Because of Covid-19 pandemic, and the subsequent Lockdown, more small business owners have had to close their shops from commercial centers to their homes. Even after the Lockdown was lifted, a lot of businesses are still suffering through the rubbles of the catastrophe. While some are trying to reconcile the damage with hopes of heading back to the businesses centers, others have chosen to stay put.
Working from home is not a new phenomenon, obviously. It is as old as time itself. And now with the explosion of technology, it is safe to say we’re heading back to the good ol’ days of conducting business a few meters from whence we lay our heads. But like many who have trekked the lane will tell you, working from home is not exactly a vacation. In fact, one of the biggest disadvantages is lack of motivation. Working from home doesn’t really feel like working especially for beginners. To most, it feels like a demotion or business failure. While this may be true if you’ve found yourself home under circumstances beyond your control – like the devastating Covid-19 virus, it is workable and might actually be the best thing that ever happened to your business or career. All you have to do is look towards your workplace.
Here are some tips on how to turn your workplace at home into a fountain of motivation.
The art of switching mindsets
Everything else will only work if you invest in a foolproof mindset. It’s twice as easy to get distracted while working from home even when there are no kids to do it for you. One of the demoralizing things we tell ourselves when we begin working from home is that it’s just a temporary arrangement. When things get better and business picks up again, we shall get back to the business centers. This is a mentality that has to go. While it’s great to have future plans or alternatives, obsessing about them is not going to do you any good right now. So, adjust your mindset to the here and now and you’ll be halfway towards making your workplace at home exceptionally motivating.
Create a workspace that’s averagely comfortable
You will read a lot of blogs telling you to create a workspace that is comfortable but if you’re a creative geek, this advice is the worst. Comfort is a place where the soul of creativity goes to rest in peace. Without creativity in high pique, you might as well say goodbye to motivation. Oh yes! We do not look for motivation; we create an environment where motivation finds us. Create an environment that is comfortable but not so comfortable that you want to take a picture and send it to Real Estate Dunedin for commendation. How do you do this? Make a list of all the things you’d love to see, feel, test and smell in your workspace, and then do away with half of them. This is your workplace; not a vacation suite.
Establish unbreakable boundaries
Because it’s easy to get distracted when working from home, this is the time to put a second lock on your workplace boundaries. This means punishing yourself when you break the boundaries. Avoid running back and forth in the house to pick up some small thing or another. Say you forgot to fill the coffee machine in your workspace or the toilet-roll has run out. As punishment, you’ll have to make do without the comfort of the missing supplies. The idea behind this is that leaving your workstation, even just for a second, to step into the comfort of the rest of the house is enough to distort your motivation. This goes back to our first step – the mindset. Your workspace should feel miles away from your personal space even if it’s just next door or right in your bedroom corner. To keep your motivation piqued, have all your supplies within your workplace before you start the day.
Maintain a tight daily schedule
It is very easy to succumb to inconsistent schedules when working from home. I mean, it’s not like you have to wake up early to beat traffic or anything like that. As such, you might be tempted to sleep out those forty minutes you’re supposed to be at work. Like we said earlier, comfort is where creativity goes to die. Resist the temptation to disregard your set schedule and you’ll seldom have to look for motivation; because resistance is motivation in and of itself.
Reward yourself
Don’t forget to reward yourself for a job well-done. You’ve worked on your mindset, done away with that comfortable couch or the mini-bar you’ve always wanted in your workspace, resisted staying in bed one minute longer than you’re supposed to, had all your supplies ready, accomplished your deliverables, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t reward yourself like any hardworking employee. Your workspace at home should now start raining motivation. It should be criminal for you not to reward yourself either weekly, monthly or quarterly; whatever works to keep you on the upward movement.