Overcoming apathy at home?

[danaus56411]

Greetings enwisened ones

I am having an issue with my home office...whenever I am in that space, all my ambition, motivation etc seems to be overwhelmed by the instilled habit of apathy (which translates to engaging in passive entertainment etc).

Its actually quite strange, when I am at work, out, basically anywhere other than at home, I can get work done, but once at home, that apathy kicks in...it's very real and very difficult to overcome (so far) for me. The vibrations are certainly lower there, no doubt from years of habits and conditioning.

So my question is, how have others overcome this...has anyone else experienced this? What can I do to make my home area more condusive to working on my part-time business (which I have had good results from when I have put the time into it).

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by danaus56411

Greetings enwisened ones

I am having an issue with my home office...whenever I am in that space, all my ambition, motivation etc seems to be overwhelmed by the instilled habit of apathy (which translates to engaging in passive entertainment etc).

Its actually quite strange, when I am at work, out, basically anywhere other than at home, I can get work done, but once at home, that apathy kicks in...it's very real and very difficult to overcome (so far) for me. The vibrations are certainly lower there, no doubt from years of habits and conditioning.

So my question is, how have others overcome this...has anyone else experienced this? What can I do to make my home area more condusive to working on my part-time business (which I have had good results from when I have put the time into it).

Hello danaus56411

Welcome to the site.

I have suffered for many years with the same problem. Basically, my problem was procrastination. I sidetracked myself consciously onto browsing the net, surfing the web and wandering throw cyberspace onto websites that I liked but should only have been done in my free time. ie It was exactly the same as turning on the TV and watching something like the A Team (remember that!) when I should have been phoning clients for appointments etc.

I furthermore discovered that part of the reason why I was doing this was because the distractions were at arms reach and that reading about something interesting on a website was more favourable than getting a rejection to a proposal at the end of the line.

Henceforth I procrastinated until I couldnt procrastinate anymore (ie I just had to make a sale) and when I eventually started making sales because I had to, I forgot too quickly about why I had got there and slipped again into procrastination mode. The boom bust cycle sort of summed up my work life. I always on paper looked like a great achiever with my sales, but little did anyone know, my year was an anguishing time of self tormented struggles with my split personality.

All of these problems stemmed from having a mediocre amount of self dicipline coupled with working from home. When I was in an office environment, I had zero procrastination or when I was out 'on the road' making appointments etc from the cellphone I operated like a well oiled machine.

How did I beat this problem? Well I havent completely. I dont think I ever will completely (who does?), but I have gotten to the stage where my procrastinating is hardly noticeable and the vast majority of my time at work is spent at work.

Little tricks help me beat the old habits.

#Be prepared : If I have to make 7 appointments in one session on the phone, then I have a prepopulated call list to work on. This way I will tackle the job. If I havent done the preparation I find my mind wanders to more pleasing tasks like browsing the net or reading a book.

#Workstation: Have only the items you need to work actually turned on. If I have paperwork to do, I find if I turn the computer on I will get distracted by checking emails etc. Keep these things off unless you need them.

#Avoid distractions: If you work from home and have a partner/children, explain to them that your workspace is sacred and should be respected just like any downtown office block. Explain you find it difficult to work with distractions and that you appreciate their help.

#Keep your Office Clean and GTD'd: Any untidy office will sidetrack you, you can be sure of it. I have lost count of the number of times whilst looking for something I have stumbled upon something else and have gotten sidetracked before I knew 30 minutes had passed. Get that space cleaned up and filed tidy.

#PPP: Pre Planned Procrastination: Schedule your day 30 minutes earlier and use those 30 minutes before you start your planned work, to do all those little things that sidetrack you or send you off course, like browsing your favourite forums and checking personal emails.


These are just some of the things that have helped me turnaround my flexible career from being a day full of procrastination to a day full of promise.

Hope this has helped in some way.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by danaus56411

I am having an issue with my home office...whenever I am in that space, all my ambition, motivation etc seems to be overwhelmed

Thoroughly rearrange your space. That would help.

There are some advanced principles on how to do that optimally. But a bit too complicated to get into here. It's called fengshui.

[Ree]

My to-do list is my Bible. I have yearly, weekly and daily lists of things to do. The yearly list is more like a list of goals. That is broken down into weekly and daily lists which I follow strictly. I never just let something "drop off" a list; it's either done (and a straight line drawn through it) or it's postponed (a wavy line drawn through it). A canceled appointment is indicated by a wavy line drawn through it and the word canceled scribbled over that. When a to-do item is canceled it is immediately placed on my calendar for another time.

Knowing what has to be done each day and through the next few weeks is a very empowering thing. It allows me to manage my time and anticipate when I need to work quickly and when I can relax. I also write down on my calendar when I'm taking a day (or a few days) off so that time remains clear and is truly "time off".

And it feels really good to see all those items lined through on my calendar, to see all I have accomplished. It also feels good to see all the things to do lined up for the next six weeks. It tells me business is good!

[norbert]

Originally Posted by danaus56411

I am having an issue with my home office...whenever I am in that space, all my ambition, motivation etc seems to be overwhelmed by the instilled habit of apathy (which translates to engaging in passive entertainment etc).

Recorded words from me.

Originally Posted by danaus56411

Its actually quite strange, when I am at work, out, basically anywhere other than at home, I can get work done, but once at home, that apathy kicks in...it's very real and very difficult to overcome (so far) for me. The vibrations are certainly lower there, no doubt from years of habits and conditioning.

I think my apathy comes from the lack of people around me. I've tried basically everything: GTD, reorganized my office several times, rented a second flat for office use etc and they all work fine except that I can't overcome being alone. I've been alone for so many years in my life and I just can't stand it anymore.

Originally Posted by danaus56411

So my question is, how have others overcome this...has anyone else experienced this? What can I do to make my home area more condusive to working on my part-time business (which I have had good results from when I have put the time into it).

I started to accept that I'm unable to work from home. Many times I simply unplug my laptop and visit a coffee shop or restaurant, or (less often) catch a train to visit a city in the countryside. Lately I'm trying to reorganize my life to frequently need to travel so that I can work on the go.

I see two more options:
a) find a business partner, which didn't turn out quite well for me until now
b) employ some people, but again, this isn't the kind of relationship I miss from my business and generally my daily life

This coworking project seems to be quite interesting, they also write a blog. I hope that the mobile worker culture will gain more attention in several years and more coworking spaces will be available around the globe.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by norbert

I think my apathy comes from the lack of people around me. I've tried basically everything: GTD, reorganized my office several times, rented a second flat for office use etc and they all work fine except that I can't overcome being alone. I've been alone for so many years in my life and I just can't stand it anymore.

I never thought of it as that. It's interesting.

Perhaps some of us need to be around people to function. It might be that simple. And often the simplest of theories are the most promising. Occams razor and all that.

[Joely]

Take breaks where you actually leave the house. I have found that if I take a real, proper hour off, go to my favourite coffee bar and read a funny book it really helps me concentrate when I get back to it. It's also a way to get out amongst other human beings. I schedule regular lunches with friends to make sure I get social contact.

Hope that helps,

J x

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Joely

Take breaks where you actually leave the house. I have found that if I take a real, proper hour off, go to my favourite coffee bar and read a funny book it really helps me concentrate when I get back to it. It's also a way to get out amongst other human beings. I schedule regular lunches with friends to make sure I get social contact.

Hope that helps,

J x

Yes good examples of how to beak the monotomy.

When actually at the work station it's best to start your day knowing what you are going to do, and have short doeable tasks, pre prepared.

Piss Poor Planning always leads to failure. Plan your work and work your plan. (The oldest of cliches, but timeless)

[gruntmonk]

I must admit, I've just had a bought of apathy (thus reaching here).

I have a lot on my plate, and to take the methaphor further, I couldn't eat anymore.
I've written down a todo list which has taken a load off my mind.
I'm going to plan out what to do over the next few days, which should give me a boost, not only in getting little jobs done, but also completing the mess in my mind.

"Every big journey is made up of small steps" Unknown.
Enjoy the journey!

This has been a great help, thanks!