Working On-The-Go: Staying focused while you grow your side-hustle
You have a business! Maybe it’s a growing side-hustle in addition to your nine-to-five office job. Or maybe your side-hustle is now a full-fledged 24/7 business. Either way, we’re guessing that at some point you’ve struggled with staying focused while working. Keeping distractions at bay can be tough when you’re killing it from all sides!
Luckily, there are ways to ease the pain and torture of trying to stay “on it” all the time. You too, can stay on point and make it look easy! Take a look at tried and true ways we’ve found to do just this!
1. Surround yourself with a happy and inviting environment
- If you work better in silence, get some noise-canceling headphones or $.27 earplugs! Want music? Use Pandora—their brain radio station is great for background noise!
- Clean off that desk—you don’t need everything you own sitting in your direct line of sight, we promise.
2. Prioritize
- What are three things you want to get done today? Not tomorrow, not in a week, not next month … today. Write them down and prioritize your day around getting them done.
- Break down your to-do list into bite-sized pieces. Not only does this create a timeline for your day or week, it keeps you motivated to keep going. And as a bonus, you get to tick off each of those smaller boxes on your list!
3. Log Off
- If there’s a time of the day where you do your best work, let people know. Make a sign for your door, put your phone on Do Not Disturb, tell your family or friends that you love them very much but this is where the magic happens and you just can’t sacrifice this time.
- Don’t be your own worst enemy! Most of us are working on a laptop or a desktop computer or on our phones. Create the most work-friendly environment you possibly can. Minimize everything except what you’re actually working on. I’m not saying go off the grid; obviously you need to stay in contact with people. But, do you need to check your email every 10 minutes, or does once an hour suffice? Do you need to check social media every 14 seconds, or can that maybe be a gloriously-wonderful 15-20 minutes on lunch or at the end of the day?
4. Maximize Opportunities
- Do you work better in the morning? Midnight-2 a.m.? This is just one of many positives of working from home and owning your own business. You aren’t bound by the traditional work hours most people carry. Really look at how you work during different times in the day and adjust accordingly. The projects requiring more brain power? Do them during your higher-energy moments.
- During the day (or night!), you’re going to have ideas—don’t let them drift off into the lost corners of your brain! Write them down! Keep a notebook and pen nearby to jot them down. But most importantly, don’t interrupt what you’re doing right now to flush out the details—come back to them later when you have a free few minutes.
5. Take Care of Yourself
- Figure out your food situation. Prepare ahead of time so you’re not looking at the afternoon “hangries.” You’ll work better if you’re fueling your body with good things.
- Drink actual water—stay hydrated! Keep a full water bottle at your desk and don’t wait until it’s 3 p.m. and you haven’t eaten since 7 a.m. to figure out what what to eat—fast food, carbs, and sugar will win 100% of these times.
- You deserve to work hard, but you also deserve a break! When you reach a goal, give yourself a pat on the back—go for a quick walk, grab a healthy snack, listen to an inspiring audio.
- You can’t be productive if you’re running on “E.” Find the sleep cycle that works best for you and stick with it.
We all have bad days or fall into boredom ruts sometimes. This is when it’s time to re-visit why we do what we do. Finding inspiration in your day-to-day work not only creates a catalyst for motivation but it builds you toward your goals. Having a rough day? Check out our post on Bad Days 101.
Building a business is hard work, people. But it is WORTH IT.
What’s your favorite way to stay focused? Comment below!
