We have all seen plenty of blogs on how to be productive while working from home, but what about staying motivated to do the work? There may be times when you feel like you simply don’t want to work, and when no one is supervising you or looking over your shoulder, the temptation to goof off is very real. You may lose your motivation if you are your own boss, simply because you don’t have management watching you and you’re not thinking too much about the long-term consequences.
These are real problems that people face when they work from home or they are their own boss. If you’ve struggled with keeping your motivation up, then here are some tips to help you.
Calculate Potential Earnings
A lot of times our motivation will lapse because you’re not thinking about the long term. If you are having trouble staying motivated to do your work, you should start calculating how much money you can earn over the next week, the next month, and even the next year.
Figure out how much money you would make if you worked steadily and stayed productive during those time spans. Then, calculate how much you would earn if you continued at your current rate of productivity with your lack of motivation. Calculate the difference between those numbers, considering that these are likely estimates and may not be exact figures. Still, the difference could be startling and could be enough to motivate you.
To keep your motivation going, put those numbers on a board or on a paper on the wall next to you or resting on your desk where you work. This will help you keep your goals in perspective and give you something to work toward.
Plan Out Your Expenses and Purchases
If you continue to stay motivated and work hard, your earning potential increases exponentially. To help you stay motivated, you can figure out what your expenses are for the month, breaking them down and totaling them up. As with your earning potential numbers, this is a list of figures you’ll want to keep close by your workstation to stimulate your work and keep you motivated for a long time.
It’s helpful to list as many expenses as possible, and here are a few you might want to add to your list:
- rent
- car payment
- groceries
- gas
- services (babysitting, professional house cleaning and even niche down to same day specialty, grass cutting, etc.)
- phone bill
- internet bill
- water bill
- electric bill
You can also list out the kinds of things you want to buy after you’ve saved up enough money or had a good payday. Maybe you’re aching to purchase a new car, update your kitchen, buy some prized collectible, invest in your hobby, or purchase some new clothes. List out the things you’re looking forward to buying and at what point you might be able to buy them if you continue to work hard. Once again, keep that list nearby so that you can refer to it and find the motivation you need in those weak moments.
Set and Update Goals
A lot of people lose their motivation because they forget their goals or they don’t have any real goals that they have set for themselves. It’s important to have something to work toward. That stimulates you and pushes you to keep on going.
Your goal could be a major purchase like a new house or car, or it could be having a certain amount of money in your bank account at once. Your goal could simply be to earn a specific amount of money for the year or to see your business grow by a specific amount. That growth could include more customers, more income, more products sold, or any number of other variables.
It’s not enough to simply set goals, but you also want to update goals as it makes sense. So, you can increase your targets that you’re working for or change your goals as you outgrow them. Maybe you’ve already achieved the goal you set for this year, and you’ve done it earlier than you expected. You can lose your motivation quickly if you don’t set a new goal to work toward, so keep that in mind and be prepared to set new goals as necessary.
Keep track of your goals as well, charting your progress toward them. It can really help your motivation to examine the kind of progress you have made toward each goal. If you’re only waiting until you accomplish a goal to mark your progress, then you may have trouble keeping motivation high. You can set specific milestones toward the goal that you want to achieve, and then celebrate and mark each of those.
Celebrate Achievements
For some people, setting the goal and achieving that goal can be enough motivation to keep them going. For others, it may be necessary to reward themselves from time to time for what they have accomplished. So, if you accomplish a goal or make a certain amount of progress toward that goal, you may want to reward yourself with a small purchase, a meal that you love, a little time off, or something else that stimulates your interest and boosts your motivation.
It can also help to tell other people about your achievements and how close you have come to reaching your goals or if you accomplished a goal. Sharing that with other people can boost your morale and motivate you to do even more. Their encouraging words and the shared idea of success can be excellent motivators, pushing you on to greater things and keeping you going when you otherwise might start to lag or lapse.
Stimulate Your Mental State
Sometimes, lack of motivation comes from a tired or unstimulated mind. If you’re just going on from day-to-day with little mental stimulation, you’re unlikely to stay motivated. Getting exercise throughout the week can help your mental stimulation and keep your brain active and firing on all cylinders. Some other things that can mentally stimulate you include reading a book, spending time with friends, engaging in lively conversation, having coffee or tea, or spending a few minutes each day in meditation, prayer, or mindfulness.