Waning motivation is a real danger when you are self-employed. It leads to procrastination, which can lead to missing deadlines and losing clients. In fact, I'm willing to bet that it's a problem that nearly everyone who works at home has struggled with at one time, or another.
While looking at the household budget and realizing that you need the income should be sufficient motivation, sometimes it is not.
It doesn't have to be that way! There are definitely some steps that you can take to maintain your motivation.
Divide and Conquer
A large project can be overwhelming and leave you wondering: where do I start? It's easy to lose steam on your project when you feel overwhelmed.
The fix is easy. Rather than jumping directly into a large project, take some time before you begin to plan your work. Divide a large project up into a smaller series of tasks. Estimate how long you believe each task should take. (Remember to allow some extra time at the end of the entire project for unforeseen circumstances.) Tackle each small task individually.
Now that your huge project has become a series of smaller tasks, it shouldn't seem quite as overwhelming.
Get Organized
Do you work in a disorganized environment? Are you surrounded by piles of paper?
Sloppy surroundings can slow you down. Disorganization is definitely a demotivator.
One way to organize your work space is to figure out a system that works for you. If you're a visual person (like I am) you may like to have your work in plain view most of the time. I've found that a cubby system with a separate cubby for each active project helps me keep an eye on my projects without leaving them all over my workspace. Bulletin boards and calendars are other visual organizing tools.
Once you have your system in place, you should be able to work more efficiently.
Stay on Top of Your Game
Many fields require continuing education. Maybe you haven't kept up with advances in your particular field and now you feel lost.
Don't give up! Make a list of the specific skills that you need to learn and schedule training time for yourself. (Hint: many training materials are available free, or for a low cost, over the Internet.) You don't need to tackle everything at once. Just have a self-education plan in place.
Successfully completing a few courses in your field can serve as a confidence builder and a motivator.
Take a Break
Are you in the habit of working long hours and not taking breaks?
While this may seem like a way to get more done, it often has the opposite effect. Working too hard and too long can wear you down and cause you to lose your enthusiasm for your work.
The old adage that "all work and no play makes Jack (or Jill) a dull boy (or girl)" is literally true.
The first step in regaining your drive is to set appropriate boundaries for yourself. Make a distinction between your work and your personal life.
The second step is to allow yourself to take a few days off from time to time. It doesn't seem logical, but sometimes you can actually accomplish more by working less.
Check Your Health
If you have had a "blah" feeling for a long period of time, it may be time to see the doctor. There are a number of physical problems that could produce feelings of discouragement. (Low blood sugar is just one example of such a problem.)
Your physician can tell for sure if there is anything medically wrong with you.
Other Resources
There are many resources on the Internet about finding motivation. Here are a few of the better ones:
- 4 keys to staying motivated from Ian's Messy Desk.
- The Key to Escaping Toxic Motivation from Scott H Young
- 10 effective ways to stay motivated from rediff news
- How To Stay Motivated from lifehack.org
- Tricks for staying motivated from gear Diary
- Thirteen Tricks to Motivate Yourself from lifehack.org
- 5 Simple Steps to Stop Procrastination Today from Dumb Little Man
What about you? What are your tricks and tips for staying motivated?
Leave a comment and let us know.
(If I get enough comments, I'll turn the comments into another post and give each commentator credit.)
This is an excellent post and a wonderful resource, Laura!
I think you've been peeking over the top of that virtual cubicle next door, as I can identify with a lot of these.
As a list person, the divide and conquer one has worked well for me. I still struggle with the take a break one, sometimes.
Posted by: Yvonne Russell | October 12, 2007 9:18 AM | Permalink to Comment