Quiz: Are You Ready to Work from Home?

Aug. 23, 2005 — -- If you're currently working in a traditional office environment and you dream of ending your commute, greeting your kids at home after school and working in your pajamas, you might want to consider a work-from-home opportunity.

But before you pack up your desk, keep in mind that such an arrangement isn't right for everyone. Women For Hire CEO Tory Johnson prepared a mini-quiz to see if you're cut out for the challenges faced by those who must manage their time without getting easily bored, lonely or distracted.

Imagine yourself in each of these scenarios and answer honestly how you think you'd react. There are no right or wrong answers, so be true to yourself.

For every "A" response, give yourself 1 point; every "B" response is 2 points; and every "C" is worth 3 points. You can find out your score at the end of the quiz. Your overall score will offer some perspective on your readiness to work from home.

1. You're on a family vacation in which you promised not to be distracted by work. Midway through the trip, you can't stand being away from e-mail and voicemail. You:
a. Constantly check e-mail and voicemail, only to get distracted by a new project.
b. Sneak away to check your messages when nobody is looking.
c. Know the messages can wait since your out-of-office greetings indicated you're away.

2. You're working on a project that's due today and you're thinking about the flowers in your newly planted garden that could probably use some watering. You:
a. Water them a little bit at a time and return to your work on and off the rest of the day.
b. Immediately go water them knowing that you'll be distracted until you do so.
c. Wait to do water the garden until after your project is complete.

3. You're feeling bored, lonely, and restless, which is making it difficult to concentrate on your work today. You:
a. Ignore your feelings and just work through it because you have a lot to accomplish.
b. Schedule more lunch meetings to get out of your home office frequently.
c. Talk to a trusted colleague who works from home to share your thoughts and exchange tips for overcoming this natural feeling.