In my previous articles, we have been talking about the challenges and struggles facing the self-employed person today. We have looked at the issues of "feeling lonely and scared" and "maintaining that work-life balance".
This week we are going to look at one of the biggest challenges of being self-employed and that is feeling motivated enough to work...
Do you struggle to get motivated enough to work at home?
I know from experience, I have woken up some mornings and fought, I can't be bothered getting out of bed, or just don't feel like/ or can be bothered doing anything!
This is a stage that almost every person that is self-employed faces when they work on their own and, more than likely when they are working from home. One thing I can tell you now is you are not always going to feel motivated enough to get work done. You are now the only person that is telling you what to do, and if you don't make yourself do it no one else will.
On top of this, you have new distractions... There is the dog or kids to play with or they just want your time, the dishes still need doing from last night, what will it hurt if you turn the TV on for an hour or even give the house a clean, you've been putting that off for weeks.
The worst part is, eventually this can have a seriously detrimental effect on our mental health, leading to the feeling of failure and self-deprecation as the effect of working alone takes its effect.
So how can we stay motivated when working from home or being self-employed?
- Get up each morning like you are going to work. Get dressed, plan your day, or even go for a walk before you start. This will force you out of bed and will encourage you to get dressed and ready.
- Write a schedule and manage your time. The biggest failure I have seen with self-employed people I have worked with is the failure to be able to manage their time. Have breaks, take lunchtime. Have clear goals of what you want to achieve during the day and have a To-do List. Most importantly, as you complete items, cross them off.
- Never stop learning. if you are going to invest in anything in your business, invest in yourself. You will never lose on any investment you make when you invest in your own personal growth.
- Don't be afraid to delegate or admit you don't know. When we are starting a business, we can't know everything. We have gone from a job that we knew like the back of our hand to running a business and doing tasks that, to be honest, we may know nothing about. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you don't know, say you don't know. That doesn't mean you can't find out. It also doesn't make you weak or stupid.
And when things get you down, stop and take a moment. Think about WHY you started the business. Take a moment to think about the things you have achieved so far and more importantly, all the things you still want to achieve.
Talk to people, there are numerous business groups and people out there that will be happy to listen and help you. Business Wales for example offers information, guidance, and support for business in Wales provided by the @welshgovernment. You can get more information at: https://businesswales.gov.wales
Next time we will look at the issue of finance and managing your money. A lot of businesses I have worked with in the past that have started to fail or do fail, is not because they don't have customers or the customers decided not to deal with them, but because they run out of money! They have been unable to manage their cash flow.
As always, I am interested in your feedback and what you have to say. Please feel free to drop me a line, or even make any suggestions about what I might have missed.
For more information relating to this article or for further advice, please do not hesitate to contact the writer at ian@terrafirmabusiness.co.uk or visit our website at www.terrafirmabusiness.co.uk