When your smartphone’s early morning alarm starts buzzing on the nightstand it’s up to you (and you alone) to heed its orders and get in gear and out of bed, instead of tapping snooze for 10 more minutes of precious sleep.
The rest of corporate America is rushing into traffic to get into the office before their boss does, but what happens when you are the boss?
Yes. Being young, fabulous and self-employed has its perks, but without putting in the work we would have nothing — there is nothing fabulous about that. Staying motivated, focused and inspired is essential for any entrepreneur who wants their business to bloom.
Here are four ways to mix up your daily routine and find the motivation you need to keep taking over the world:
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Change your surroundings.
Many entrepreneurs have the luxury and ability to work anywhere, so let’s take advantage of it. Leaving your office – even for a few hours to work from your favorite coffee shop – can improve your focus when you see other entrepreneurs getting their work done too.
Even though we have an office space, we still take the time to get out of the office and into new surroundings. Need help finding the perfect “work spot?” There’s a new app coming soon called Work Hard Anywhere, which reviews work-optimized spaces based on essentials such as free Wi-Fi, outlet accessibility, parking and more. Apps like this can save you time and frustration finding your perfect secondary workspace.
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Find inspiration in odd places.
Are you an aspiring rapper? Change your music playlist to classical for the day. Maybe you are an interior designer? Take a stroll through a clothing store. Running a tech startup? Engage with non-tech related founders.
As corporate event planners, our team can take inspiration from almost anything. We spend a lot of time on Pinterest, hiking in the woods, and taking NYC field trips. If we always look for inspiration in the same places, our perspectives will remain narrow. Broaden your thought process in whatever you do and watch your ideas flourish.
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Dress Business Casual
One of the best perks to being an entrepreneur is wearing what feels comfortable to us. There will always be days where putting on real pants just won’t happen, but sometimes you may benefit from dressing in business attire that 9-5ers have to wear during the work week.
Most of the time, we’ll find our Senior Managing Partner in our agency’s brand colors. Coincidence or dedication? Either way, when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good you get things done.
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Find a method of organization.
When your email’s inbox starts to overflow, multiple clients have left voicemail messages, and certain projects are still on the back-burner, it’s time to get organized.
Everyone has their own organizational method, yet finding yours (and sticking to it) is the difference between staying on top of it all versus your house of cards falling down.
Maybe it helps to map out weekly goals, create a timeline for your day, delete unwanted emails, all of the above, or none of the above. We love Evernote, it’s an app that helps us keep track of daily tasks – not to mention it’s easy to share with others!
Whether you’re a freelance journalist, starting a tech company, or like us, running our own small event agency, remaining driven, inspired and motivated will always take us from average to fabulous entrepreneurs.
This article has been edited and condensed.
Emily Chalk is Senior Managing Partner at East of Ellie, a Stamford, CT based events agency. She began her career in the experiential marketing world organizing events for Fortune 500 companies and high profile clientele and now thrives on creating unique and personal experiences that help her clients build their brands. A businesswoman to the core, she has a special love and expertise for cause marketing, and has become a big player in the industry by bringing a new angle to a companies cause marketing mix. East of Ellie leverages events as a way to showcase and drive awareness of companies cause marketing efforts. Connect with @eastofellie on Twitter.
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