How do you get more self-discipline when you work at home?

self-discipline

how to get self- discipline working from home

Apparently, for a perfect article, you’re supposed to solve a problem for the reader.

(See, I’ve been reading up on it. Fat lot of good it’s done me.)

So I feel like I should apologize to all of my readers. Have I ever solved ANY of your problems? Noooo–unless your problem was you needed to feel better about yourself. If that is the case, I am HERE for you, man. I will tell you how short I fall of the mark, most any mark at all, and you will definitely leave feeling better about yourself.

When I ask the question, “How do you get more self-discipline?” you might think that I’m going to give you the answer….

But I’m not. Sorry. Yeah, I’m actually just asking YOU. Seriously. How? I’m supposed to be working from home this year.

self-discipline

Reality. What I actually do all day: but I love it. I love hanging out with this kid all day. I can’t help it. I may never get any work done. I don’t care.

Instead, I feel like I spend most of my time talking on the phone to cardiology offices, re-organizing little boys’ clothing, helping JD, and reading the news. And as usual, when I say the news, I do mean my Facebook news feed. See, they call it the news too.

How do I get the discipline to sit down and write beautiful stories???

I have some ideas. Tell me which ones you like the best:

  1. More Fall Decor  (Yes, I’m obsessed.)
  2. Front Porch Decor
  3. Money-Saving Grocery Shopping Tips
  4. “Make Over Your Evenings” Course (from MoneySavingMom.com) Review
  5. 10 Things You Never Knew About Abraham Lincoln (I have learned so many Abe facts from this mega biography I’m reading.)
  6. But how do you choose joy? (I’ve been researching this in the mornings.)
  7. Why do fitness and nutrition have to be so obnoxiously important?
  8. Why all pre-school moms NEED to join M.O.P.S.

I met a mom at MOPS last week who has this self-discipline that I lack.

She doesn’t even have a Facebook account. ****GASP!!!****

How do you maintain this level of self-discipline???”

I asked her. I could also ask Amy, my sister-in-law this question. She always goes to bed on time, and she sticks to a schedule with her children (I’m apparently allergic to schedules). How????? No, I mean, how do you make yourself???

My new MOPS friend explained that she is an artist, so she wants to use her free time to work on her art, not Facebook.

self-discipline

Oh, how I love to post goofy photos on Facebook.

But I’m a writer, and I NEED to use my free time to work on my writing, so what am I doing posting pictures of myself exercising on Facebook? Why do I find it so important to share every funny Meme I find with my Facebook friends? Why must I “Like” everything my friends post???

But what if I don’t “Like” their photos, and they think that I therefore do not “like” the photos?? Oh, I have to hit “LIKE”! I JUST HAVE TO!!!! Wow. It’s a compulsion. I’m really nuts.

I was thinking. Maybe I should pour all of that energy I’ve been putting into social media into my actual blog/blogging community. Then I would have a better blog and less guilt.

self-discipline

Okay, so obviously I don’t have any good self-discipline tips. I only have questions, crazy, neurotic questions.

Please send me your best self-discipline tricks. Do you work from home? Are you self-motivated? How do you pinch your own rear to make yourself stop cleaning house or playing and actually work-at-home???

Don’t leave me hanging. I need ideas!

10 comments

  • Solve problems? The only problem I solve with my blog is also just making people feel better about themselves by comparison. I think that’s a valid niche.

  • I so wish I could pick up the phone and call you now. I think the secret is…figuring out how you can accomplish just a few top goals. For me, it’s scheduling everything. Literally – after school drop off I can make calls to docs. Sometimes I power walk and make calls then. I try and schedule writing, too. Social media is necessary for us with blogs and businesses, it just means that we have to be careful that we don’t let it suck all of our time. If it does, then make the next day more productive. Hey, this is what works for me. Maybe it will work for you, maybe not. Have a great rest of your week.

    • I am liking the idea of accomplishing a few top goals. Do you work at home with a toddler under foot? It is a special challenge, I think. Excellent suggestion. I am going to keep that in mind as I plan tomorrow. And my biggest thing is keeping it realistic. I am bad about accomplishing 10 things and having guilt over the other 5 things I didn’t get to. As for scheduling, alas, I tried that, but I am a dyed in the wool free spirit, so I schedule very very loosely. 🙂 Thank you for the few top goals suggestion. I’m going to do that!

  • Hi April, if only I had the answer, I probably wouldn’t have to worry about working, but alas I don’t! I must admit to not being a big FaceBooker and can go days without popping in, but I can spend hours walking in circles with good intentions and still not managing to get much done. And to be totally honest I need a good rear pinch to get me cleaning the house, it’s just one of those never ending, thankless jobs.

    One day I’m sure it will all fall into place… Or that’s what I keep telling myself!

    xx

  • McMom

    2,3,4,6,8 sound like the most interesting to me, but they’d all be fun. My church used to have MOPS and i loved it, but they don’t currently have it. I miss it!

  • I think we are related in some way. Not through FB but the flittering kind of mind that comes up with 8 questions which are ALL very interesting. Plus you have a very cute young’n there. 🙂

    • Ha! Thank you. He is adorable. I’m glad you have a glittering mind too. Ha! I meant to type flittering and auto correct changed it to glittering, but I think auto correct is right this time. Glittering!

  • Oh Facebook, the time sucker of our generation… I tell ya. Nothing sucks up time more than social media. I am still trying to find a happy medium, but as a blogger social media is a big component of that job. Keep me posted on how it all works out for you 🙂

    • Yes, that is true!! And that’s probably why ALL of my blog traffic, other than Google searches for school supply cakes, comes from Facebook. So at least it’s not all bad for us, Jen, right? If I learn self-discipline, I will be sure to shout it out, but I bet you are good at it.

I love comments! Otherwise, it's really just me talkin' to myself...

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