Motivation

What if You Just Don’t Feel Like Working?

by Julie-Ann Amos

Julie-Ann Amos is a freelance consultant within business, management and human resources. She has worked in the RAF, the public sector, retail, recruitment and banking – in as far locations as New York, Hong Kong, Scotland, and the Falkland Islands. Currently, she works part-time, consulting with a banking institution in the City of London, and freelances during the rest of her time. She is the author of a number of books published by How To Books on management topics. She lives in London with her husband, a wonderful garden and a small menagerie, including a Siberian Husky, and a very helpful cat who likes to type and play computer games!

Read our interview with Julie-Ann Amos

Many of us are attracted to freelance work so we won't have to work so hard or such long hours. But unless we deliver on time and to the necessary standard, we will fail as freelancers, because we are only as good as our last project for the client. Working consistently takes discipline and motivation. So what do you do when you just don’t feel like working? Here are some common motivation problems, and ideas for solving them.

Procrastinating?
Procrastination is not getting round to things. We delay work with TV, tea, coffee, housework, anything! Clever procrastinators delay while looking as if working – list making, organizing, filing, reading, research. Avoid procrastinating by setting priorities and setting goals, then working to them. Projects broken into goals seem less daunting.

Bored?
Some projects will be deadly boring, unfortunately, so use rewards.Intersperse favorite and dreary work, to add variety. Reward yourself after completing projects – reinforcing and recognizing your achievement, and giving incentive for next time. If a project is really that bad, don’t do another one like that again!

Can’t Finish?
Are you a perfectionist? If you’d rather not finish until it’s perfect, you might be setting yourself standards that are too high. Try concentrating on the client’s desired result, not your idea of the finished product. Get a second opinion, and do things well enough – everything doesn’t have to be perfect!

Uninspired?
Stop work before you grow tired of working. Driving yourself until you're out of ideas and enthusiasm makes you reluctant to start work again afterwards. Conserve your creativity by stopping while you still have some.

Can’t Get Started?
Waiting for the right moment…? It may never come. The only way to start is do it now. Are you secretly afraid of failure, success, becoming overloaded? This can only stop you if you let it. Do something – anything – to get started. Make a list of what needs doing step-by-step, and work on one at a time.

I’m Stuck
Have several projects going at the same time, so if you get stuck on one, you can switch to another. Often putting difficult tasks to the back of your mind helps, as your subconscious can work without pressure on the problem while you do something else.

Too Much to do to Think Straight?
For a very short time, do nothing - you need a break. Give yourself permission for a walk, bath, 15 minutes TV, whatever. Detach yourself both physically and mentally from work. When you come back, prioritize before starting. Consider the consequences of missing each deadline, and choose the most important job to complete.

Just Don’t Feel Like Working?
Have a tea or coffee. Try background music. Take a shower. Put on some comfortable clothes that make you feel good. Then start doing something! If nothing else, make lists of what to do and in what order when you do start working. Try ”mental commuting” – having start and end-of-day rituals such as opening post, filing, making backups.

Lonely?
Not only are you working alone, but often no-one knows what you do or how you are getting on. You don’t know how your own work fits with other work. This can be demoralizing. Don’t cut yourself off. Socialism with family at break time, contact the client with progress reports. Don’t self-impose isolation.

© smarterwork 1999 - 2008. All Rights Reserved.

More Articles