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As it becomes more likely that we will soon all be working from home, it is undeniably hard to remain motivated, to be present and to persevere amid the uncertainty. Here’s how to stay on track…
With the many distractions that come with working from home, creating the perfect home office that is a conducive working environment is essential. Of course, this means both in terms of the physical setting and how you will remotely communicate as a team. In regards to your work space, maintain balance and clarity throughout your working day by ensuring distinct organization. We suggest investing in premium leather office accessories, such as the Aldo mouse mat and Ilario desk tidy for instance, that will add a smart touch to proceedings whilst still maintaining that essential functionality.
To inspire motivation, however, it is also equally important to maintain teamwork throughout the day. Thankfully, there are plenty of platforms that will sync up your work from the comfort of your own home. The likes of Slack is perfect for sharing ideas as well as team collaboration, whilst Monday aptly facilitates large projects as a group. After all, remote working doesn’t mean that teamwork ever has to wane.
The rolling news at the moment is certainly sufficiently overwhelming to cause despair. But embracing a new hobby that you never believed you had time for before could help to make you feel reinvigorated. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write a novel, learn how to play the piano or take up yoga? Now is the time to indulge to find your mojo for the other tasks ahead. Our mental health advocate Holly suggests downloading Duolingo and practicing a few lessons of a language you’ve always wanted to learn first thing in the morning – it’s the perfect way to start the day on the right foot.
Amid the current uncertainty in markets, operations and exporting, it is important to be prepared to adapt to ensure that you remain optimistic about the work ahead. As Thomas Edison once famously said “the most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” As such, flexibility is key. What worked before may no longer be as successful, so it is vital to be open to new ideas and approaches. Hopefully, this optimistic adaptability will energise you for the next project.
Nevertheless, uncertain times can be overwhelming and it is easy to lose perspective. To maintain your motivation though take a step back and look at the big picture. Setting more long term goals at the moment is crucial rather than being too granular with specific tasks to do today. This should help you to focus on future potential and offers a new goal to work towards which is always sure to help you find your motivation amid the madness.
Finding that sense of motivation once again often arises from looking at a situation from a new angle. This means that sometimes all it takes is cultivating a new mindset, with the change coming from within. A particular favorite in the Maxwell-Scott HQ is the growth mindset. The key to a growth mindset is viewing challenges as opportunities and mistakes as lessons learned, rather than failures. Rather than stating ‘I failed’, it’s a question of ‘I haven’t done it yet‘. Carol Dweck, the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, argues that the belief that you can improve comes in this simple word ‘yet’. This provides more space for experimentation and creativity which is always useful so that this overwhelming uncertainty doesn’t prevent growth.
Discover our 5 ways to develop a new mindset here >
Plus, as the rolling news looms large, it is important to find those glimmers of positivity that will induce productivity. So seek out the more joyous news stories, share amusing stories with friends or read your favourite book. Quite simply, enjoying an uplifting moment will put a fresh perspective on the day ahead.
It is likely that in the coming weeks we will have more time at home which provides the ideal opportunity to plan. Whilst adapting to such a new set of circumstances can zap motivation, this is the best time for reflection as we all have a break from the daily rush. Approach the time as a period of reflection, organisation and thus, productivity. This can be personally and professionally too. Professionally perhaps it is time to outline a plan of action for your next big project as a company and personally, it seems an apt time to book a vacation of a lifetime for 2021. Both of these are certain to put a smile on your face.
Lastly, business and life coach Karen Strunks argues that it is vital to “take consistent action every single day.” This means setting strict rules of how, when and where you will work and abiding by these religiously. Consistency after all is always key. This means that however hard it can feel to complete the daily tasks within ever growing uncertainty, it is always important to maintain a level of structure. This will help to cultivate a consistent routine that you can control and which leads to continuing productivity.