Work from Home? Get Out of the House!

The boundaries between work and home have shifted drastically in recent years. Many of us have found that our career goals can be accomplished from our home office (or breakfast table). What used to be a considered the grind is a luxury that can be done in our bedroom slippers.

The benefits of working from home outweigh the hassles of commuting but ranks very low in the finding love department.

Why? Unless you fall in love with the mail carrier, you will need to step out of the slippers and from the home office to interact with dating prospects.

I know. You're busy. You have conference calls. The slippers are super-comfy. I get it. But here are a few ways you can incorporate a few face-to-face connections with potential matches while furthering your career goals:

1) Schedule a Regular Coffee Break
Has someone ever mentioned that they have seen you around? Or pointed out that the two of you have the same schedule? That comes from habit where your latte schedules have synced up (serendipitous, anyone?).  Establish a routine by frequenting the same places at the same time.  This will allow fellow bachelors and bachelorettes to check you out and know where they'll be able to run into you again.  

2) Network on a New Level
You're job may not even be in the same city or country. While this may make you feel like the odd one out, there are hundreds in the same boat. Connect with other web designs or bloggers at local cafes via Meetup.com or other connection sites. Attend conferences or listen to expert give a talk in your area that helps you foster business contact and gets you in the mix to meet other singles in the city.

3) Schedule Meeting Outside the Home
With WebEX and Facetime, it is easy to plug into meetings that are within our reach to attend in person. Even if you are meeting with a vendor, client or just want to discuss an upcoming project, try to meet outside the home. Every time you go out, you further your chances of meeting the one by 10 fold.

Working from home can shrink our space and create hurdles for meeting new people. The key here is to be aware that it takes a bit more effort to meet new people -- but it is possible.