Dress For Work
This helps with the point above and will help you take working from home more seriously until you find your flow. I recommend you dress comfortably but not too comfy or you’ll just lounge around the house. Working from home comes with the big advantage of being in PJs but I find I work more productively if I actually get up and dressed, ready for the day. This might mean hair brushed and makeup - some mascara and lippy - to feel a bit more put together.
READ: My Self Employed Uniform
Work Outside The Box (when you can)
Not that your home is a ‘box’ but I really recommend trying this. Change up where you work once a week by heading to your local library, a coffee shop (though coffees can really add up), try a friends place (also great for collaborating and bouncing ideas around), an open office space (check Facebook to see if there’s a place like this in your area) or if your budget allows, rent a desk in a shared office space (great for networking and collaborations). I do have what I call a ‘soft office aka my bed where I often edit photographs, plan my Instagram feed, and download clips for my YouTube videos. Road trips are a great place for thinking, I love to dream up new projects and discuss them with Ingimar. My favorite place for planning and daydreaming is in a hot tub (lucky me, I know). Escape from behind your laptop - get some space and distance for good perspective.
The True Gem Of Working At-Home
…that you can have your office assistant/motivator with you, aka baby Mia (can also be your pet).
Becoming a Mum has motivated me on an entirely different level, something I didn’t expect. Though my time, energy, and focus are so precious now, and my brain is still a bit baby brain blurry, I have a bigger reason, purpose, and even more, drive to succeed.
I feel like I’m creating my legacy, I’m building my dreams not just for me but for Mia and our family. Mum guilt plays a huge role in my day and I often feel like I can’t win. If I’m working, I should be playing with her and if I’m playing with her, I should be working. It’s hard but I want her to be proud of her Mummy, to see me working, and to know why it’s important.
She is 21months old now and that time has flown by. She has taught me that time is precious and you can’t get it back - every minute away from her has to count. Time is a precise commodity. I have to work smarter, not harder - now more than ever.
I used to work as an Architect, in a very stressful and highly male-dominated, competitive environment. It was a classic case of the last one in the office meant you were the hardest worker. It’s nonsense. Busy doesn’t mean successful. The hardest worker doesn’t make them the best. The self-employed Mum-life is far busier and I probably get more done now. I don’t want to work a 10, 12hour day building someone else’s dreams when I can work on my own dreams.