7 tips to staying motivated while working from home
TRANSCRIPT
You’re doing it. For years you’ve wanted to work from home and you are finally doing it. Youare no longer an employee who has a “J O B”; you are now a business owner, self-employed,ruler of your own destiny AND you have inherited all the responsibilities that come withowning a business:
* You are the manager * You are the marketer * You are the service provider/widget maker* You are the bookkeeper
And the list goes on. We often get so busy running our businesses that we forget why westarted them in the first place.
So what does a small business owner do to stay motivated while working from home?
1. Remember the “why”.
Take a step back to remember the reason you went into business in the first place. What wasyour inspiration? It helps to focus intently on how you felt when you first realized you wantedto be successfully self-employed. For me, it was the sense of freedom and independence thatI knew would come with success as an entrepreneur.
2. Give yourself a deadline.
If you’re procrastinating about a project, you may be motivated by the self-imposed pressureof a deadline. Try giving yourself a deadline that you won’t want to back down on: send anemail to friends announcing a new product launch, email your client with a due date for thatbig project you’re working on, take reservations for your first teleclass, you get the idea.
3. Maintain a support system.
One of the hardest parts of being a solopreneur can be the sense of isolation. When things goright (or wrong), we no longer have the “water cooler” to go to. Be sure there is someonewho you can share with, someone who is available for a quick motivational chat when youneed one.
4. Keep the goal in sight.
A simple, yet effective motivational tool is to keep your goals in sight – literally. I’ve taken apicture of my dream house and made it the background wallpaper on my computer. Oneglance at it is a megadose of motivation for me!
5. Take a nap.
As counterintuitive as it sounds, taking a powernap is one of the best ways to rejuvenate yourbody AND mind. So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or low, slowly and intentlyread each of your goals and then go take a powernap. Let your subconscious work on ways tomanifest those goals while you rest. When you wake, you’ll be raring to go!
6. Reward yourself.
When faced with a large project, unpleasant task or anything that overwhelms you, plan areward for once it’s done. The reward can be as simple as a quiet bath with candles or asexciting as a professional sporting event. Just be sure to plan a reward that YOU want and willenjoy!
7. Take a break.
You’ve most likely never worked harder than when you are first starting your own business.In addition to actually “doing” all the work, you need to work on marketing, invoicing andother overhead or “non-billable” tasks.
Don’t get caught in the trap of “all work and no play”. Be sure you take days off and breaksthroughout the day to rejuvenate and gain some perspective. Whenever I’m stuck on aproject, I grab one of the dogs and go for a walk…by the time I return to the office, thingshave usually sorted themselves out in my head.
It doesn't matter how successful your home business is or how much you love to work fromhome; both new and established entrepreneurs face the motivational dilemma at some pointand while some of the above motivational strategies may seem conflicting on their face –giving yourself a deadline versus taking a break for example – they all have their place in thelife of a successful entrepreneur.
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