To be honest, this post started out as a “How To Become A Morning Person” conversation that was inspired by my friends at Leesa. I was going to share their great tips (you’ll find them at the bottom of this post) and ask for advice and just leave the blog post at that. The more I wrote, the more I realized this blog post should shift in conversation because I don’t think struggling with time management and motivation is often talked about when you’re self employed. And your mornings have a big part to play in managing your days.
I know the feeling of working from home and having to “prove” to other people that you actually….work. Making it seem like you have your days perfectly scheduled out and you are ready to tackle every day and get everything on your to-do list accomplished. I don’t wake up early, make breakfast, have a to-do list ready and start working immediately. I used to be that way early on in my career but the gloss wore off and it was easy to slip into the habit of starting work at 11, if I’m being honest.
Through my small group of friends I meet with and study a book alongside, I’ve really admitted my lack of focus and how it is effecting a lot of areas of my work. Even saying it out loud and admitting these things have helped me pin point the problem and take strides towards more focused and motivated days! I felt like I also needed to admit these struggles on my blog since I’m passionate about helping people grow their Etsy shopsand I don’t want to ever paint the picture that if you work from home, you’ll wake up every day motivated and get a million things done. Motivation, I’m learning, is a choice and will be there when you choose it!
If you’re like me and feel a little distracted lately and that motivation has not been your first choice, I think the first step is finding accountability. Next, have your vision in front of you and reevaluate your goals. And finally, don’t feel like you are a failure because you’ve allowed time management to slip through the cracks. I have definitely allowed a few bad days to steal my joy and made me really down on myself and questioning my self-employment status. You have another chance tomorrow, so get back to it!
I wanted to share this chart on how to become a morning person by Leesa because I really feel like your mornings shape your entire day. After looking it over, I realize I need to work on eating breakfast and nighttime prep. Are you a morning person? Have any tips for me?
Have you ever struggled with time management? I’d love to hear how you conquer it!