Work-from-anywhere lifestyles open up a veritable wellspring of possibility, freedom, and adventure. It is exhilarating to feel autonomy in finding the most suitable approach for a work-life balance.
But sometimes, even when there’s a deadline on the horizon, it’s hard to come in from outside when another trail or activity is waiting for you. Zennest is surrounded by immersive nature experiences and the entire day can be spent outside and gone before you know it.
That’s why finding ways to stay motivated while working remotely can be a real challenge. We’re not going to give you the same old list about taking a shower and dressing for success because you’re an adult that’s able to break out of the shell of conformity. So here are five helpful ideas for how to stay motivated while working remotely (with plenty of leeway to customize these to make them work best for you):
- Observe and sync up with your energy patterns. Whether you are a night owl or an early riser, you know when you like to wake up as well as when you’re at your most productive. Observe your energy patterns without judgment and find a way to maximize each phase of your day while complementarily pairing with activities. Sometimes a change of scenery is good for a change in perspective — be objective and truthful about your findings.
- Build a structure that gives you more freedom. Add time blocks into your schedule and designate activities accordingly. Leave those times on your calendar and don’t double-book yourself or waffle on your commitments. Time blocking is an essential way to dive deep on projects and get things done that you could find endless excuses for avoiding (even if you know it’s good for you).
- Reward yourself for milestones and accomplished tasks. Rewards can be anything that fires up the serotonin drip. When you’re time-blocking activities, give them your undivided attention. Then when you enjoy your scheduled breaks, give yourself credit for committing to your activity. Rewards can also come in the form of extra outside-playtime or an extra 10 pages in the book you can’t put down — the list of gratifying self-giving is endless.
- Create boundaries. Know what habits are self-destructive or self-sabotaging and create healthy boundaries to stave them off. Also, know when to unplug and step away from the computer. Work-life balance is an intentional path. I once read those healthy boundaries are an act of spirituality. And it’s true. You can live your life more fully when you understand your limits and tolerance for certain things, people, and energy- and time-sucks.
- Enjoy remote live-work-play with gratitude. Love this life you have chosen to lead. Even on the days that are crap, you are living the dream. Never take for granted your ability to create a life that is filled with activities, opportunities, and things you care deeply about.
There you have it. Five ideas for staying motivated while working remotely. Honestly, the list of ideas we have is endless but if you can stick to a short list of broad principles for guiding your work-from-anywhere lifestyle, you will find that you can survive and thrive while accomplishing everything you set out to do.
