by Leo Wiles
13 August 2014
I recently left a full-time gig at Bauer to go it alone and I was super excited about it. I set up my office, have been getting some commissions but I find I am hopeless at actually working. I’m distracted by everything! How long does it take to get into the mindset of being motivated to work, rather than doing everything else around the house? A
Flicking the switch from office desk jockey to self-motivated freelancer can be a difficult task. Sure, there’s the lack of office politics, morning gossip and a thankful end to meetings about meetings to be grateful for, but sometimes we can be our own worst enemy – Dr Phil fans, are you nodding?
Most freelancers who work a 60 hour week may find it hard to maintain a level of motivation – especially one that moves us away from the need to conquer the latest crème brulee recipe, fold socks or conduct a spring clean before sitting down to write. But short of buying handcuffs to keep you chained to your desk, there’s a lot you can do to structure your day and get into the habit of working – even with the worst distractions around you. Here are my top six.
1. Be accountable. Each night, prepare for the day ahead by writing up the three most important things you need to achieve on a post-it note. The next morning know that you won’t be leaving your desk till they’re done. My top tip here is to do the thing you loathe most first. That way the rest of your day will be procrastination-free and far more enjoyable.
2. Reward yourself. Like being on a diet, it’s better to have small rewards rather than one large binge. Therefore, after a massive piece of work has been completed, instead of ploughing on with the next thing go for a walk, have lunch, take the afternoon off.
3. Make the most of your time. To ensure that you’ve new business coming in while looking after the tasks at hand, I’d suggest creating a flexible schedule: Monday – pitch, follow up leads, write blog, schedule social media posts, Tuesday – secure interviews, research, spend time on marketing myself, Wednesday – interviews, transcribe, write drafts, Thursday – polish and fact check, Friday – deliver stories, send out invoices brainstorm new opportunities, network.
4. Clock off. Instead of working through the evening – tempting when your home office is right there and you can just finish off that feature while keeping an eye on the telly – don’t do it. Turn off your computer. You’ll wake up rested and be more inclined to hit the keyboard all over again.
5. Stop cheating. One of the great joys of working for yourself is the ability to carve out your day how you’d like it, but pleasure needs to be built into your routine too. So factor in an hour for a guilt-free morning walk to your local café and a flick through the papers if that’s how you’d like to start your day; it’ll help you maintain motivation once you’re back at your desk.
6. Get into the groove. Without a daily commute, following which you might collect a takeaway coffee, say hi to colleagues, and settle in at your desk, it can be hard when you work from home to know when you’re at work. As regulars readers will know I have a habitual ritual: following the school run I’ll grab some much-needed caffeine, spend half an hour tidying up at home and when I’ve finished my coffee that’s my cue to switch into work mode. And remember, research shows it takes up to three weeks to make or break a habit, so give it time.
How do you stay motivated to work from home?
Great post, Leo. Having a structure is vital. I love how you include reward times as it’s all to easy to get stuck in your writing cave and plough on. After 20 years of freelance writing, editing and PR myself, I’d also add being clear on WHAT you want to achieve. Is it the busy business so you can fund the waterfront mansion? Or is your definition of success far less grandiose? Once you are clear on that, it makes it much easier to set the tasks that take you towards the goal.
Hi Phil, Loving your tag name.
Goals without deadlines are called dreams and I certainly agree you need to know what you’re aiming for to reach it.
But it’s as much the journey as the destination, just to throw another cliche in there, and without rewards along the way I can get very resentful as we all need work, rest and play…
I love this post too Leo. And can I just say – I still remember the first year working from home as being MIGHTY tricky to motivate myself. It really does take time to create that structure and habit when no one’s looking over your shoulder making you meet deadlines. I agree with Phil above – rewards are super important; I always plan little things in each week to keep myself going.
Great post, Leo. Two points I’d like to add. Make sure friends and family understand that ‘working from home’ means WORKING. Secondly forget domesticity: if you were still working in the city, the household chores wouldn’t be attended to by you during working hours. Good luck ‘A’!
Thanks Heather if you work out how to keep relatives and friends at bay working from home without alienating them I’m all ears!
Leo, It’s not easy or pretty. It’s taken YEARS. But they are starting to get it (family particularly). Trade-offs help. “Sure let’s have a cuppa. How about a breakfast one before work starts” or “Um, Mum, I can’t take you out this Saturday. I’m making up the time I took out on Wednesday [for your appointment – unsaid]”. 🙂