Going into business for yourself is a liberating experience, but can also be isolating—particularly when you’re feeling discouraged. We’ve got 20 tips on finding inspiration and keeping yourself motivated when working alone.

1. Running Solo?
20WaysTo Give
Yourself a Boost

2. Tip #1 – Laugh!
Laughter releases
endorphins, raising spirits
and sparking creativity. To
give yourself a good case
the giggles:
• Compile your favorite
clips into a YouTube
playlist
• Bookmark humor sites
and spend 10-15 minutes
having a chuckle
Photo by Simon Vorgrimmler via Flickr

3. Tip #2 – Create an Affirmation Board
Many Ruby employees affix “Ruby Raves,” our internal
affirmation cards, around their desks to keep them
motivated.
To build your own board, put up emails, birthday cards
pictures to remind you how awesome you are
the day.

4. Tip #3 – Move!
Feeling stuck? Get your
adrenaline going a quick
run, walk or a few yoga
poses.
Greatist also an excellent
series of fun exercises
can be completed at your
desk, including chair
dancing!

5. Tip #4 – Learn Something New
Your brain is always looking for connections between pieces of information.
Learning something new can bring new perspective to current challenges.
RSS readers, such as Feedly or Flipboard, to keep up with changes in your
industry. Podcasts, such as Entrepreneur on Fire, are also great to provide
additional inspiration.
Photo by the Italian voice via Flickr

6. Tip #5 – Do Your
Chores
Break up tough projects with
smaller, less involved tasks.
Spend 10-15 minutes
completing administrative
tasks, such as filing
or cleaning out your
downloads folder. You’ll give
your brain a rest, and check
off a few pesky to-do items!

7. Tip #6 – Share Your Task List
Peer pressure is useful motivational tool. At Ruby, team members looking for
little extra accountability can post their projects to our community
Achieve a similar effect with your business through a shared Trello board.
a free, online task management tool—lays out tasks as individual cards. Invite
others via email to view your board to hold you accountable for important

8. Tip #7 –
Run An Errand
Running a personal errand
helps gets you out of the
house, takes your mind off
work, and gives you some
time to focus on yourself.
You’ll return to your work
ready to get back to
business, having knocked
out those nagging to-dos.

9. Tip #8 – Co-Work
A home offices is great for focus, but sometimes you need to meet and mingle
with fellow entrepreneurs. Get out of the house and try your local coworking
space. These spaces rent desks by the hour, day or month, and provide access
community of small business owners and freelancers.
Photo by Mindaugas Danysvia Flickr

10. Tip #9 – Schedule
Daily Phone Calls
Make it part of your
to call a different person
from your contacts each
day. The variety of topics
from person to person get
your brain firing, and each
call gives you an
opportunity to talk
your current project.

11. Tip #10 – Create a Motivational A-Team
Form a group with 2-3 fellow entrepreneurs. Set a timeframe and have
person set one goal to be completed in that timeframe. Meet once a week
review your progress towards the goal. When you’re struggling, reach out
your team for motivation and encouragement!

12. Tip #11 – Send An
Affirmation
Chances are you’re not the
only one feeling stuck.
a friend an e-card or a
email letting them know
they’re doing a great job,
how much you appreciate
your friendship. You’ll feel
great knowing you’ve
make someone else’s day!

13. Tip #12 – Create a LinkedIn Group
LinkedIn groups are great for asking questions, but are often too
to bounce ideas off others. For more personalized feedback, create
private LinkedIn group for just your direct network. Don’t limit
to folks only from your industry! Different backgrounds can lead to
insights for your business.

14. Tip #13 – Do a
Creative Activity
Drawing, writing a poem or
singing a song all activate
different parts of the brain and
can spark new ideas. Spend a
few minutes doodling or
down a story idea to restore
your motivation.
You can also challenge your
brain by performing tasks with
your non-dominant hand.
Switching the mouse to the
other side, for example,
refocuses your brain and
increases creativity.
Photo by Ant PDX via Flickr

15. Tip #14 – Daily Huddle
At Ruby, team members take 10 minutes each morning to share their focus
the day and any roadblocks they are experiencing.
Using the phone or a videoconferencing platform, invite 3-5 other small
business owners to meet and discuss plans for the day. This exercise holds
accountable and forces you to verbalize your daily goals.
Photo by Drew Stepehnsl via Flickr

16. Tip #15 – Meditate
A little stress is healthy, but a
lot reduces motivation and
creativity.
Set aside a comforting place
your home or office with low
light, little noise and a
comfortable rug or pillow.
Focus only on your breathing,
taking as many deep breaths
you need to feel the tension
melt away.
Photo Matt Scott via Flickr

17. Tip #17 – Review
Your Goals
When you run your own
business, it’s easy to become
focused on short-term tasks
and lose site of long-term
goals.
Take 20-30 minutes at the
beginning of each day to
review your goals and
company mission. Make sure
your tasks for that day align
with your goals to avoid
putting effort into out-of-
scope projects.

18. Tip #18 – Delegate!
It’s easy to get bogged down in the little things that waste your
energy (like handling phone calls). Delegate those smaller tasks
other team members or companies like Ruby, so you can spend
time on the activities that will help grow your business.

19. Tip #16 – Video
Hangouts
Remote teams often rely on
videoconferencing
such as Skype or Google
Hangouts, to connect
members visually.
Create a “virtual” office
environment to keep you
motivated—complete with
the click-clack of
chit chat, and the
laughter over a shared
meme.
Photo by download.net.pl via Flickr

20. Tip #19 – Create a
‘WOW’ Moment
Ruby team members are
empowered to deliver
customer experiences, including
sending ‘WOW’ gifts to show
clients we care. These gifts not
only thrill our clients, but excite
our team as well.
Take 10 minutes out of your day
to send a thank you, gift or
thoughtful email to a client. This
small act not only gets your
creative juices following, but
your customers another reason
keep their business with you.

21. Tip #20 – Reward Yourself
Have a sweet tooth? Put a sweet treat, such as an M&M or Skittle,
next to each to-do item on your list. When you’ve completed the
task, reward yourself with a little indulgence.

22. Ruby is the smart and cheerful team of virtual receptionists trained to
make a difference in your day. From our offices in Portland, Oregon,
we handle your calls with care.We deliver the perfect mix of
friendliness, charm, can-do attitude, and professionalism. Best of all,
your callers will think we work in your office. Get to know us at
www.callruby.com.
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