I'm building a new startup (have had success before) and love it, but we are a remote team so I can work from anywhere.
The problem is that my routine is fairly robotic and a bit boring. I can work from/live anywhere in the world, etc.
Just after some advice/suggestions to make things more fun/interesting?
It’s easy to get bored when we feel stuck in a routine, same old habits, going about our lives on autopilot. To break out of that routine, we don’t always have to take huge leaps. One small step can be enough, doing one little thing a bit differently. Try taking a different route to work, going to a different coffee shop, trying something new on the menu. Or why not join a meetup group, try African drumming, go on a camping trip, or go along to a meditation session? Personally, I’m doing one new challenge a month!
At the macro level, travel is absolutely a way to mix things up. Initially when I quit my full-time job, I got big contracts and then travelled in between. Now, I’m experimenting with working and travelling at the same time, spending a month in each place - currently in San Francisco, next month in Honolulu… I’m going to want to have a base with a bit more stability soon but in the meantime I’m enjoying myself, while making progress on all three of my businesses!
Travel a lot if you can swing it! I work remotely and loving visiting new cities and co-working spaces. I've also tried working in non-traditional places like near a lake or on a train (I actually haven't done this one yet, but Jason Santa Maria mentioned it on his blog - just a round-trip train ride to do some writing).
I would also take advantage of the fact that you might be able to do stuff during a weekday that most can't. Stuff like take in an afternoon movie or go someplace that people usually hit up on the weekend. When I freelanced full time and my schedule was light I'd take in a movie or some other activity during the day. Now that I work remotely I can go to the beach for a few days and work in the morning and have some fun in the afternoon or visit my brother at Disney World. The possibilities are endless!
If you're interested, I'd be happy to talk more about this with you. I went from Freelance to Office Job to Remote Job so this is something I've thought about/experienced quite a bit.
Definitely give strong consideration to extended travel. I've been a full-time traveler's while working remotely since the end of last year, and it's been incredible. I've found that my productivity is higher (both in writing and development), and I haven't been bored in months.
Plus, it's cheaper. I built a calculator to compare costs of living here: http://lengstorf.com/cost-of-living/
If you've got the freedom, and you've got any interest in travel, you won't regret it.
I'm happy to talk to you about the steps I went through and to help with any questions you might have. Let me know.
Good luck!
Pick the thing that scares you most and give it a try. If you do not get outside your comfort zone you will become bored no matter where you move. I suggest getting out from under your normal routine and trying something completely unrelated from your business. New adventures will open your eyes, provide new experiences and ultimately allow you to gain a different perspective on how you approach life and business.
I think it's time to stir things up and really find out what's going to ignite what's next. I've been through a couple of reinventions now, always with remote teams, and find that without knowing all the compartments of life I wanted to fulfill, it was hard to create a clear path. As I now do this for others from Harvard students to CEOs, would be happy to help.
What are you passionate about? I coach people on getting into their groove again. Being flexible can be a great thing and it also can cause major issues. People are driven by many different things and these things all have an impact on one's life. A balanced body, mind, and spirit allows for great growth in all areas of life. I would love to discuss the ways in which I help people develop these other passions for success.
Sounds like after the thrill of a new venture (building a new startup), life returns to the normal day-to-day. I totally get it. There is nothing like the rush that comes with forging new territory. It's exciting. Like a roller coaster ride, it has thrills and chills.
There is a saying, "Where ever you are, there you will be." So no matter where you move, you will be taking yourself with you. In what ways are you not challenging yourself to grow beyond building new startups? Is there a way you can delegate some of the more routine tasks to someone on your team who enjoys predictability?
I, like many, can be a creature of habit. I can work from my home-based business all day long and not go outside my front door; but at the end of the day, I've missed the beautiful fall weather, the sun on my face and the energy I draw from it.
Find out what is your energy source and integrate it into the way you do your work. For me, it is getting dressed and going outside my normal place of work. For others, it's streaming in new music or setting up their laptop at Starbucks. Find your energizer and plug in!
To keep you accountable to doing just that, contact me for a free consultation. I'd love to help you in moving forward.
Enroll in a MOOC like Coursera, Udacity, EdX, etc. and learn something new.
I worked for many years in a cubicle environment and the same old routines. What I've found is that it's not necessarily how you spend your time each day, but - who you spend your time with - each day that can make all the difference in boredom or trying to feel fulfilled each day. Try thinking about people in your life that care about you the most. Why do they make you feel this way? If you can focus on those people and discover new ones that make you happy, routines tend to change on their own. I've tried so many different hobbies and daily routines over the years and found that life is about building strong relationships with people and sharing experiences with them and less about figuring how to be less bored.
