NOTEPAD No. 80

Question: How do you stay motivated being self-employed?

Answer: At times, it can be difficult to stay motivated. Coming from a corporate background, I knew that becoming self-employed would be a huge change. I structure my weekdays as if I am in an office, complete with a Monday morning meeting to set goals, and a Friday check-in on the status of all projects. Having structure and a schedule certainly allows me to focus, but I also carve out breaks in each day to walk and get coffee and step away from the computer and re-set. I also take time to celebrate hitting milestones or completing big projects. These serve as moments in time when I can reflect on what has been accomplished – I think that is so important in any work environment. I also find a lot of motivation in the meetings I keep with likeminded friends. It helps a lot to get outside yourself and connect with others to discuss work challenges and opportunities. I think the biggest shock to my new way of working was how isolated I felt, so allowing myself to connect with people throughout the week has been crucial to my success.

There are absolutely times I don’t feel motivated or am downright discouraged (getting passed over for a big partnership, feeling like I am not progressing, being misunderstood), but it’s critical for me to remember that it isn’t all about me and my individual accomplishments- there is a bigger picture. If an annoying email or tech issue puts me in a tough mood (and I can get put in a MOOD), I try to re-focus and put out the energy that I would want to get back. So if someone or something gets me down, I try to do the opposite for someone else: being super friendly to a waiter or waitress, writing a nice review for someone who helped me in a store, complimenting a stranger, or finding time to volunteer in the community. In the end you have good days and bad days, but remembering that you can create someone’s good day or bad day is huge. Stepping outside myself and finding the bigger picture always helps me to re-focus and gain the confidence and motivation that I need to move forward.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs