I've worked from home for almost a decade which comes with several advantages including:
Less distractions since there is nobody to socialize with at the “water cooler” – if those still exist
Avoiding the dreaded smell of tuna casserole wafting over the cube farm from the break room
No commuting – which is especially awesome in Chicago!
It goes without saying that having a routine is paramount in keeping on task and staying focused throughout the day. Many of us “sales” professionals turn to our network, self-help gurus or even funny memes for tips and tricks on how to stay not only focused but motivated. I do all those things, but my recent motivation came from a 7-yr. old.
Now is probably about the time that you reread that last sentence thinking that I had a typo.
Nope, it’s true. I meant a 7-yr. old.
My home office is at the front of my house and believe it or not, the one distraction I look forward to every day (when I’m not traveling) is from 4:15-4:30pm CST. This is the time that one of the neighborhood boys grabs his baseball bat and literally stands at the edge of the park hitting rocks into the field.
So, what's the big deal you might be wondering?
Well, the big deal is that I’ve learned something from him. He goes out at the same time each day (weather permitting) with the same enthusiasm knowing that out of however many swings at bat in a 15- minute span, he makes contact with about 35% of those rocks (with those stats, he could easily play for my beloved Chicago Cubs)!
This is especially pertinent because at this time in my day, there is that temptation to pack it up and call it a day because you haven’t booked a meeting, or someone hasn’t returned your call, or someone did return your call and told you to go pound sand.
But when I see him out there swinging, it motivates me to continue swinging because if he can do it, I can do it!
Full disclosure, I don’t even know this boy’s name. That’s a sad state of affairs but when you travel 75% of the time for your job and your long-distance marriage, it’s tough to find time to get to know the neighbors.
The moral of the story is this: Whatever life throws at you, keep swinging because one of those times you’ll make contact which might turn into a business connection and possibly even a customer!