7 Tips to Staying Motivated While Working From Home

It seems like working from home is supposed to be so great. You have an open schedule, plenty of time to think, and the ability to work when you want without having to constantly answer questions or being interrupted by colleagues. What's not to love? Well, for some people, it can be difficult finding motivation when you're able always available job offers it's comforting routine. So how do you stay motivated all day long? Here are 7 tips that might help:

1) Have a specific goal in mind as well as a plan of execution.

2) If possible, take on a side project that is something you are passionate about for 30 days- this could include learning a new skill or taking up meditation. 

3) Do something you will enjoy outside of work- engage in an activity you love like sports, reading a book, or gardening.

4) Consider the effort it took to find your current job and compare that to what work from home life requires of you (in other words, do you really have a choice?)

5) Evaluate your new role in the family and make sure you don't have any unrealistic expectations (like the rest of your family will now cater to your needs 24/7).

6) Work towards developing yourself professionally with educational opportunities or physically work on yourself and become more fit. 

7) Create an environment that is conducive to working from home so that you can actually feel comfortable there.

There are of course many other ways to stay motivated, but these are a good start. Remember that working from home has plenty of benefits, but it is not for everyone. You need to find a balance and have positive expectations if you want to make it work in the long run!

Lisa Dornfeld  is a  career  and job search expert with over ten years experience helping people land their dream jobs. She specializes in the technology industry and generates content for Indeed.com as well as her own blog ( ThisVirtualCareerGuide ) where she shares tips on how to create an amazing work-life balance (while still growing your career!). Check out her latest article on   How To Create A Positive Personal Brand .

More information about Lisa Dornfeld can be found at her website  Career Strategies for Tech .

For additional career related articles, check out the  Career Tools page .

Anyone can find motivation to do something they love or have a passion for. I am a big believer that if you want to do something you'll find a way to do it, but this thing that you want to do has to come from within. For example, if you hate working out, you won't get motivated no matter what kind of exercises you include in your workout routine. 

So what do you have to do to make yourself feel good?

1) Believe in yourself. 

2) Get excited about working out and getting in shape. 

3) Have a specific goal in mind and track your progress. 

4) Read articles about the benefits of working out and be like "If that's true how is it possible I can't even walk up the stairs without feeling winded". Work towards your personal best every day .

5) Don't compare your workouts to anyone else's especially celebrities or models who are naturally thin and super fit (that's just not realistic).   6) Don't give up when you are doing something you really love. Eventually you'll get a little better and it will feel like you are getting somewhere.

Personally I stick to the same routine each time I work out. I have a goal of that goal and I know that if I achieve my goal, I've got to move on to my next goal. If not, then something's wrong with me. So I don't let myself be discouraged when things don't go as planned or when some of the exercises or techniques feel uncomfortable or challenging.

The best way to stay motivated and focused is to have a specific end result in mind as well as your plan of execution.  Once you stay motivated by your goal, it's easier to stay focused on achieving that goal .

Here are a few things I have tried to stay focused:

1) Try different types of exercises.

2) Get creative with the routine and make it something you enjoy .

3) Make sure what you're doing is actually helping you reach your goal. If not, get back to square one and try again.

4) Have someone else that can motivate you or at least keep you focused on the task at hand. 

5) Don't compare yourself to others or feel like if they can do it, so can you. It's never as easy as that.

Once you have a plan in mind and know what is expected of you, it takes the pressure off. It's no longer a matter of "making it work." You've already mapped out a realistic plan and all you have to do is execute that plan.

Here are a few things I've done to stay motivated:

1) I put my butt to the line and give it my best effort .

2) If I feel like quitting, I stop and remind myself that this is something I really want to do so why would I want to quit?

3) If after all my hard work, results still aren't coming out as planned or if they're not as good as anticipated, I get right back in there. 

4) If you don't have a plan in place, it's really easy to give up. So when I get to the end of an exercise or workout, I will always count my reps or my time and make sure that nothing has been wasted.

5) Although it's challenging at first, I find that when I'm working out, the best way to stay motivated is to be positive .

It's much easier for me to make myself do something if I have a clear goal in mind and know exactly how I'm going to accomplish it. Even if you're struggling with staying motivated and staying focused, don't give up because your hard work isn't paying off yet. You're still early on in the game.

I really love swimming because it's something I can do to get away from the outside world and to clear my head. I love that it's a low-impact exercise, it's good for your body and mind, and you get a full body workout all at the same time. If I were to do high-impact exercises such as running or doing jumping jacks, I know my neck will be hurting for days afterwards so it's not worth it. Swimming is low-impact and since the water is supporting my body weight, there is no impact on my joints or bones whatsoever so my muscles are getting a really good workout every time.

Conclusion:

Here are a few things I've done to stay motivated when I'm working out:

1) I always have a goal in mind. If you don't have a goal, there's no way to get motivated and stay focused.

2) I always leave the gym feeling successful. Sometimes there may be some soreness or tiredness, but it's nothing that would stop me from going back and doing the same thing again and again because I know it will eventually pay off or even better next time.