Get Past a Motivational Brick Wall
Photo credit: m.eckelberg/Flickr
I run my freelance web design business from home where it’s more comfortable, cheaper and generally a lot easier to access. But with that comes distractions from my Xbox, the great British daytime TV, and my bed. The lack of communication and contact with real people can also be a downside as well. Sure it means I can get work done without their distractions but sometimes you need help, input or just a kick up the ass.
I frequently hit motivational brick walls. It’s not a design brick wall, or writer’s block, it’s just having the will power to start work. I’m not sure why it happens but sometimes I can’t bring myself to open those files and start working.
Figuring out how to get motivated in these situations can be a big issue if you’re freelance and depending on yourself, so how do you get over it? I’ve put together a little list of some best practices for getting motivated.
Make a list
Sometimes you can hit the brick wall because you literally don’t know where to start or go next. At times like this the classic bit of advice of ‘making a list’ comes in handy. Start jotting down the things that need doing and go into quite a lot of detail. By adding little five minute tasks to the list you can easily get started and feel like you are getting somewhere.
Hopefully this will get the flood gates open and you can start working at full speed again.
Get dressed and tidy yourself up
If you’re like me then when your working at home you like to feel relaxed. The problem with this is it’s hard to get into the ‘being at work’ mindset. Try swapping the sweatpants for some smarter clothes. Take a bit of time making yourself look good and presentable and then you won’t want to slouch around. You’ll look like your ready for work and that will help your mind get in the ‘being at work’ mindset.
Take a shower
Some days I wake up and everything just feels all wrong. I sit down and try to start work and nothing happens. I make a list and tidy myself up but still the day feels like it’s going nowhere. So what do you do? If only it had a reset button. Well try taking a shower. It can trick your mind into thinking that it’s the start of the day again and if anything you’ll feel refreshed and relaxed.
Work on a different or personal project
If that project your working on is getting on your nerves or just getting you down then stop fretting. Just move onto something else. Yeah you may have set aside time to work on this project or you might have a deadline approaching but if you’re not doing anything then it’s wasted time. Try moving onto a different project and see if that can get you motivated again. Spending an hour on a blog post or a t-shirt design is a good way to get you back in the mood.
Take a break and relax — properly
If all of these fail then just stop trying to work. It’s not an acceptance of failure, it’s an acknowledgement that you’re getting nothing done. Go and make a hot drink and sit down in front of the TV for an hour, or switch on your Xbox and blow off some steam on Halo. You were getting nothing done anyway so you may as well enjoy getting nothing done.
After an hour go back to your desk or office and you’ll be surprised at how much more motivated you’ll feel. Just by relaxing a bit and taking your mind of your work can help a great deal.
Now get back to work!
Having a motivational block is a stressful and potentially disastrous experience. They can last for hours and sometimes days, so if you don’t get past it, deadlines can be missed or the quality of your work could deteriorate. The key thing to remember though is to not get stressed. Try and relax and that’s half the problem gone already.
If you have any tips on getting past motivational block or have tried any of these tips let me know in the comments.
Photo credit: Some rights reserved by m.eckelberg
Leave a Comment
This is a great post, and one that I can definitely relate to on various levels.
Like this morning, I was all geeked and geared up to write the next great American novel, and so far all I’ve come up with is this blog comment.
Maybe a cup of tea will do the trick…
those are all great suggestions that i use frequently (except replace HALO with Tiger Woods) – when i have mornings where i know i wont be productive i take a shower, get ready for the day then go get a coffee across town, i think this kind of replaces the morning routine and commute. great post and tips
I find myself heading to the gym in the morning. Get an hour of cardio in which wakes up the body. I can bring my clothes, jump into the shower, get cleaned up and ready to start my day at my home studio. That way I’m away for a bit, clear the mind and distractions. Also no cell phone =)
I feel with you Adam. 2 years ago when I freelanced I had a huge motivational brick wall ahead of me. Had two clients in a row that I never did see any money from (well, one of them paid me 6 months later) and I had trouble finding new ones. Also I didnt get any motivation or feedback from my family so I quickly fell into the common traps.
Because of that brick wall I stopped freelancing and started working for an agency instead.
There’s quite a difference between motivational walls at an agency from having one at home. Here the walls consist of not feeling the “urge” to open some of those files.
The best way to deal with it is using lists or software such as Things (http://culturedcode.com/things/) where you can plan your days. I set tasks to be completed until a certain date and when I start slacking I just take a look on those red numbers saying “2 TASKS LEFT” and I start working again.
Thanks for a great article.
Great post Adam! Just what I need to read at the moment – I got up this morning with all good intentions, then I looked out at the great British weather, and not much work has been produced since!
Thanks for the kick – I will take those tips to heart and start afresh in the morning, all showered and smartly dressed and with a proper ‘to do’ list!!
Tereasa.
I personally think, the longer you are in this mood and the closer the deadline is, the harder it is to get out of the mindset. When you have serious deadlines to meet, one can find themselves stuck in a loop of procrastination. I too play video games, and yes they’re on my desktop. The more time I spend playing games, the less if feel like doing work, the more I get stressed about running out of time. So, sometimes it can feel like i’m running round and round in circles.
I have tried making a list and it has partially worked. Usually, if you break things you have to do into smaller tasks, that usually gets me started. But what do you do in situations where the project your working on is a difficult and stressful one, one that requires quite a bit of motivational energy to work on for extended periods of time?
Hi Mustafa,
For longer and more stressful projects the best thing I find is to come up with some lists and then shut myself off from the world. I find it best to work in the dead of night when I’m not receiving emails or phonecalls. This way the only distractions you get are self caused ones and you can try and work around them.
I hope that helps.
To these suggests, I would like to add:
Put yourself on a daily schedule. And you can use that free and fabulous Google Calendar for doing so.
Knowing what you have to do, and when you’re supposed to do it, is quite the motivator. Give it a try!
Great article, it really help me out to start this day in the best possible way, now to work! (:
Good advice! I struggle with lack of motivation all the time and try to implement some of these things already. But this is a good reminder AND motivator. I also find that going for a quick walk or getting outside for a half hour or so helps me get back on track too.
I actually disagree with the video game suggestion. It is a similar activity to what you are already doing and it doesn’t help to break up the routine at all.
Replace that with getting outside or working out. A little sunlight or walk in the rain (depending on the weather) can do you wonders. Also, working your muscles I find helps relieve the stress on the muscle between your ears.
Good article, good timing! I’ve been in a motivational funk for a few weeks now, so these are very welcome tips. I think I’ll replace the hour of TV with a trip outside the house, though. If I turn on the game or TV there’s a real danger my motivation goes lower – but if I leave the house – for anywhere – I actually feel more energized when I return.
Awesome tips. I usually go out to take some fresh air, clear my head and than I’m ready to go again.
Great post. The things that usually work with me are:
- making a list before going to bed with the things I have to do tomorrow
- putting sticker notes everywhere with things I cannot forget
- taking small brakes in which I usually do silly things like playing with a tech deck, watering my only plant, playing with the cat and others.
The main cause of motivational deadlock is not having an interest in the work you’re doing (or should be doing).
When you start working with a concept for a project your interest levels are healthy and the urge to make progress comes easily and naturally, this is something new and exciting, with potential and room for direction.
Once you’re past the initial buzz of the project you’ve started with, or when you’re handed a job when it’s futher along in the production stage, you’re no longer mentally engaged with the direction of the job. The project has been constrained in a single, unfallable path, and your job now is to play the role of the worker bee, and just get it done. It’s at this stage most people get frustrated and want to move onto something else, a new problem the fix or direction to follow… which coincidently, is why video games are so appealing at this stage as they appeal to our problem solving nature.
So the solution?
All these things listed in this article can help to freshen your mind up, but they wont give you the urge to get the work started. If the financial gains are not enough to motivate you, you need one skill that every successful freelancer will have taught them self;
Discipline
It comes with the territory, you need to get back to the roots of why you’re doing this job in the first place, what you love about it, and discipline yourself to work through the boring times, because the next job will open up more opportunities for you. If you find it hard to engage with the work, you need to set yourself small goals; you’re a writer? Tell yourself you have to get 10 paragraphs written by lunch time. Designer? Grab a sketch pad and challenge yourself to knock out two quick sketches in the next 15 minutes.
It’s all relative, micro-manage the small problems… the big one will take care of itself.
Great post Adam! I usually take a shower and have a full breakfast in the morning to keep myself motivated to work. I also use a task management tool to keep me updated on what’s next on my list and what’s been accomplished for the day.
Keeping yourself organized and refreshed will definitely bring down those brick walls. Thanks for reminding us all of that.
Great article. I’ve been working as a freelancer for over 4 years now. When i switched from the ‘cube farms’ to working out of my own office I soon realized less obvious differences. I certainly had less distractions than being in a large office. However, I also had fewer opportunities to converse with colleagues about career topics or obtaining help on solving a technical problem.
Over the years I have learned a few of my own tricks to get me out of a motivation slump:
1. Physical work – carpentry, masonry, landscaping – anything where you work with your hands and see the benefits. Its the ultimate disconnect from work which is often the key to getting motivated again.
2. Work at different locations. Bookstore coffee shop, Collaborative work center etc.
3. I cant work in pajamas. I need to be showered and dressed for ‘work’. Its a mindset I subscribed to several years ago and it still works for me
4. Get a haircut. This can get you out of the office, socializing about non-work topics. Often works for me.
5. Build a good professional network, even if its virtual. I often help several of my buddies with work-related issues. I also rely on them when i’m stuck on something
Other posters commented on keeping schedules and avoiding procrastination due to unclear goals. These are critical for me as well.
I find sleeping with a woman (or member of the opposite or same sex) helps.
Words of wisdom are in this post. In my case reading something like this helps to get my work going again
When I did freelance, I used to go to work every morning. Shower, new clothes, leaving apartment, making circle around few block and back home to work
Sounded great, right up to “Get Back to Work!”
As a full-time freelance writer, I can definitely relate. My misadventures include online shopping, baking, yoga classes and the gym (because of all the baking), and basic Internet time-wasting.
I have tried lists, doing something else, cleaning myself up, putting on smart clothes, etc. but nothing seemed to work. I even went to the doctor because I had never in my life felt so foggy-brained (P.S. I am under 30). I would get words mixed up, reverse letters, etc.
At first, the “idea” of being a freelancer was enough – I would talk to someone who still has to go to the office everyday or watch a movie about “work” and remember how lucky I am. But, if you have been freelancing for a while, you know that “gloating” to yourself only works so long.
I have found only one thing that works when I “hit the wall” – go in the completely opposite direction. I write solely on subjects of business and finance; when I need to recharge, I take language lessons. This way an entirely different region of my brain is stimulated. Afterwards, I feel completely refreshed and ready to tackle the day’s work.
Now… if only I could feel motivated to take the language lessons (;
You watch British daytime TV yet can’t get motivated – are you falling asleep? I tried watching it once but cleaning the oven out was a preferable occupation
I always get up with the kids, get dressed and get into the office first thing. It’s harder to get going when they’re on holiday. You are right by saying if something isn’t working then do something else for a while. Our brains get stale and needs distraction or entertainment.
I’ve always been big on making lists, but sometimes that isn’t enough, especially when the list fills an entire page (!). One thing I try to do when I shower in the AM is come up with ideas in “threes” – 3 things to do at the very start of my day. These can be as small as calling a client or looking up some information online, but they get me going and give me the push I need to start working.
Reboot by changing your scene.
You may not be in a motivational studio environment with phones ringing and account managers racing around – but try pretending you are. Pretend they’re in the next room and you’re in your own office. Have some noise in the background, pump up your favourite tunes. Music uplifts your mood every time. A quiet environment is not stimulating, particularly when you’re not in the creative zone.
Also, don’t force yourself to create when you don’t feel like it. You’re not doing your clients any favours because you’re not in the right mindset to produce the best work for them. And if you’re tired, reboot the old fashioned way – go to bed.
If it’s in you to create then do it when you feel like it, and it will happen. I think we put too much pressure on ourselves. We then risk burn out which leads to unmotivation. Deadlines are there but sometimes your best work can be done just hours before it’s due and other times you can be way ahead of schedule. Don’t create until you’re in the zone.
There are two things in here that I just have to do in order to get in the right frame of mind to get work done at home:
1. take a shower (probably a good personal hygeine habit anyway)
2. Get dressed for work (if I don’t dress like I’m going to work, it just doesn’t feel right)
Thanks for the great tips!
A brick wall? Heh mine sometimes seems like the great chineese wall
Otherwise, solution that helped me most times, is to break the tasks into very small peaces. Each peace has to be less than an hour of work, preferably some 10minutes for start of the day.
I agree – I HAVE to get dressed to be able to work. It somehow helps me settle down and into work. Lists and a shower help as well.
I will say that Lists worked great for me for a while, but I eventually had to switch to a project management system (I chose open-source Collabtive) because lists were beginning to get too long and were in constant need of re-writing.
Great article for me at a great time. Last 3 weeks have been tough motivation-wise!
gr8 tips and I find that the ‘cup of tea’ can be substituted with a dilute fresh juice, boost the vitamin C and zinc will aid concentration levels. The lists are gr8 as already echoed by others, it’s so motivating to see what you can accomplishment in a day
In my case, I don’t work from home. We have this small boutique shop where I have my own area to stick my head on the computer screen but distractions are plenty so I would rather stay at home so that I can focus more. But, I never thought working from home would be quite challenging. Nothing beats to have your own cute little office with a window beside your desk and rock your freelancing business.
Great post- all those tricks work for me, especially getting dressed as it gets me out of the lazy mindset! I also find that taking the dog for a work helps me to “reset” and come back to even the most tedious projects with fresh enthusiasm.
Interesting read.. Thats indeed inspirational.. I agree to most of your points.. I definitely need something like this right now
Excellent article. Having wasted a few days playing far cry 3 :/ , this is exactly what I needed to get me back in the office chair