, or how you can have a professionally installed remote car starter/alarm that will do things like adjust the temperature of the car and will tell you remotely. Heck, that has been around for a while.. So why isn't it in more vehicles? Why isn't it in all vehicles? If the electronics industry is pretty much controlled by supply and demand, why not have it so the demand is high..
So what of the visions of remote office? As I see it right now, people want to be able to use their computer whenever they want, for whatever they want and any down-time should be when they know they are not going to be using it, such as when they go on vacation, or maybe just as small of a time as when they are sleeping.. Depending on the type of work that needs to be done to the computer--if only every computer was like the new refrigerators that will send out a service call when it detects a problem... Where is the person that is going to repair the problem? Does it really matter who repairs it? Of course it does--that is part of the reason you are doing what it is you are doing--because the work you are doing is the kind of work your client was looking for-when it can be done almost seamless by swapping that computer component or entire computer without any down time is a wonderful thing-so what is it worth? Where does the cost factor in to all of this? You can factor time in to it, but since you are your own boss, time becomes the number one factor-just how many computers/clients can you help in a 24 hour period. Then you look to the future and wonder how can you keep up with the pace. That is when you must focus on other areas of the business, which may be as little as scheduling in a one hour walk in the park every day. I know of some that work from their home, who get up routinely each and every day and get dressed as they would if they were going to work outside their home, have their routine meal (I won't say breakfast, since this might actually be the dinner hour for those 9 to 5 people if the time was 6pm when you are leaving for work). Only to drive to the nearest coffee shop for their morning coffee, or take that walk around the block. The fact that you take the time in a routine way, on a daily basis, working from your home can still keep your mind focused that you still have a job to do. Distractions can be good however, it is up to you how you handle your time! One thing I am learning each and every day however, is that no matter what it is you are doing, you should be enjoying it, otherwise you will find yourself only getting frustrated in the end.
