One of the most challenging factors of trying to make money online is staying motivated. When you’re self-employed and working from the comfort of your home, the distractions are endless.
The Internet, television, Facebook, your bed, food, your cat, your bed, Candy Crush, laundry and after that you decide your garden would look good with a pond in it.
Yup, these are real reasons I’ve been given from people for not getting started on whatever their make money online strategy was. And yes, I’m guilty of a few of them too.
So how do we rectify the situation? Well here are my 8 rules to increase productivity.
1 – Pinpoint Your Peak
Everybody has a certain time of day when their brain is switched on and they’re able to hit targets without a second thought. For some it’s in the morning after a good night’s sleep and a steaming cup of coffee. While others come alive at night and work best when the world around them is quiet.
So locate your peak time. Then focus on high priority tasks during these times.
2 – Breaking Down Tasks
When you start off with an idea, you always get the big picture in your mind. You can see exactly what you want to achieve.
So a lot of the time, the sheer magnitude of everything that needs to be done can be overwhelming. And this can prevent people from even starting.
To overcome this, breakdown the tasks into smaller ones. List down all the little things that need to be done to make up the big picture. You’ll find it much easier to be productive when you’ve got small, specific tasks lined up that you can check off your list quickly.
3 – Schedule Everything
When I say everything, I mean everything. That includes your play time. In fact, I suggest you add your play time into your schedule first. And add all the work tasks around it.
By knowing you have ‘X’ amount of time to complete a task before you get to meet friends for lunch, your productivity will go up.
4 – Celebrate Your (Mini) Successes
When you know that the end goal is far off, it can be difficult to stay productive on a consistent basis. So once you have your big picture broken down into smaller tasks, reward yourself for every task completed.
It doesn’t have to be lavish. Taking your family out for dinner, a movie date with your wife, basketball with the guys. Whatever floats your boat.
This is how I stay motivated. For every mini goal I achieve, I give myself a little reward. That way you have something to look forward to in the short-term. And you have fun along the way by celebrating all your mini-successes that lead up to the end goal.
5 – Put The Phone Away
I think that one of the top distractions these days for everyone is their smartphone. You see groups of friends who took the trouble to organize dinners and get-togethers sitting around the table with their faces buried in their phones. Not a word spoken. And hanging out with friends is supposed to be fun!
So when you’re trying to work and up your productivity, that phone on your desk is going to slow you down immensely.
No, it’s not enough to put it on silent. Just put it away.
And not just your smartphone, but your tablet and any other digital device you own. Switch off the noise for a while and concentrate.
6 – Have a Designated Workstation
Establish your work place at home. Make it your office. Set up your desk. When you are planning to work, sit there and get started. Don’t move around with your laptop or laze on your bed or sofa with it. Posture makes a big difference in your productivity level.
Slouching or hunching over your computer will drain your energy levels and make you feel unenthusiastic. So when you’re at your workstation, be aware of your posture. Straighten your back and sit up straight. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference this makes.
7 – Change of Scenery
If things aren’t working out well at home and you’re just too comfortable, go somewhere else.
Try a coffee shop or library. Anywhere that offers free wifi. When you tell yourself you’re going to a certain location with the mindset to work, you may find that you become more productive.
8 – Get a System for Yourself
Last but not least, I cannot stress enough how imperative it is to have a system to follow. You might be spending an entire day in front of your computer but that doesn’t mean that you’re being productive.
This is why there are still many out there who have yet to make their first dollar online despite spending 12 hours a day surfing the internet and getting nowhere.
In order to fully optimize your productivity, it’s best to follow a step-by-step process to guide you through your exact steps and mini-goals of the day.
And there are multiple resources you can dive into right now which will help you to focus your ideas and to decide what steps you need to take to achieve particular goals that you may have.
If you need a proven system to get you started, why not give my program an honest try. When you have me breathing down your neck every day, making sure you complete the work I set, it won’t be long before you start seeing results!