8 Tips to Stay Motivated When Self-Employed

I’m back from a fabulous holiday in France and of course back to work as well! Well, is it really work if you do what you love? That’s probably a question for another blog post… Being self-employed is great but even if you absolutely love what you do you will surely be familiar with those times when you’re simply lacking motivation. Especially when you come back from holiday to a mountain of work, unticked things on the to-do list.

Even though I love blogging and teaching yoga I have found that motivation doesn’t come automatically and I can’t take it for granted! There are some tricks and tips I would like to share with you and maybe if you’re a freelancer yourself you have something to add to the list:

1. Keep it interesting

I don’t think there is anything worse for me than getting bored of what I do. Some people thrive on routine (like my two year old who loves his bedtime routine and can only ever eat his cereal with a blue spoon apparently…) but I definitely don’t. Yes of course some sort of routine is good and it’s comforting but not if you find that it’s dragging you down.

• Learn something new
  Read a new book, research a new topic on the internet or take a course. When I get bored with my yoga practice or think I need some new inspiration I try different styles like Yin Yoga or SUP Yoga (on a surf board) or I simply take a class with my favourite teachers.
• Talk to people who know more than you
  Find an expert in your field and either talk to them or read some of their articles if they have published any. There is always a danger of getting side tracked of course but sometimes reading about people who have done really well or even better talking to them can be really motivating!
• Talk to people who knew less than you
  Sometimes we get so caught up in our topic that we forget that other people might know nothing or very little about it. There is nothing more motivating than talking to someone who is interested in what you do and wants to learn from you!

2. Challenge yourself

If you’ve been reading my blog you might know that I like a challenge or two… I’ve done a blogging challenge, a handstand challenge and quite a few Instagram yoga challenges!

I find it personally easier if I’m not alone in the challenge but why not set yourself one? Publish x number of posts next week, 21 days of daily facebook live posts, 21 days of learning something new a day… whatever it maybe be! Just make it interesting, challenging for yourself and fun! Also make sure to tell the world that you’re doing the challenge because that will actually make you do it!

and then…

3. Reward yourself!

I don’t actually do this enough but it works for my kids so why wouldn’t it work for myself either? It doesn’t have to be anything big but maybe some me-time, new pair of shoes, a manicure or whatever you feel that you deserve!

My son is currently getting chocolate every time he does a wee in the potty so why shouldn’t I get something if I do something useful that I might not feel like doing! It seems to work for him!!

4. Keep a journal

I’ve been using the Daily Greatness Yoga Journal  for nearly two years now and I love it! If you’re not into yoga then they have lots of different ones… I will definitely get the Daily Greatness Business Planner next!

You can use what you’d like of course and even just a blank piece of paper. Just get your thoughts organised, get them out on paper and maybe you’ll find some new inspiration and motivation! It’s also nice to have something to look back on to see your progress. Just look through your journal every few months and you’ll be amazed at how much you have achieved!

5. Find an accountability partner

Facebook is great for this as it’s really easy to find like-minded people. Once you’re in a group that you like you can motivate each other.

Setting yourself goals and sharing them with other people can be a great way to keep on track!

6. Find a mentor or a coach

I keep in touch with most of my teachers who help me a lot through any periods of low motivation. Just checking in with the teachers that I trained with will usually remind me of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I have also started business coaching sessions which I found really beneficial in terms of getting some motivation. We’ve been working on various things but the big WHY is really important and is something I can always get back to when I’m lacking motivation.

This brings me to my next point as it’s what I’ve been recently working on in my coaching sessions:

7. Define your Vision & Mission

You’ve probably done this already of course if you’re running your own business. Being very clear on what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it. I don’t think it’s as straightforward as I thought it was when I learned about this is my management course.

Maybe the overall vision is there but what about the nitty gritty? What about making it really tangible? What are your steps towards making this dream a reality?

I found it really helpful to create visuals of my vision which I have in my office right in front of me to remind me how all the little things that I’m doing are interlinked and will lead to something bigger.

8. Surround yourself with positive people 

Negativity can really drag you down. I limit the amount of news I watch on TV or online as I don’t find it useful for myself or my family.

Surround yourself with people who will cheer you on rather than drag you down. You probably have your own voice in your head already telling you to be careful, to wait and hold on, you’re not good enough, you’re not young enough, etc… you don’t need others telling you that!

Are you self-employed and sometimes find it hard to stay motivated? How do you keep yourself motivated? Would love to hear your thoughts so let me know in the comments if you’re already doing anything of the above or if you have others to add!