Working at home in your pajamas has become something of an Internet based clich?. You have most probably seen the ads that tell you how easy it would be for you to work in the comfort of your own home in your pajamas. In fact, you have probably seen those ads so often they now make you groan. I know how you feel, I've seen them hundreds of times too, but the idea of working at home in your pajamas is more than just a tired advertising gambit: it is a fitting symbol of the freedom you give to yourself when you make the decision to work from home.



There are people who don't like the idea of working in their pajamas but would happily spend all day wearing their favourite bathrobe or sweat suit. No matter what your sartorial taste might be, the freedom to choose is what counts. So, where I refer in this article to "pajamas", read in track suit or bathrobe or even birthday suit if that's how you get comfortable when you are in the privacy of your own home. The point is that when you are working at home, you don't need to be dressed in a business suit or company uniform: you get to choose what you want to wear.

You can measure the amount of freedom and flexibility you have achieved from working at home by calculating how many hours per week you can spend working in your own choice of clothing. If you have a job where you are permitted to work part time at home and part time at the company premises, you will obviously have to comply with the company dress code for part of the time, but you are free to work in whatever outfit you like for the hours you are working at home.

If you have a home based business which involves meeting your customers, you might not spend too much of the day sitting around in your pajamas, but that doesn't matter. The important thing is that you still get to choose what you wear. If, for instance, you sell children's books or cosmetics or run a mobile hair-styling service, you won't want to go out in your pajamas to see your customers, but it's up to you whether you wear a smart suit or a more casual outfit. The only thing which restricts your flexibility is the need to meet your customers' needs as to delivery of purchases or keeping appointments.

If you have your own home based Internet business, your potential for freedom of choice in the wardrobe department is unlimited. This freedom of choice does not stop at working at home in your pajamas, it extends to every aspect of your week. As well as choosing what you want to wear, you can choose what hours you work, you can choose the order in which you perform your daily tasks and you can even decide to take a day off at short notice without having to beg for permission.

If somebody else is choosing what clothes you wear, it might be time to think about whether you really want to work at that job. Working at home is not about getting to live your whole life wearing pajamas, it is about freedom of choice and that is a truly priceless commodity.