Ways to Stay Motivated when Working from Home
"If you could work from home, would you?" When asked this question 99% of people answer with a resounding "YES!". And who wouldn't? You can make your own hours, you are your own boss, and there's no dress code or commute. Sounds ideal, doesn't it? If only it were that easy.
Working from home can be a great experience, for those of us who have the fortitude to stick with it and be productive and efficient. But that's not always the case. The freedom gained when working from home, especially after years of the daily 8-5 grind, is a heady experience. You might find yourself procrastinating getting started so you can finally sleep in, or run errands or just enjoy the day where you couldn't before. This can be dangerous to your income, because how much procrastination is too much? Are you taking a much needed break/vacation, or do you find that you are continuously lacking the motivation to get the job done now?
A lack of motivation is a key problem among those who work from home. You may find yourself attempting to start working and becoming easily distracted by any number of things from the television to your kids. So how do you circumvent the lack of enthusiasm to actually do the work so you can be productive? Well, there are a few small techniques that should help you find a happy, healthy balance between work-a-holic and couch potato.
The first being a home office. Hopefully you have an extra room, or an area you can develop in some part of your home, that will literally be your "office". This is your game face area. When you sit down at your given desk, or close the door, you are now at work. Trying to maintain the facade that you are at work for long enough, and eventually your brain will start to accept it as truth. And how much easier would your life be if you could instantly switch to work mode for a few hours and then have the rest of the day for yourself? This is a great technique that definitely takes practice, but is worth it to you in the end.
Another technique would be to carve out a specific period of time that are your "business hours". You don't have to start with a full 8 hour day, that's what you are trying to avoid by working from home. But getting a set three to four hours a day, say from 2 PM to 5 PM for instance, where you are supposed to be working, will help you to learn to refocus during those hours and eventually become common practice for you. You will even be able to make your hours more flexible once you adjust to actually working in your new environment.
And third, and probably the most important, eliminate things you know are a distraction. Whether you're in your new "office" or just working at the kitchen table, there are some things that you know are a distraction for you on a regular day, let alone while you are trying to work. So shut off the television, turn off the phone, and put the kids down for a nap before you sit down to work on your business. You will find it easier to focus and pound out the work quickly and efficiently, to make you a more successful entrepreneur.
