Solo Success

Working at home and gaining weight

Shannon — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:55:16 +0000

I just got back from a meeting of fellow bloggers and a few women got on the topic of gaining weight. One woman couldn’t figure out why she had gained 20 pounds since she quit her corporate job. Was it depression? Was it an illness? Was it something more? I quickly raised my hand to give my opinion!

When you have an office job, chances are you have to park your car and walk inside. When you work at home you walk across the living room. When you have an office job you get up to use the copier, the bathroom, get coffee, meet with clients, walk back to your car to go to lunch, etc. When you change to a job like blogging – you rarely get up from your chair and when you do – it’s to walk 10 or so feet.

Let’s talk about snacking! When you have an office job, chances are you either bring your lunch or plan to go out to lunch. Either way you don’t have a fully stocked fridge beckoning you to open it every time you get up to stretch or to take a break. I snack when I take breaks. A handful of pistachios here, an ice cream sandwich there…..next thing you know you are sitting at your computer for 12 hours a day – snacking and eating all the while and you’ve gained 20 pounds.

So what do you do? Pack your lunch if you have to and only eat the snacks that you bring “to the office”. When you take breaks, walk around the block instead of to the fridge. Spend less time eating lunch and more time walking during lunch hours. You will find yourself more productive with more exercise so it’s a win win!

Motivating Music

Shannon — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:35:55 +0000

My tip for success today is listening to music while you work. Not everyone can listen to music while they work, but for those of us that can’t concentrate when there is dead silence, music can be very helpful. Today, I am listening to upbeat music that I am singing along to rather than listening to music that is just background noise. I find that my pace is a little faster (with the beat of the music) and I am a little happier.

If you are in a slump or a funk and can’t get going, try turning on some music. If you don’t have anything that inspires you, jump on itunes and spoil your self with a couple of songs or a new album. Just be careful not to have so much fun that you end up dancing around the house instead of doing what you are supposed to!

Today I am listening to Everclear – tapping my feet the whole time I am writing!

Does the season affect your productivity?

grandstrand — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:18:56 +0000

I’m going to have to agree with Shannon, the weather definately affects my focus level. So then I thought, what about a whole season? Can it be that you are more productive during the different seasons?

Well, it’s finally here, my favorite season, fall! Just walking outside to get the paper you feel light as air ready to take on the world and maybe even go for a jog (I drank another cup of coffee instead J. Summer in SC is pretty hot and VERY humid. If you have errands/appointments during the day, then by the time that you return, you feel pretty tired and exhausted. I guess it would stand to reason that I’m not as productive. What about winter? I guess in the winter there’s nothing to do but huddle indoors and work….so maybe I am more productive. I’ve never really thought about it but will pay more attention when the temp drops below 55 degrees (to a Southerner – that’s cold). We’re used to flip-flops and tank-tops for most of year.….not sweaters, hats, gloves, parkas, and boots. I don’t know how you Northerners can stand it. But, I guess you can get used to anything. In fact, our northern friends look like their going to pass out when we hit 90…which is most of the summer. So, my parting advice: If fall is YOUR most productive season…..seize the day so you can slack off laterJ!!

“Successful Strategies for Flying Solo” Part 2 – Breathe!

grandstrand — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:22:55 +0000

Do you suffer from a “little” anxiety as you build your home-based business? Feel like you’re just waiting for all of your work to show results? Anyone who operates a home-based business probably has probably experienced this. You market your product/service, network, work on your website, submit press releases etc. But here’s the problem….a lot of what you end up doing, at least in the beginning, is WAITING. You know that that just one phone call, one client, one opportunity can transform you from the Waiting to “Working like a crazy person”. So how do I maintain my sanity?

Breathing and meditating. I learned this from a yoga show on FIT TV. I basically watch….I don’t actually do the exercises J, except for this breathing thing….this I can do from the couch. Breathe in through your nose slowly for 4 seconds, hold for 16 and exhale through your mouth for 8. As your lungs get stronger go up to 5, 20, 10 then 6, 24,12 and so on. You get the formula. You can almost feel a chemical change in your body. Your shoulders relax, oxygen gets to the brain, some of the tension seems to leave your back and when you’re done, you feel like you can get back to it. It works even if you’re not waiting but working like crazy. Try it……Practice It…..It works!

Good advice from a great source

Shannon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:13:22 +0000

Very simply……..I wanted to share:

I found this link on the Problogger website and found it applicable to Solo Success. Check out 5 ways to start a productive day by Freelance Folder.

There are some very useful tips for those of us that only have ourselves to get motivated in the morning!

“Successful Strategies for Flying Solo” – Staying Motivated – Part1

grandstrand — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:52:38 +0000

I don’t know about all you work-at-home people but staying motivated and focused is one of my biggest, if not THE biggest challenge. You see, I started a real estate company last year after 10 years in the corporate American rat race. Let’s just say, the last few years of running on the wheel made me a bit dizzy, nauseous, etc. Anyway, having been in real estate investor, on the side for many years, I decided that it was time to jump into the deep end, full force. Problem is…..if you’ve been awake for even a minute over the last 2 years you probably know that the real estate market has taken a bit of “down turn”. So, as you may imagine, the phones aren’t ringing off the hook…yet. So, if you want something to happen you just have to MAKE it happen. But, if you’re a self-employed solo business owner, that takes a constant discipline, motivation and focus. So, what are the top strategies to staying motivated when working from home….solo? For me, one of the most important is staying connected to other work-at-home friends. I always get a little charge talking to someone else who faces the same challenges and struggles. So, I grab the phone, dial and hope that I’m not interrupting Shannon’s power hour of writing inspiration. So, after about ½ hour (ok maybe it was 1hour) of gab and gossip, the idea of this blog was formed. So it begins…..the birth of a blog and Part 1 in a series of “Successful Strategies for Flying Solo”. Stayed tuned

The Weather and Work Habits

Shannon — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:23:12 +0000

Does the weather change the way you approach your work day? Even though working from home should have no effect on the weather – to some it does! For instance, for some, when it’s raining outside there is little to no motivation to work – only to curl up with a good book and take a nap. For some, when it’s sunny there is little or no motivation to work because you can’t stop thinking about all of the things you could be doing outside. For me, I get more done when it’s gloomy outside because there is no motivation to go outside and get distracted. When it’s sunny, I am convinced I am missing out on fun that is happening outside!
Having the chance to go work on the patio while the weather is nice is the goal. Often, the goal is simply to take my laptop and find the place to work that suits my mood for the weather of the day. Ahhh, technology what conveniences it affords us! Whatever it takes to be successful and get the job done, right?!?

Solo Success

Shannon — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:43:47 +0000

This blog is dedicated to those of us that are self employed and work from home. The daily struggles, maintaining motivation, loss of touch with the “outside world” and more.

I have been working from home as an independent contractor for a company where I write articles and a blog for a little over a year now. I came from 10 years in a high pressure sales position where I was constantly in touch with the public, got plenty of exercise and was in an office environment every day. Now, I might have 10 phone calls a month instead of 2000 cell minutes used monthly in addition to an office line, no formal office, no dress code and no boss.
WOW. What a change.

The daily struggles I have are staying on track, staying out of the refrigerator, actually walking outside and leaving my house and maintaining social skills!

Some of the secrets I have learned are:

Make a task list of things that must get completed each day
Get dressed (even if its in jeans) first thing in the morning
Try to walk outside as early as possible to at least get a cup of coffee – walks are even better
Maintain a healthy and active social schedule so that I don’t completely forget how to talk to people

In this blog, you will find stories from others that own their own business and / or work from home. Feel free to share your stories with us!