Flexible Working Life

Photo byShereen84

I was recently on a work from home forum and noticed a cry for help.
Someone had just started working from home and was finding it really difficult.  The job itself was cold calling customers and I think this is one of the hardest jobs to do from home.  Unlike the office, you can’t get support from your fellow workers when you cold call a complete idiot, or have a run of bad calls where no one wants to talk to you.  There’s just you.  And the phone.

So how do you get motivation when you do this kind of job?  One suggestion is to start the day with a smile on your face, I know that when I do things in a positive frame of mind, things just seem to work better.  So my advice is to start the day with a laugh.  Watch something funny on YouTube, read a good piece of writing, subscribe to a joke a day email.  Then you’re somewhere toward working better and finding the motivation you need.

The other trick I like to do, is have many little rewards throughout the day.  I think to myself, ‘Okay, get this bit of research/writing/editing done and then you can take a break.  Have a cup of tea.  A buscuit’
Something like that.  When I know I’m appreciating the work I’m doing, I seem to work better.

There are loads of other tips and tricks to getting motivated when working from home.  My post on ways to increase turnover  has a few ideas for maximising productivity, but I really like some of the tips sugggested on here.  I particularly like the idea of wearing ‘office shoes’ so you get in the right frame of mind, and I’m definitely going to start the ‘make pancakes’ rule.