Last updated on October 14th, 2022

Being an entrepreneur can quite frankly be exhausting because you have a never-ending list of to-dos and staying productive can be a “to-do” in itself. However, while you definitely don’t want to hustle 24/7, you do want a productivity boost especially when you feel your motivation to work on that sales page or marketing plan flagging.

Now before I share what works for you to boost productivity, a caveat: we’ve been in business for well over a decade. Our daughter is now a teenager. We definitely have more flexibility in our routines and of course, we also have a team of contractors we work with regularly to increase productivity.

With that outta the way, let’s go!

 

So, first things first … I’m a creature of habit. I can literally have the same thing for breakfast without craving for a change.

Naturally, I love my daily routine and thrive in setting myself up for success with structured days and systems in place.

But things don’t always go according to plan. *throws hands up in the air*

The wi-fi goes out, or the work retreat I had planned gets canceled because something unexpected came up … OR there’s construction in the building we live in, resulting in me giving up on ever being productive again!! (Thank goodness for Mayank, who’s much better at dealing with restructuring for minor catastrophes like this one.)

So while working at home allows us to live our life as intentionally as we run our business… it still poses some unique challenges. Right?

Right!

Maybe you’ve got that pile of unfolded laundry sitting on the living room carpet calling your name.

Maybe you keep getting peppered with texts and calls because friends and family assume you can answer the phone at 11 am on a Tuesday in the middle of your meetings. You work from home, so how could you not have time to chat?! *eyeroll*

Maybe your neighbors decide to remodel their kitchen (complete with ALL the hammering and clattering!) right in the midst of your launch.

 

 

Now… Even though some days don’t always turn out how we expect… we’ve set ourselves up with processes, systems, and solutions that help us stay on track no matter what — and you can too!

Let’s be honest … Working from home has a TON of challenges ready to take over your day and can quickly make working from home more like just being at home … with little to no “work-work” actually happening.

So how do you side-step those productivity mistakes and work from home like the boss you are? 😎

Read on to find out.

 

5 Strategies to Give Your Flagging Motivation a Productivity Boost

 

1. Self-reflection for energy management success

It might be easier to bury yourself in a plate of cookies rather than take the time to reflect on your work habits, but we don’t recommend it. (Ideally, you’d do both at the same time!) 😉

 

 

When it comes to hacking your brain and actually working well at home, you have to understand HOW you work best, and what you need to make it happen.

Set aside time to do those check-ins that can help you structure your work week, your time “in the office,” and what you need in your space.

• What time do you mentally check out?
• Do you procrastinate every Monday? Why?
• Do you work better in a completely solitary environment?
• Do you need there to be white noise or music for you to focus?
• Do you do best when you build momentum or tackle the hardest projects first?

Examine your days and determine which things are working for you, and which things aren’t.

And that actually leads us to…

 

2. Space management to boost productivity

No, I’m not talking about personal space — I mean literally the space you work in.

It might be tempting to wander over to the living room sofa with your laptop… but are you really going to be more productive from there? If you are then maybe your deep focus areas should be spent there rather than at your desk! But be careful…

👉🏽 Your workspace should be sustainable. If your living room is frequented by pets and kids, it may not be the best place for you to work for focused stretches.

 

 

Honestly, way back when we started … I worked from our dining room table because well … we didn’t have an office! This is not to say you need a dedicated room. But you do want dedicated space.

And then consider: Can you use that space well? Or will there be regular distractions that could keep you from being productive? How can you plan for those?

It’s okay to adjust to what serves you best … rather than what others think are acceptable working habits.

Then optimize your space for a productivity boost so every minute you spend at work actually matters.

For me, that means:

• Adding binaural beats in my work zone for focus
• Using essential oils to clear the air and up my energy levels
• Having a clean and set-up workspace — clutter distracts me physically and mentally
• Whipping out noise-canceling headphones whenever I feel distracted (or whenever the construction workers get over-enthusiastic about their current project taking place in my building!)

Because you already know how you work best (see the previous point), you should know what your space needs the most, and how you should set that up to give your productivity a boost.

 

 

3. Don’t get stuck ONLY working from home.

Yes, I know I’m talking about being productive while working from home, but one of the best systems I use to give myself a productivity boost is actually stepping away from my home office.

Sometimes Mayank and I head to the nearest WeWork coworking space.

Sometimes we schedule deep work retreats that allow me better deep focused hours.

When Manini was younger, this was tough, but even then Mayank and I found a system that allowed us to maximize time away from parenting, and step into a different workspace (hello, Starbucks!) just to give our brains a switch-up.

Optimize your at-home space, but don’t be afraid to find a (reliable) new “workspace” every now and then.

Be sure to remember how you work best, and choose an environment that reflects your own working style.

 

4. Use tools to get that productivity boost on autopilot

Everyone needs tools. It’s just about finding the right ones.

Personally, I love my physical planners (what can I say? I’m a fan of writing everything down) but that’s not always the best for everyone.

The one we always recommend?

🔥 A project management tool to keep your SOPs, your to-do’s, and your schedule in alignment. 🔥

Back in the day, we used Asana. We liked it a lot, and it helped us keep up with projects, but eventually, we found that we’d outgrown this tool.

These days, we’re all about Notion.

Notion has everything we need in one place, from schedules and project planning to personal dashboards. For us, Notion is organization fresh out of the oven. It’s the tool we use to set up our systems for success — without it, our systems just wouldn’t function as well.

Which brings me to my next point…

 

 

5. Don’t overlook your systems

To create a sustainable business, you HAVE to have systems set in place.

For Mayank and I, we have systems to handle almost every part of our business:

• Task delegation
• Sales and marketing
• Project and client SOPs
• Holiday seasons and travel
• Outsourcing and team management
• Booking out projects and scheduling
• Communication standards and expectations

With these systems, we know exactly what we’re working on and when, so we can run on autopilot. Those days when something unexpected happens? Not nearly so derailing because adapting is way easier with our established systems. 🙌🏽

ALL of this to say… When you set up systems that work for you, they become the key ingredients to a successful sustainable business.

So what does working from home look like for you? Are you wrangling with sticky situations because you’ve overlooked something? What do you do to give yourself a productivity boost? 🧐 Tell us in the comments below!