I’ve often been asked by friends and family how I stay disciplined enough to be self-employed and work from home. I’d be lying if I claimed to be the most disciplined person to walk the face of the Earth. That is so far from the truth! So to get around this, I’ve had to develop some tips and tricks to keep me focused and on my game. Below is a list of ways I’ve incorporated in to my life to help me be my most productive self and get the work done.

1. Start the Morning Right:
The first thing that I do as soon as I wake up is read a devotional. It gets my brain into a positive mindset so that I can tackle the remainder of the day and let’s face it, we can use all the motivation that we can get. I know I can. Right now I’m reading “Positive Thinking Every Day” by Norman Vincent Peale – this daily inspiration is short, sweet and to the point. Just what I need to start the day.

2. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day:
I don’t mean to act like your mom but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make sure before you start anything that you’re fuelling your brain and your body to optimally tackle all the tasks the day will bring. I can’t stress how important this for staying focused and productive. P.S – the healthier the better.

3. Have a Dedicated Work Space
Having a dedicated work space is vitally important to ensuring you keep productive while working from home as first and foremost it puts you in the right frame of mind to tackle the tasks at hand. It also establishes boundaries with other people you may live with, letting them know you mean business when you enter that space.

4. Create a Schedule
I’ll be honest, every Sunday, I map out my schedule for the week. While this may seem anal to some, it works miracles for me during the week. I have much more free time and feel less overwhelmed because of this routine. I like physical planners where you write stuff out but you can also do this online, on your computer or via an app like Planner Plus which I absolutely love.

5. Make To-Do Lists Your Friend
I swear by to-do lists and before I start work, I map out all the things I need to do during the day and this includes personal tasks as well. Let’s face it, our lives are not solely about work and other things need to be done. It’s also a great way of breaking up the monotony of only doing work related tasks.

6. Set a Time to Begin & End Work
It took me a while to establish this routine as when I first started this journey I found my self doing and thinking about work every single hour of every single day. It lead to me feeling burnt out but I soon realised this was more hindering than helping my productivity and the quality of work I wanted to achieve. So my advice to you would be to set a time to ideally start work and a time when you cut off from work and stick to it. You’ll thank me later. This will make time for the other important things in your life, which don’t include thinking about work 24/7.

7. Take Scheduled Breaks:
During the day I like to take scheduled breaks in the morning, at lunch and afternoon to give myself a break, walk around, have lunch, maybe watch one Netflix episode [ok, ok two Netflix episodes]. Having breaks during the day is the ultimate way to refresh you and prepare you for the next tasks to tackle.

BONUS:
Here’s a bonus tip for you that I learned from my cousin who’s also an entrepreneur. At the beginning of every year, schedule all the vacation or off days you want to take and make it non negotiable. Yes, we know you love your job as do I, but self care is equally if not more important. Take care of your self first and watch how much apt you are to take care of your business.