Motivation is a fickle friend, isn’t she?
It changes with the weather.
With our hormones.
With how well we slept.
With what happened yesterday.
If you’re waiting to feel motivated before you focus, you’re going to be waiting a long time.
And honestly, that’s not how real work gets done.
Motivation isn’t the problem
When a client tells me, “I just can’t get motivated,” my response is simple.
“Great! Neither can I!”
In business, I don’t believe we should rely on motivation.
We rely on systems.
I don’t know about you but I only have about 5 truly motivated, high-energy days a month. The rest of it is shades of fatigue, sometimes energy, and waning motivation.
Like I don’t wake up every morning feeling deeply motivated to brush my teeth.
I just do it.
Same with you, yes?
So we want to create some systems in your business that help your business just WORK – no matter how you feel.
Why your environment is doing more than you think
Most women I work with aren’t bad at business.
They’re not uncommitted.
They’re not short on discipline.
They’re just missing a few tools that would make everything so much EASIER!
Today, we’re tackling a small thing – that’s actually a really big thing: your office space.
Yep, the environment you work in.
Here’s are the main mistakes female entrepreneurs are making – things I see all the time:
- Trying to work from a phone
- Keeping the phone within arm’s reach while working
- Picking it up every time work feels hard
- Notifications constantly ringing and dinging on the computer, iPad, and/or phone
- Email open all day “just in case”
- 97 tabs open
- Trying to work in a space that feels chaotic or messy
These are serious office space problems.
If you want more calm and less chaos, read on.
High friction work makes us reach for distraction
Here’s something I don’t see a lot of business coaches talking about:
When work gets uncomfortable, we self-soothe.
And for most female business owners, that looks like grabbing the phone.
You don’t consciously decide to scroll.
Your hand just reaches for it.
Five minutes turns into thirty.
Thirty turns into an hour.
And suddenly you’re behind and frustrated with yourself.
Or you’re complaining that you’re busy and can’t get caught up.
This isn’t because you’re weak.
It’s because your environment has made this distraction way too easy.
What deep work actually requires
When I sit down for deep work, I do the same thing every time.
Cozy clothes, but not sloppy (I LOVE the Lou & Grey line by LOFT)
Hair up in a ponytail, gym-style, locked in
Door closed
Same seat
Same playlist
Same disappearing analog timer
When my kids were younger, I even put a Post-it note on the door.
They knew that meant emergencies only.
Why?
Because deep work needs consistency.
You cannot get into a flow state if everything is different every time you try to work.
Honestly, just having this “sameness” every week helps me LOCK IN in under 5 minutes. Can you do that? Or is it more like a Golden Retriever puppy chasing a butterfly, getting distracted by a stick, then chasing a squirrel?
The faster you can reach a flow state, the faster you’ll be able to get the work done and move on.
Your phone does not belong in the room
Don’t hate me, okay? But I’m going to say this clearly.
If your phone is in the room, you are not doing deep work.
Even if it’s face down.
Even if it’s silent.
Even if you swear you won’t check it.
At minimum, your phone needs to be in another room for the first 2-3 hours of your workday. (And obvi if you’re in a Deep Work Session!).
Anything less than that, and you will pick it up.
Always.
I’m sorry. This is not even worth arguing about. You do it. I do it. We all do it.
So let’s get real honest and do something to change it.
You can still allow emergency contacts through.
That’s not the issue.
The issue is having the option to distract yourself when work feels hard.
I want you to set your workspace up for total focus so you can get in, get out, and be done.
Why this matters so much
When your environment supports focus:
- You get more done in less time
- You’re not completely fried by 3 p.m.
- You stop feeling scattered all day
- You can shut your business brain off at night
That’s what most women actually want.
Not more inspiration.
Not more motivation.
Just a way to work that doesn’t drain them.
Start here
You don’t need a perfect office or fancy tools. Seriously. This can totally work from your kitchen table. Use what you’ve got!
Start with this:
- Choose one place to work
- Remove your phone from the room
- Use the same setup every time
- Use the same (lyric-free) playlist every time
- Work in focused blocks with a timer
And let your office space do the heavy lifting.
Want daily coaching like this?
I coach business owners through systems, structure, and time recovery every weekday on Instagram stories.
If you want calm, practical guidance that actually works, follow me on Instagram at Walk Like Warriors
And if you’re ready to get fully unlocked with a clear 90-day plan for your business, my 90-minute strategy calls are open and available when you’re ready. Click here.
