When people find out that I work from home as a freelance writer, one of the most common reactions I get is that they’re envious because not only do I not have to rush out to an office amidst the rat race every day, I must also have some very strong willpower and a great work ethic. Countless people have told me, “I could never work from home. I’m not disciplined enough to do it.”
You know what? I usually wash my dishes by 3 pm and I have a mountain of dirty laundry that could possibly rival K2. I’m definitely not the most disciplined person in the world. I’m notoriously lazy and can easily put things off until they reach critical mass. However, over the time that I’ve been working from home, I’ve developed some habits that help me to stay on track with work and deadlines most of the time. Here are some tips if you’re just starting out and don’t know how to actually make yourself work when you should be.
1. Don’t sleep in indefinitely. One great thing is that I no longer have to get up by 6 am like I used to once upon a time. However, there have been mornings where I’ve been exceptionally tired and have allowed myself to lounge around in bed until 9 or 10 am. Those days are consistently the ones where I have the most trouble getting and staying motivated. That’s when I find myself still hard at work at 11 pm, because I’ve slacked off so much that I have to play catch-up. Working at 11 pm isn’t fun. If I get up and get moving at a decent hour, I’m more likey to be very productive and those are the days I find myself finished with wirk by 2 or 3 pm, leaving me a great deal of time to do things I want to do.
