Chairs at Suttle Tea in Sisters, Oregon

How to Successfully Work from Home: Staying Motivated, Efficient and Excited

Today I’m writing to you about two things that have helped me work from home for ten years.

N° 1: Set daily goals with a List

To-do lists: there’s so much to love… and not love. But one area where they are very effective is in achieving daily tasks. I like my friend Chelann’s tip from her book Dear Millennial, to write a daily to-do list the night before. I’ve found that I can see my upcoming tasks more clearly the day before rather than the day of. A daily list helps me avoid feeling anxious because I wake up with a plan for my day and I know what task to begin with.

Once you’ve created your to-do list, you plow through every item with no heed for family, co-workers or pets. 😃 Not really. Rather than being an inflexible schedule, a to-do list allows you to prioritize what needs to be done. (It actually can promote relationships with your co-workers and pets because you can schedule time for them.)

The to-do list has become my friend and it can be your friend, too! Try it for clarity in your schedule and for getting the important things done first.

N° 2: Keep your bucket full

My cousin-in-law Katie calls uplifting people “bucket fillers.” She says when you’re around these people, your internal bucket gets filled.

One way I stay excited and on task at home is to be with others who also take pride in their time spent at home. (This includes people who work outside the home.)

If I spend too much time* with people who don’t like working at home or being at home, their attitude affects mine. Seeds of dissatisfaction are planted.

Now I’m not saying we can remove every negative influence. It’s like what Paul tells the Corinthians, “To do that, you’d have to go out of this world.” 😀

Instead, we fight to neutralize negativity.

We conquer negativity by drowning it with good thoughts, uplifting people, and time spent pursuing our goals. The more focused we are on where we are going, the less negativity will influence us.

Cheers to working from home!

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*How much time is too much time? This varies. It’s a combination of how much stress I’m under, how much free time I have, and how much energy I have to give away to others. An indicator I use is my attitude toward my home, work, and myself after I’ve spent time with someone.

College Without Hillary Harshman and Chelann Giengerthe Campus and Dear Millennial,

Finding Your Purpose & Affordable College

Millennials: Want to create a path to your goals and stay motivated during the journey? Come to Auntie’s Bookstore and meet peers Chelann Gienger and Hillary Harshman. Chelann is 21 years old and has been running her own brick-and-mortar business for three years! Hillary earned her bachelor’s degree for less than $10,000 by skipping the campus and earning credit while in high school. They will share how they stayed motivated to pursue their passions and reach their business and education goals. There will also be a raffle for a $25 Auntie’s Bookstore gift card.

Their book event is at Auntie’s on Thursday, March 15 from 7-8pm. You can find details at Auntie’s events page.

For more about Chelann, see https://www.chelanngienger.com/dear-millennial. To learn about Hillary’s college journey, visit http://hillaryharshman.com/college-without-the-campus/.

Black mortarboard from College Without the Campus

Dear Millennial, by Chelann Gienger

Book Review: Dear Millennial, by Chelann Gienger

• • • • • • • ► “You have a unique purpose.”

It’s a simple thought. But when you press pass the surface, this statement has power behind it. Because if we each have a one-of-a-kind purpose, then we each have a mission, one that only we can accomplish.

Dear Millennial, brings these abstract principles to concrete reality with examples of purpose in everyday life, ways of getting motivated and accountable for action, and stories of the tough going on when it’s tough. The book takes the reader from the quote above in the opening chapter to the recipe for living out that purpose.

Chelann Gienger

Chelann Gienger

• • • • • • • ► Purpose and finding your own

The book’s subtitle is “A compass to defining your unique purpose, pursuing a life of fulfillment, and building a legacy.” True to those words, the author, Chelann Gienger, helps readers find exactly what they are passionate about. Chelann starts by giving examples of personal mission statements. Next, she talks about values. The examples she shares inspired me to sit down and create my own mission statement and values.

• • • • • • • ► Nurturing motivation

As an entrepreneur, I make quicker progress toward my goals if I am motivated to reach them. Reading Dear Millennial, made me excited to be intentional about achieving my goals and connecting with others who are also pursuing their own goals. Plus, Chelann reminded me why we reach out and make things happen. If one of my goals is to help others (yes), then reaching my goals becomes a win-win situation: my own dreams are fulfilled, and I have aided others in their own as well.

Dear Millennial, cover

• • • • • • • ► Real life stories

Helping others is something Chelann takes seriously. A key feature of the book is her personal stories of real-life experiences. These passages of the book reminded me that success is often born of struggle. Stories on social media and reality TV shows don’t always show us the difficult parts of business, so to have someone tactfully relate the behind-the-scenes of being a business person was timely.

I’m grateful to Chelann for publishing this manual for individuals who have big dreams and want to actively progress toward them. By illuminating the path she has walked, she leaves seeds of motivation to use in our own lives. I definitely recommend this book for adults of any age or as a family read-aloud.

• • • • • • • ► For more about Dear Millennial,

Check out Chelann’s website at: http://chelanngienger.com

Or, find her on Facebook or Instagram.

This is an unsponsored review to share a book I found insightful.

Black mortarboard from College Without the Campus