Being a boss is tough. And it gets even TOUGHER when you’re also the employee.
It’s one struggle that I honestly didn’t foresee when I quit my job to travel the world.
I’ve spent the last 18 months learning how to figure out my passions, stay motivated, keep myself on task, and ultimately GET THINGS DONE. I mirror a lot of the same issues I hear other entrepreneurs encounter. To name a few:
- I get easily distracted.
- I second guess myself.
- I spend too much time on social media.
- I don’t always follow through on projects I start.
- I lose motivation.
Sounding strangely familiar?
And when you’re relying on yourself alone (or “yourselves” in the cases of couple teams) to make enough money to get by, you’re forced to learn how to get yourself into a productive daily mindset.
Here are five strategies I use to manage myself:
1. Remove distractions.
Let yourself focus on the task at hand. This means turning off notifications from social media, email, etc. so they don’t interrupt your productivity. If there are too many distractions at home (other people, TV, pets), then find a place to work outside your home. Coffee shops, libraries, co-working offices… find the best place for you to focus.
2. Start projects with an outline.
If you’ve just decided to start a new project but aren’t sure where to begin, try starting with an outline. List all the tasks that need to happen. If your project is a HUGE one, break it into sections, and start by outlining just one. Once you’ve got your outline, you’re ready to get started. The best part? You don’t have to tackle your tasks in order. Just choose one at a time to focus on, complete, and check off. Item by item, you’ll get your whole project done!
3. Plan your workday.
At the end of each work day, I spend about five minutes writing down a list of tasks that I want to get done the next day. I refer to my project outlines when I do so. Doing it at the end of the day when my mind is still focused on work allows me to create a focused, reasonable list of tasks to get me moving quickly the next day.
4. Take breaks.
While staying on task is a good thing in general, you absolutely don’t want to overwork yourself. Make sure you eat when you’re hungry, drink water throughout your day, and reward yourself with a short break whenever you’ve finished a task or you’ve reach a good stopping point.
5. Join an entrepreneur’s meet-up group.
Find a community that will help hold you accountable for following your dreams and getting your projects done. I’ve recently joined the BellaVie’s Facebook group and have found the weekly “Mindset Monday” post to be really motivating. It actually motivated me to start this website just one week ago today! Whether it’s an online or in-person gathering, getting support and feedback from others can be a great motivation to keep you and your business moving forward.