The workday of the solopreneur is often busy and full, but there can certainly be times when the motivation to get things done simply fails, and you’re left doing nothing instead of being productive. However, not wanting to do the work in front of you doesn’t mean that your time has to be wasted. On the contrary, there are a ton of things you could be doing that will improve your situation while you take a break from the job at hand. So, if you’re find yourself with a bad case of worker’s block, try a few of these activities to help get you going again.
1. Get Organized
Sometimes, all you need to regain your motivation is a bit of cleaning up. Starting with your main workspace, organize outward until you’ve finished your entire office. File old documents, consolidate wherever you can, throw out everything you don’t need, and move anything that you don’t use often to somewhere else if possible. The idea is to have easy access to everything that you need, and for anything that doesn’t fit that description to be as far out of your way as possible.
2. Brainstorm New Ideas
As long as you’re not finishing up the work that needs to be done now, you may as well be getting a head start on work you have to do later. Browse blogs and websites in your industry to find some topics you may want to write about on your own website. Outline some articles or social media posts that you may want to come back to later and refine. In short, give yourself a bit of a head start down the line.
3. Watch A Video
Ok, this doesn’t mean that you should spend the next two hours seeing just how many companies decided to upload Harlem shake videos. Instead of wasting your time on YouTube, head over to a site whose videos are strictly educational. TED Talks are always an excellent choice, and the wide range of topics means that you’ll be sure to find something that catches your eye. Academic Earth offers a wide array of lectures taken from colleges like MIT, Yale, Harvard and Stanford, along with a collection of their own videos.
4. Touch Base With Someone
Networking is always a worthwhile endeavor, so take a few minutes and get in touch with someone. An email or social media message will do, but if you have the time and the inclination, a phone call, handwritten letter or even a lunch invitation would work. Making connections is always beneficial, as it can expose you to new opportunities that you may have never even known about otherwise. Using your previously unproductive time to build relationships will also help ensure that you have work when you’re done with the work you’re currently putting off.
5. Read, Read, Read
It’s pretty much a given at this point that reading is going to make just about every list ever made that deals with improving yourself. If you’re going to take a break from work, reading a good self-help or business book can be just the right thing to get your brain working and get your motivation back on track. Keep some good reading material handy in case you need a bit of a mental refresher to put you back in the right frame of mind to get things done.
What do you do when your motivation for work fails you? Share your own tips with us below.
