One of the things that drove you away from having a 9 to 5 job is probably being bossed around. You would much rather have your own time, your own place and be your own boss. Instead of having to commit to certain working hours, you can do whatever you want whenever you want. Easy, isn’t it? Nope. Never. When you are working from the luxury of your own home, there’s always this nagging feeling of laying back and doing nothing. This can be summed up in the word, procrastination. But, once you fall into this deep dark pit, you won’t be able to get any work done. Yes, you want to do things at your own pace, with your own rules, but time is money. So let’s see how we can fix that.
Make your own space
Try as much as you can to not work from your bedroom. Do your best to have a separate room where your desk is not constantly looking at your bed. You’ll most likely want to go stay in bed than get any work done. Make sure you mentally feel like you are somewhat sitting in an office.
Make a to-do list
Always have a list of priorities. Have a calendar that has all of your deadlines throughout the week but also make a daily to-do list. Know that you might not end up checking every item on your list. Make the list longer than you think you can accomplish but not overwhelming. Set a goal to finish at least 75% of the list. After a few days you will learn your pace and work accordingly.
Smart break
Make time for a good break and have it away from your laptop. Take a walk or cook something in the kitchen. Don’t overwork your eyes. If your favorite way to spend your break is watching something, then do not keep sitting at your desk. Watch TV in the living room or have a small lounge corner to stretch your body and scroll through your phone. Try to keep the desk only for working.
Work persona
Try to make small changes when going from the stay-at-home persona to the freelancer one. Change your clothes, take a walk, do some stretches. Make yourself feel like something is different. Try to stay away from sulking on the couch, realizing you have a deadline, dragging your laptop and trying to find the spark of inspiration that will probably never come.
Find new ways to stay inspired
The thing about inspiration is that it comes and goes as it pleases. Look for new inspiration all the time. Go to new places. Try new food. Walk in streets you’ve never been to before. Watch a movie in a foreign language. It’s hard to keep that spark alive when all you do is exist in the same place doing the same things. It’s not easy to always find inspiration. Sometimes you get a creativity block, which is okay. It happens to the best of us. Keep looking for it and know, deep in your heart, that you will find it again.
