In the middle of a pandemic and a shutdown, it's definitely hard to stay motivated and keep your mind on your work. In fact, psychologists are warning that we all need to acknowledge and deal with the fear and anxiety we're feeling if we're going to move forward. And that doesn't even address the distractions from children at home, aging parents we're worried about, and more! So how do you get your motivation in gear so you can keep your business going? I have 3 good tips!

1. Reach Out to Others

One of the best ways to spark your motivation is to talk to other people in your situation - specifically other designers! Some of my closest friends today are designers who live all over the U.S. And I lean on them a lot! We're there for each other through good times and bad. There's a lot to be said for talking through the challenges, laughing about the craziness of all of this, and just generally supporting each other. At the very least, it's good to find out you are not alone in what you're feeling. Join a design community Facebook group, create a Zoom call with other designers you know, or just pick up the phone and call someone. Those connections are what we need right now, and they'll give you the energy (and ideas) to get back into the swing of things in your own business.

2. Limit Distractions

I know this one is HARD - especially when you have others in your home competing for your attention. And when you're under extreme stress like we all are today, it's easy to take the numbing route of scrolling on your phone, watching mindless TV, or flipping through magazines. Any distraction can seem like more fun than facing reality. So as much as you can, try to set aside time that is only for work! Even if you have to escape to an outdoor "she shed" for an hour, try to get time to yourself to focus on your work. If you're lucky enough to have an office to go to, head there to get things done. You can even stagger your time there with any staff you might have. But you have to be discipline to set that time aside AND to not be distracted during that time!

3. Plan for the Future

Yes, I can hear a lot of you saying "How exactly am I supposed to do that when everything keeps shifting?!" I'm with you, but hear me out! Right now we ALL feel out of control - and that is what's keeping our motivation down. So use this time to think about your company's future - where do you want to be in 5 years? What do you want to have accomplished? Then work your way backward, looking at what each step would need to be to get you to your ultimate goal. You can use this process to plan goals for 2021, for 5 years, for 10 years - whatever you want! Allow yourself to dream a little, too! The point is that this process helps you feel more in control. AND it will motivate you to work towards those goals, even if it's with tiny baby steps right now. You can't just throw up your hands and give up. This type of goal setting and strategic planning will light a fire under your motivation and will remind you that there will be a better future!

To help you with that goal setting, download my FREE Quarterly Goals Worksheet. It will help you set short-term goals as you work on what you want the longer-term goals to be. You've got this!

  

xoxo,

Kathleen