When transitioning from employee to independent, staying focused and motivated without oversight can feel challenging and unfamiliar. However, with a smidge of self-discipline and some Rebel mind tricks, you can easily maintain and boost productivity on your own.

Firstly, clarify and formulate (or complete a CARTE BLANCHE) why you wanted to be independent in the first place. If and when you feel motivation / focus flagging, remind yourself of this why. Be it autonomy, flexibility, offering skills and expertise to the world on your own terms, or being your own “not boss”. Keep your original motivations, goals and reasons top of mind to stay driven during those inevitable, but hopefully infrequent, dips.

Routines and rituals are of great import when working solo, and also help you take your independence seriously. Build structure into your days, weeks and months, even mimicking select aspects of office life; Go for regular start and finish times, scheduled breaks, batching similar work tasks, dressing impeccably and professionally. Routines create healthy, productive – and by definition focused– habits and cadences, which in turn lead to more freedom and autonomy. Just don't be too rigid, you are a rebel after all … Maintain as much flexibility as you like … provided you deliver as promised of course. 

Set both macro and micro goals to provide direction and to know when you attain milestone(s). Use Pomodoro timers, goal-setting and/or project management tools to break large projects into small and non-intimidating, actionable objectives. Get SOP:s (Standard Operating Procedures) in place for efficiency, consistency and to minimise scope creep. Track progress – of everything – to maintain a sense of forward momentum. Nothing boosts motivation as successes, especially when on your own terms. 

Limit distractions and prime your environment for focus, be it a home office, co-working space, coffee shop, enchanted forest or deserted beach. Experiment to find spaces and contexts where you can concentrate, without having to concentrate on concentrating. Use mindfulness (if it’s your thing), music (also if it’s your thing) or other tools to get in – and stay in – the flow. And pretty please, with sugar on top, stay off social media during “work hours” (unless using it as a tool for marketing or communication).

Just because you prefer working alone, doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Avoid complete isolation. If you’re a social, working animal, do interact with other solo operators, through co-working spaces, masterminds, full-on joint-ventures, online communities or just “coffee”. Fellow independents can provide accountability, perspective, good (and sometimes bad) advice, potential collaborations and social motivation.

Finally: provided you went solo for the right reasons, independent work – while not always fun and games – is a great motivator in and of itself. You’re working with something that you do very well and with relative ease, providing value to others on your own terms, in a space where you have considerable experience and expertise (and that you hopefully find interesting and enjoy). You set your own schedule, set your own rates, chose your own clients and can work from anywhere, at anytime … And without anyone looking over your shoulder, except yourself.