Before I decided to go into business for myself, start this blog and work from home I had no idea how difficult it actually could be. It has been the most satisfying journey and I feel more gratitude than I could possibly have ever imagined for being able to do what I absolutely love. However, working from home does present quite a few challenges that can be overwhelming to navigate. It's one of the many reasons I was inspired to create my E-course, Unleash Your Ista. Throughout these past several years of working for myself, I have gone through so many obstacles and hurdles that nobody ever really told me about. Everything from burnout, overwhelming moments of regretting decisions, thoughts of giving up and that constant, dreadful thought "what do I do next?". Dealing with all of this can be so tough, especially when everyone else just makes it look like its smooth sailing and blush pink roses.
It can be incredibly tough but what I do want you to know is that its doable. You just have to be prepared with the essential tools that equip you to have the tenacity to fight through all of the bumps in the road while on your entreprenueress journey. Today, I am going to share with you a few things that you can put into place in your work from home life that will keep you on track, and ready for whatever is next on your road to long term success.
ONE: CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT. I mean, this one is pretty much a given. Especially because, well, I am all about decorating. Take a look at your work space area and assess what is happening. How does it make you feel? Are you so excited to go sit down at your desk? Do you kind of dread it? Are you completely unaffected by it? Anything other than being absolutely excited to go sit at your desk and work is a waste. In order for you to be continually inspired and able to sit for hours upon hours focusing on creating a beautiful business that you love, you MUST feel alive and at your best! If you don't bring your best to the workplace, you won't be moving up the ladder so to speak anytime soon. Get it looking right and tight.
Invest in beautiful office supplies, continually clear out clutter, have candles going, bring fresh flowers to the space, inspiration boards are essential when it comes to working from home, more on that later, pretty pens and of course a desk that makes you feel like a million bucks. In the photo at the top of this post, you will see my current obsession. I am focused on upgrading my desk. At this moment I am ready to get to that next level and I encourage you to as well. If you have the space for a proper desk, do not skimp out on a flimsy little table. Invest in a good desk that makes you feel organized, strong, powerful and glamorous!
SHOP MY FAVORITES HERE:
TWO: CLEAR OUT THE CLUTTER. This one is perhaps a bit obvious but I find that its probably worth repeating because most people want to clear out clutter but they actually don't do it. Open your bills, throw away completed to do notes, toss old post its, update your calendar pages, file receipts, etc. Get organized and clear away any and all clutter. Throw out old magazines you don't need or even invitations to things, go deposit your checks immediately. There are things that we put on the back burner that we just let sit around. This is what creates stagnant energy and keeps you stuck. Don't be a person that keeps things and piles things up on your desk. You won't be free to think and be creative because you have a ton of things going on in your mind.
I can tell you one thing that has helped me immensely when it comes to being successful in working for myself. Writing EVERYTHING down. I have a notebook always on my desk with a fresh page each day to write down everything that comes to my mind. If you bring in business cards, notes, letters, info sheets or anything that can potentially be clutter, write all the info down in your notebook and toss the rest. This helps so much! I use highlighters when its really important stuff, so that I can flip to it easily. This is my secret weapon. I highly suggest trying it out for yourself.
this is glamorous
MY CURRENT OFFICE FAVES:
THREE: MAKE A SCHEDULE. This is one I find to be extremely important. When its just you working from home, you can brush off the alarm, skip the shower and just chill. This is definitely a perk of working for yourself but this can be a detriment to your business, not to mention totally uninspiring. Set an alarm for yourself and stick to it. Give yourself breaks just like any other job and actually take the breaks. Schedule in your vacation days and take those too. I always be sure to make time in my schedule for my morning meditations and personal journaling. I give myself time for the gym and time for coffee. When I have lunch and make myself a meal, I don't sit at my desk and continue working, I go to my dining table and enjoy my meal while reading a magazine or watching a quick 30 minute show.
Treating your workday with a little bit of discipline really helps to get you focused and on track when you have goals or need to get things accomplished.
FOUR: DRESS FOR SUCCESS! I stand behind this one so much because having your shi! together is important on all levels. My business mentors showed me how important it was to do this. What if you have to jump on a last minute Skype call? You'll likely be hiding and not as confident as you should be. When you look good, you feel good its as simple as that. If you aren't feeling good, you aren't working to the best of your ability and being in business for yourself requires the absolute MOST and BEST of you or you may not come out to be as successful as you would like to be.
If you are feeling like you need a change in business, I would change this routine first. For one week, try dressing up in a fabulous outfit and feeling so fantastic. Do not sit at that desk until you are all the way LIVE! See how differently you approach your day and what you do. If you haven't ready my free E-book "The savvy girls guide to working from home", read it and you'll learn a little bit more about this one.
FIVE: SHOW YOUR SUCCESS OFF! I can't tell you how many times you can get to a place in your business where you feel like giving up, quitting, moving on. It happens to all of us. There are times when you think to yourself "what's next?" It's a pretty difficult spot to be in, especially if you aren't meditating and connecting to your intuition. One way you can battle these work blues is to frame your press, success stories, raving fan letters and the like and hang them in a spot on your wall. It can help you to feel like you aren't in this for nothing, it helps to remember where you started and perhaps spark a reminder of where you want to go.
SIX: PLAY MUSIC. I have heard that listening to classical music can completely get you into a working groove. I like to listen to music with piano, mediation music or something that keeps me relaxed and feeling good. There may be times you want to put on Beyonce, do what gets you feeling up and grooving in the moment. Just be sure it keeps you feeling inspired and motivated to keep on your goals, accomplish tasks and get busy!
I can't tell you how many times I have had to work overtime and what really got me over the hump was a glass of champagne and some Drake. Do whatever works best for you and what makes you feel good but keep it focused and for you ONLY!
