Photowall kindly gifted me this canvas print. All words and imagery are my own!
Ever since starting my own business, I’ve had to create a routine which will motivate me to work every day and allow me to constantly produce my best work. As I’ve been working from home since the start of this year, I thought I’d let you know my top tips which have helped me stick to my routine and stay motivated every day.
Giving yourself a work schedule and sticking to it
This is super important to anyone who struggles to work spontaneously and needs a routine to stick to, like myself. I wouldn’t necessarily say create a routine and stick to it, because you’ll have days where you go out, have meetings, have days off, and so that schedule would constantly be messed up. Also, if you tell people your working hours, they will expect you to be available 24/7.
Instead, I would suggest planning each week as it comes. So I sit down for the first half an hour on Mondays and write my week’s schedule and what times I’ll be working. Having a weekly calendar to write this all down really helps me so I can visually see what’s happening when.
Work in a productive environment
I struggle sometimes to work in the same place all the time. My desk does get abandoned quite a bit (it’s in my bedroom) because I’m so used to being in that space that when I get up I want to go somewhere else to work for the day. You’ll usually find me in our kitchen diner. I think the space and natural light really helps in there.
If you have a spare bedroom which doesn’t get used, or a corner of a room which will fit a nice desk in then try it out and see if it helps your productivity.
To-do lists
I wouldn’t have a functional business if I didn’t have my to-do lists. I think it’s a very good idea for everyone to have daily to-do lists and work through them one by one. However, don’t go crazy with them. Work out how long each task will take you, how many you think you can do on that day, and then at the end of the day you’ll feel good about how much you’ve accomplished. If you don’t get to the end of the list, don’t beat yourself up about it. I would just usually prioritise that task for the next morning.
SMART Goals
It definitely is a confidence booster when you set goals for yourself and can cross them out when you’ve reached them. Same with the above pointer, don’t go crazy. I would suggest following the SMART goals – Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound. They can be as small as increasing follower count by 10 this week, or as big as increasing income by £5000 in 6 months. I would just advise to make them realistic, because if they’re not and you go back to review how you’ve done, you’ll beat yourself up because you’ve not achieved it.
Put phone on silent
When you’re doing tasks which don’t involve needing a phone, put it on silent, or even turn the internet off so you’re not getting notifications. Technology these days is our biggest distraction but working from home you need to have willpower to step away from them and focus on work. My business involves using my phone quite a lot, so sometimes I enjoy putting it on silent as I can have a break from looking at the screen. The other thing I do to reduce my screen time is turn my phone off by 9pm for the night, and don’t turn it on until about 8am the next day. This has helped my productivity levels immensely because I’m getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
The biggest thing for me was having a space at home which was both productive and relaxing.
Since January I’ve added a few new things to my desk space to make it more inspirational and cosy, including my beautiful canvas from Photowall. They have hundreds (and I mean hundreds – and it took me a while to choose one) available, you can go here to view them. They don’t just do canvases, they also do wallpaper, wall murals and posters – so plenty to choose from! They’ve even given me a discount code for all of you! To get 25% OFF your order, use the code ‘abigailrosewest2020′ when you checkout! This offer is only available until 11th April so hurry up and get looking. They are great quality and so worth it. The canvases do come unmade so you have to make them yourself but it was super easy (with the help of my dad).
Well, that’s all for now guys! Let me know if you work from home and what tips you have to stay productive!
Abigail Rose West | Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved