[caption id="attachment_11838" align="alignnone" width="620"]
Photo by Jeff Sheldon[/caption]
Youâre sore and bored, so you skip the gym. You reschedule an appointment thatâs making you break out in hives. You take a rain check on that social eventâyour friends will understand. But when it comes to freelancing, a case of the âI donât wannasâ could well derail everything youâve worked so hard to build. Read on for some strategies to help you power through when youâd rather do anything but work:
Get Small
Thereâs a reason productivity gurus (ugh) sing the praises of breaking work down into manageable tasks. Sometimes, focusing on the forest means you miss out on each non-threatening tree. Instead of freaking out about your daunting deadline, your nerve-wracking commission or the hundreds of hours youâll surely spend getting âer done, try micro-focusing. Commit to the smallest task first, then the next, then the next. Voila: itâs done.
Get Feisty
Yes, thereâs something to be said for the joys of intrinsic motivation and dedication to your task. But some tasks just, well, suck. When nothing can make you get excited about the to-do you absolutely must do, forget motivating yourself. Instead, get feisty. Get pissed. Get annoyed. Get competitive. Do whatever it takes to rouse yourself, even if itâs envisioning your triumphant win over a rival or how sweet it will feel to fire a crappy client once youâve fulfilled your contract. Donât worryâŚnobody needs to know.
Get Tricky
Sometimes, âI donât wannaâ manifests itself as âI canât. No, really. I literally canât.â When grappling with weapons-grade demotivation, youâve got to fight fire with fire. Do whatever it takes to trick yourself into working. Maybe you need a Pomodoro timer that allows for one minute of work and one minute of rest. Maybe you need to put your entire document into a wacky font that makes you giggle every time you open it. Maybe you need to commit to writing just ten words or calling a friend every ten minutes to stay on track. Now is not the time for half measures. Feel free to con, hoodwink, and deceive your way to done.
Even if you love your freelance career, itâs normal to hit the wall. Just remember: sometimes done is better than funâŚand your everyday victories over the impulse to bail out are big wins for freelancers everywhere.
Photo by Jeff Sheldon[/caption]
Youâre sore and bored, so you skip the gym. You reschedule an appointment thatâs making you break out in hives. You take a rain check on that social eventâyour friends will understand. But when it comes to freelancing, a case of the âI donât wannasâ could well derail everything youâve worked so hard to build. Read on for some strategies to help you power through when youâd rather do anything but work:
Get Small
Thereâs a reason productivity gurus (ugh) sing the praises of breaking work down into manageable tasks. Sometimes, focusing on the forest means you miss out on each non-threatening tree. Instead of freaking out about your daunting deadline, your nerve-wracking commission or the hundreds of hours youâll surely spend getting âer done, try micro-focusing. Commit to the smallest task first, then the next, then the next. Voila: itâs done.
Get Feisty
Yes, thereâs something to be said for the joys of intrinsic motivation and dedication to your task. But some tasks just, well, suck. When nothing can make you get excited about the to-do you absolutely must do, forget motivating yourself. Instead, get feisty. Get pissed. Get annoyed. Get competitive. Do whatever it takes to rouse yourself, even if itâs envisioning your triumphant win over a rival or how sweet it will feel to fire a crappy client once youâve fulfilled your contract. Donât worryâŚnobody needs to know.
Get Tricky
Sometimes, âI donât wannaâ manifests itself as âI canât. No, really. I literally canât.â When grappling with weapons-grade demotivation, youâve got to fight fire with fire. Do whatever it takes to trick yourself into working. Maybe you need a Pomodoro timer that allows for one minute of work and one minute of rest. Maybe you need to put your entire document into a wacky font that makes you giggle every time you open it. Maybe you need to commit to writing just ten words or calling a friend every ten minutes to stay on track. Now is not the time for half measures. Feel free to con, hoodwink, and deceive your way to done.
Even if you love your freelance career, itâs normal to hit the wall. Just remember: sometimes done is better than funâŚand your everyday victories over the impulse to bail out are big wins for freelancers everywhere.