Finding Motivation when Working from Home

I’ve come to realize that having a home daycare is working from home. I know it sounds silly but because my own children are involved it took me a while to understand that I need to end the work day after the children are done, change modes and morph into family and relaxing time. Then I came across this post from Simple Mom (I seem to be quoting Simple Mom a lot lately but that’s why I subscribe – truly relevant to my life at this time). So what does she recommend you do to find the motivation to work at home when you just don’t feel like it?

Here is a summary of Simple Mom’s post titled “7 Ways to Find Motivation at Home“.

1. Remember it’s a job ~ When you manage your home, plan the meals, handle the finances, juggle the calendar, and make sure that family members enter the world relatively groomed and sanitized, you work a lot.

2. Start your day with a realistic morning routine ~ Do your best to write down a weekday morning routine for starting your day. Whether it be working out, reading your Bible and journaling, going on a walk, or simply showering and getting dressed before the family wakes up, do what you can to prepare yourself for a day of work.

2. Eat your frog ~ After your morning routine, attack that one thing you dread the most.

3. Find inspiration ~ Spend a few minutes reading blogs that encourage you in your job as home manager. Flip through some home magazines you enjoy to motivate you to clean up the clutter. Set a timer as you do this, so that you know when it’s time to actually put your found inspiration to work.

4. Don’t let those blogs and magazines discourage you ~ It’s easy to throw in the towel before you even start your work when you read about other moms that seem to do everything, or look at glossy pages with gorgeous, stain-free furniture. Make a point to not open your laptop or a magazine until a certain chunk of your checklist is crossed off.

5. Leave the house ~ Get a change of scenery. Sometimes fresh air will do all of you a world of good.

6. Evaluate what you’re about ~ Perhaps you feel lazy about starting your work because you feel like you have so much to do, with no sign of completion. Are you trying to do too much? Is the goal of your job to have a sparkling house, spotless kids, and a three-course meal every evening? Are you losing the love of your game? Maybe it’s time to sit down and create a family mission statement. Decide who you are as a family. Let that be your guide for what you prioritize during your working hours.

7. End your work day ~ Do what you can to end your work at a reasonable hour in order to spend time with your spouse, recharge your batteries with some adult (or alone) time, and get adequate rest for tomorrow.

Everyone has valleys in life, when your spark has waned a bit, and you’ve forgotten what it’s like to love your calling. Your love is probably still there, somewhere. Do what you can to find it, instead of running your batteries on obligation. Everyone in your family will thank you.