Staying motivated when working on your own

I work from home. It’s an aspect of my job that gives me great flexibility yet at the same time really challenges me to be productive and responsible. It’s a very adult position; I have no-one to babysit me, supervise or check up on me. I’m simply trusted to get the job done. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t days when I didn’t deserve that trust but here’s how I manage to make it work for me:

A quick win – if I can achieve something early on in the day, it gets me feeling capable and positive for the day to come. For this reason I start by focussing on something small, even if it's something entirely unrelated to work (such as my weeky budget). This way, I achieve something quickly, I then feel good and it benefits my working day.

Have a target – as a content writer, it’s easy to wallow in a sea of words and while away the hours, crafting a masterpiece. This isn’t always productive or even useful. I have agreed with my coordinator a target of how much I should produce a day, as a very rough guide (as different jobs will always require different amounts of time and no-one will frown on me if I don’t stick to the target like glue).

Personally, I find there’s something fresher about words that come out in the flow than words that are painstakingly arranged, subtracted and jigged around. My work always improves when I come to it with a fresh eye. Without fail. So the hours of wallowing and hair pulling really are not a good investment of my time.

Do what I feel like – I work to my strengths and I work with my moods. If my brain is stuck in a fog that even a hefty dose of caffeine won’t lift then I won’t waste my time trying to write. What I produce will be bumpy and awkward and I’ll have a thoroughly miserable time. I’d rather tidy my desk, fill out my expenses or even have a nap. I’ll come back to the writing when my mind’s in the right gear and I’ll work through the night if need be. Obviously this is a worst case scenario and some ‘can’t be bothered’ moments need to be pushed through, but I think the traditional notion of the 9-5 working hours are coming to an end.

Creativity doesn’t happen on demand (although it does require a certain discipline) and flexibility benefits workers and business alike.