Like any other job, working at home could lead you into feeling like the laziest person in the world. I sometimes feel like not working or finishing a task just because I don’t feel like it. I learned that the best thing to do is to accept that it’s a fact and it’s normal to feel that way sometimes. What you do is to know how to bounce back from your productive self. I learned from my years of working from home that sometimes it’s best to give in to your laziness for a day or two but make sure you fully understand the bulk of work you need to accomplish after springing back to your normal life. Besides, let’s accept the fact that it’s easier to feel lazy when you’re at home!
So here are few tips to regain your productive spirit:
You’re the CEO.
Just because you work at Home,Inc doesn’t mean it’s not a real job. When you work x amount of hours for a client, manage to keep the house in one piece and then make your family members groomed and geared, you are definitely working a lot like any CEO or even more! A company could not run well without its CEO so better pick yourself up and stay on top of things.
Read reviews.
Read what past customers are saying about you to remind yourself how well appreciated your efforts are. It’s not just for your potential clients to see and read but as a reminder on how clients see your work. One of my clients said that the highest praise anyone can say to a virtual staff is how helpful he/she is.
Morning routine helps.
I am sure I have written a few times on my last posts that I value my morning routine so much because it’s this time of the day where I collect my thoughts and gather my feelings. Try to wake up ahead of everyone else and have that peaceful moment alone- you could just sit while you clear your mind and run down things to do for the day or shower in peace. I also know some people who likes to write in a journal. It’s true that being a work at home Mom calls for flexibility, spontaneity and creativity to do and finish things but do your best to have a morning routine that you feel suits you best and one that works for you too.
Create a comfortable working ambience.
It does not have to be a huge CEO-sque table but a comfortable working place. You spend critical number of hours in a day in that area so might as well beautify it and make it work for you. I know someone who created a working space out of books she stacked together to form table and chair– she’s comfortable being surrounded by books that she collect and love so much and it inspires her to write (she’s a freelance writer) so it makes so much sense.
We also recently installed this corkboard for my post it and quick to do notes
In my case, I like mine clean, uncluttered and organized. When my working space is in a chaos, my mind is all over the place too so it has to be organized, sanitized and smelling fresh every day 🙂 (hey, we all have our quirks! what’s yours?)
Get pass that hurdle.
If you feel that you’re going to trudge on your tasks all day, do the most tedious task first. If you’re being taunted by that pile of laundry since last night, start washing it first thing in the morning. The goal is to lift that burden as soon as possible so you can feel lighter (or relieved) the rest of the day.
Virtual friends perk me upper.
Join forums & group conversations (like Female Network Forum, Yahoo groups, Plurk) to keep your mind off some of the heavy tasks for the day. Get that sinking feeling out of your chest with your virtual friends. I have great Plurk pals that cheer me up when I have my hohum days and I do the same to them. I also find inspiration through their insightful posts and comments.
Re-think your working strategy and goals.
Are you feeling lazy because you don’t like what you’re doing anymore? Or you might be burned out for doing too much all at the same time. It’s time to sit down and write down your goals and re align yourself to where you want to head and remind yourself of the end result you want to achieve. Sometimes it’s easy to be lost with all the things that you need to accomplish in a single day that 24 hours isn’t enough but remember your priorities and your reasons for being a work at home Mom.
For me it’s my family. I wanted to stay home, earn and still be able to look after my family personally. When work gets on the way, I make sure I make up for it. In the same way when family gets on the way, I make sure I make up for lost working hours.
Lastly, END YOUR WORK DAY
My favorite line is, ‘there’s always tomorrow’. There’s always tomorrow to finish the tasks. There’s always tomorrow to clean that room. There’s always tomorrow to make up for lost hours.
Again, it’s easy to lose sight of the most important things in life so do what it takes to make it clear when it does. When you love what you do, it’s still possible that your love wanes for a little bit but know that it’s there…your love is there..and you just have to know how to make it glow back and sparkle the way it used to— and the way it should.
