5 Tips to Keep Working

Your professional success and personal happiness both depend on staying motivated.

1. Start making a schedule

Not reporting to an office every day or punching a clock can be an amazing thing. It also can pose a tremendous challenge. You can wake up when you want, take breaks when you want, eat when you want and stop working when you want. With so much autonomy, it's important to discipline yourself by setting a daily schedule.

Determine your standard lunch break and your typical end of the day. You might not be able to follow precisely the same schedule every day things do come up, and some will need your immediate attention. Still, working on a schedule can help keep you on track and productive.

2. Take Few breaks in a day.

Design your daily schedule with short breaks in mind. Limit each to 10 or 20 minutes, or you risk getting swept into a sucking hole of unproductivity. These breaks are particularly helpful if you're struggling with a problem. Take a step back, focus on something else, and come back with fresh eyes. Consider taking a quick walk outside or engaging in some other form of activity. Get a glass of water, meditate or surf social media to shift your mindset.

3. Think about the possibility.

What did you do before you decided to start a business? What do your friends and family do? Chances are, at least some of them report to a cubicle every day and work the same 9-to-5 job all year round, with only two weeks of vacation in the mix. While being an entrepreneur definitely isn’t easy, it’s not boring, either. You can make your own schedule and set your own goals without a boss breathing down your neck.

Visit one of your friends at work and spend a little time in the square box she or he calls an office. My guess is you’ll be running back to your business with a new sense of appreciation for the lifestyle it makes possible.

4. Be Flexible

Try changing it up: Work from a coffee house one day, a library the next and a park the day after that. Changing your scenery will keep you on your toes and might even pique your creativity.

Take a longer lunch break and meet a friend at a fun restaurant. Break early one day to catch a drink with friends. Or go out late one night and give yourself permission to sleep in the next day. These all are perks you can enjoy as an entrepreneur. Realize what a gift that is and exercise that flexibility in moderation, of course. In the long term, it's only going to help your productivity.

5. Think about your future.

Don’t be afraid to dream big and don't ignore the fact your daily activities are what it takes to attain your ultimate vision. Write down your goals and post them where you're sure to see them. They'll serve as an added reminder when you get a bit down or frustrated. You might look to success stories from other entrepreneurs. Finally, don’t forget to reward yourself as you meet each goal. You worked hard, and you deserve to celebrate those victories.