How to Stay Productive and Motivated While Working From Home

Welcome to my blog series: The Life of a Freelancer

For the second post, I thought I’d share with you some of my tips and tricks on how to stay productive and motivated when you work from home – since the weekend is almost over, we need to get things in order before we brave another week again.

Your Journal Is Your Best Friend

I am aware that not all of us have the ‘creativity’ to make aesthetic journals or the time to sit down to do it. Though, trust me when I say that you don’t need to learn calligraphy and whatnot to start with this.

It is okay if bullet journal is not your thing, as long as you write things down in the most effective way for you. Personally, I use a bullet journal because it is therapeutic for me.

See? It’s very simple. It’s just a series of boxes. What’s important is it is functional, and it helps you stay organize. I used to do some fancy ones before. But not gonna lie, I am not that creative when it comes to this, and it just takes too much of my time.

I use the local brand, ZIMO journals for this. I love it because of the hardcover, let alone it is 100gsm. I write hard, I need a thick paper so it doesn’t bleed. Like other typical journals, it has an inner pocket and ribbon bookmark. I also love the ivory paper and the very subtle dots. It comes in black, blue, and red colors.

Click here to shop for ZIMO dotted notebooks >>

It is best to plan ahead every Sunday, so you can see how your whole week will pan out. For some freelancers, they take projects after projects instead of taking a full-time job. For others, they take a full-time job and part-time projects at the same time.

Writing your tasks down will help you make sure you make it to your deadlines. It is also a nice way to keep up on what day of the week it is. Sometimes, it seems like you are out of the loop when you are a freelancer – or maybe that’s just me and my messed up perception of time. 

[EDIT: If you prefer digital setup, I recommend Trello]

Start the Day as If You Have the Typical 9-5 Job

Being a freelancer can feel like you are not part of the norms. You can go out in the middle of the day while the majority of people your age are stuck in the corporate world. It sounds like a good thing, but when you are still not used to it, it kind of feels weird somehow (especially if you are used to the corporate setting).

What I do is I take a bath early and doll up. It doesn’t matter if you are just staying at home to work or you are going to the coffee shop to get things done… just doll up, and make it a habit. Put your make up on, wear a dress or your favorite outfit, have your accessories, and spray some perfume. It will help you keep yourself grounded and in tune with routines.

I know most freelancers can thrive in chaos and don’t go with routines, though. So, you have to determine for yourself the kind of work environment that allows you to work more efficiently and effectively.

It also helps to have your own work space at home. Do not work lying on the bed or with pillows and blankets. Sometimes, that is really comfy, but it can also be too cozy that it will just be harder for you to get out of bed and be productive. It can also lead to procrastination, like, ‘I have a week left for the deadline, I’ll do it tomorrow’ and the next thing you know, you are already cramming your papers.

It is important to stay hydrated, too! Some sugar rush should help in keeping you awake. Coffee as well! Do not forget to make yourself a good cup. Or tea if you prefer that. Ah, I always have some music on too. Can you work with white noise?

Have a Good Quote That You Want to Live By

Another trick I do is I write down some quotes that can boost my motivation for the whole week. It can be a daily thing if you want. For this coming week, I have this post from Lisa Olivera on Instagram. It says:

Part of self-love is self-responsibility

It’s good to always have something like this in your work area. We always need something to remind us that we need to keep going; that we need to be more if we want to give more – and that means working on ourselves. Be productive and get things done, because these are also forms of self-love.

I don’t have that much routine or habit to make myself motivated and productive. This is just it, and it works fine for me.

At the end of the day, it is all about you and your mindset – your commitment to finish your goals. Otherwise, I don’t know how you get things started. You can’t finish anything if you don’t at least start on something.

How about you? What do you do to stay motivated and productive?

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I hope you had a pretty chill yet still rewarding and self-fulfilling weekend. I hope you had time to do your crafts and attend to your creative projects. I hope you had the chance to do what your heart truly desires.

i hope my words reach you,

⚑ FTC: I reached out to ZIMO PH to collaborate with me in this blog post and they are kind enough to send me a journal!

Zimo Journals is a local PH brand that aims to provide high-quality journals to Filipinos who love writing and arts – or those who just love notebooks in general (I am as guilty as you in hoarding notebooks – some are still left untouched).

ZIMO believes that this creative outlet helps us connect with our inner self. By documenting our thoughts and ideas, we give ourselves the chance to remember; to hold on to memories despite the time passing and us forgetting.

ZIMO JOURNALS

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