Being self-employed, one of the biggest things I struggle with is getting motivated when I need to be. And it can be especially difficult right after a long holiday break. I know I’m not the only one who deals with this.
So what do you do when you need to get motivated? How do you reset yourself where you’re excited about your work once again? Here are a few strategies I use so I can finish my day strong.
Go for a walk.
Leave your phone or iPod at home, and go for a walk in the middle of nowhere. Remove any external distractions and give yourself 30 minutes of thinking time. Then consider why you’re unmotivated and what you might need to do about it.
You’ll come up with ideas and begin to process the things that are keeping you from being motivated. Plus you’ll get blood flowing in your body which will make you feel better. (Especially if you’re still feeling sluggish from the Thanksgiving meal.)
Write out what you’re worried about.
Got a massive to-do list? Write out everything you need to do. Then separate it into smaller chunks. Separate things into morning activities and afternoon activities.
When you make your to-do list more manageable, it’ll be easy to have small victories. That will lead to more motivation where you feel like you’re getting things done.
Choose a reward for finishing your work.
Decide on what you want to do to reward yourself once you’ve finished your workday. Want that delicious latte Starbucks just came out with? Want to watch The Hunger Games? Work hard and choose to enjoy that treat when you’ve finished your tasks.
I guarantee you’ll work faster so you can get that treat.
Change your location.
Finally, get out! If you can work from the outdoors, do that. If you can work from a coffee shop, go with that. Or maybe you just need to request to work from the conference room.
Changing your location will change the routine feeling and get you back on the path toward motivation.
You can do it! You can be motivated today. You just have to attack it with the right strategy, and you can get back to task.
What would you add to this list? What do you do when you’re in need of some serious motivation?