5 Tips to stay Focused and Motivated: Working from Home

We are constantly encouraged to manage our finances. We are also at the same time taught that time is the most valuable thing that we own. We’ve asked for MORE TIME and it feels as if this horrific situation [referencing the corona virus pandemic] has given us, if we are healthy and well, a gift. More time. So what are we doing with the time that we have? If you’re healthy, mind, body and soul, I would encourage you to:

Action Tip: Take inventory of your time by jotting down hour by hour on a time log. They actually sell a very cool one that I purchased on Amazon. HERE.

If you know me long enough, you know that I’m obsessed with coffee. I actually look forward to coffee. Here is the reason why I believe it helps me with productivity and focus. There is something about making my coffee, or buying my coffee. Something in my brain is sort of prepping me for what’s to come. It’s a little message that connects with coffee being “GO TIME!” It’s time to work.

Action Tip: Find something that you enjoy. An incentive to get you going. Something that tells your mind it is time to work. It should feel good and rewarding.

If I could bank on any of my tips, it would be THIS ONE! It has shifted my business mindset like you have no idea! The moment I threw away the idea that, I, as a woman, was a great multi-tasker, was the day my business grew. I am not a good multi-tasker, and in fact, it’s been proven that none of us are. We may be able to multi-task..yes…but we shouldn’t. What I learned was that I could get things done, multiple things by muti-tasking, but they were not my best work. They fell short. Here’s what I did. Over time, I’ve learned my business and what it needs in order to function. I wear different hats in my one business. I had to categorize my tasks under a main category. I gave monday a main category [in example Monday is my “BUSINESS” day] and under that category there are sub categories that I take care of on Monday and Monday only.

Action Tips: 1. Write a list of all of the things you do that help your business run. Everything. 2. Create a main category for Mon-Friday. If there is a category that is heavier than others, distribute that category to two times or three times that week depending [for example, my editing category has 2x’s in a week]. 3. Distribute your every day tasks under each category first. [example, every day I post something on social media, or everyday I check my email and respond to messages, stuff like that]. After that you’ll destribute the tasks on your list you created in #1 to fit the category list you made on #2. Example: if tracking your financials is one of your tasks you do in business, and you came up with a “Business” main category, you’ll want to put that under that day. This action tip is created to help you tighten ship. Create a workflow system that will help you be more focused, more purposeful, and more driven to show up!

This tip is really about a MINDSET. You have to put your mind and your will to what you wish to accomplish. It doesn’t start every morning you wake up, it actually starts prior to that. For me, I have to set my mind to what’s going to happen the next day, on the night prior. I spend time visualizing what I want the next day to look like and feel like. Yes, at times it sets me up for disappointment when things don’t go as planned. But as they say…fail to plan then you’ll plan to fail. If I at least plan, about 80% of the time, I’ll actually succeed.

Action Tip: 30 minutes before your bedtime routine [or just going to sleep if you don’t have a bedtime routine]. Sit ALONE in silence with a piece of paper and a pen in front of you. Ask yourself…”what is the main thing that I want to accomplish tomorrow?” Write that down. Start small. If you start to show up and accomplish that main thing [it could be as simple as, get a load of laundry done or clean my office] you will feel so accomplished and it will motivate you to show up for yourself again! Remember, after all, you are showing up for YOURSELF. If you don’t show up for yourself, who will show up for you?

I say to make a list on PURPOSE because we are all used to making a “to do” list that is miles long. In reality, you and I know that there is no way we are going to get that done. It leaves us frustrated and feeling like we didn’t accomplish anything even if we accomplished some. I highly recommend that you work on Tip #3 because then creating a to do list with purpose will come more easily.

Action Tip: On Sunday night. Sit alone in silence. With a piece of paper and a pen and your calendar. Write Monday-Friday on there. You’ll first write ALL the to do’s that come to your mind on a separate piece of paper. Every single one. When you’re done, you’re going to distribute your to do list based primarily on your categories first. Any of the tasks that don’t belong under a specific Mon-Fri category, can just be dispersed based on where you know they’re going to fit perfectly. Example, if I need to go grocery shopping. I’m going to schedule that on a day that my husband is off so that I can go alone and we can stay safe. Things of that sort. It has to do with your life and the time you know you have to make the to do list actually function without overwhelming yourself.

Friends. I really hope these tips help your business while we have this stand still time. I hope they help you stay motivated and driven. I would love to continue to help you with anything I’ve learned along the way. Let me know if these tips were helpful or if you need me to expand on any of them. Wishing you a safe season.

With all my heart and soul…Rubi Z