Contributed article in our small business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly
When you’re in charge of your own work life, it can be difficult to stay focused. With no one to pay attention to your activities, it’s tempting to talk yourself out of doing work. In the short term, this might provide you with a pleasant break. However, in the long term, a lack of productivity will be disastrous for your personal finances and the development of your career. That is why you need to take control of the situation. It’s vital that you’re doing everything in your power to work efficiently. Luckily, there are plenty of easy steps for you to take. Below are four tips for staying motivated when you’re self-employed.
Schedule Your Day
Make sure that you have a clear plan for your day ahead. You should even try to plan your entire week in advance. This allows you to have a clear idea of everything that you need to get done. When you’re formulating your plan, it’s important that you strike the right balance between being optimistic and being realistic. You should always be pushing yourself to achieve more. However, you should avoid setting yourself unrealistic deadlines. Ideally, at the end of each day, you want to feel satisfied instead of deflated.
Take Regular Breaks
Taking regular breaks can actually help to increase efficiency. Make sure that you have a clear time limit for your breaks. Otherwise, you might find yourself losing huge chunks of your day. Try to find activities that only take up a small amount of time, as this will help you to get into a routine. You could meditate for five minutes, walk twice around your garden, or listen to three of your favorite songs. Just make sure that you always stick to your time limit.
Create a Fantastic Work Space
One of the benefits of working from home is that you’re in complete control of your environment. Make sure that you are taking full advantage of this opportunity. Take the time to create a work space that you enjoy using. It’s important that you don’t let it get too cluttered, as this can make it difficult to focus. You should also try to introduce some diversity into your days. Every once in a while, you should visit a library or an internet café. This will prevent you from becoming bored with your surroundings. You could even meet up with other people and work together.
Introduce a Reward Scheme
You probably won’t have had a reward scheme since you were very little. However, it’s an extremely effective way to keep yourself motivated. Try to plan an exciting event for the end of each month. This will give you something to look forward to. If you don’t have a boss to reward your efforts, you’ll need to take matters into your own hands. At www.ticketsales.com, you can find amazing tickets at wholesale prices. Why not treat yourself to a night of fun in celebration of all your hard work?
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