Act as if.

Play the part.

Fake it ’til you make it.

They’ll believe it if you say it with confidence.

When I left my corporate job to work in my business full-time, I decided to work from home. And boy was I was stoked!

I could work in my pajamas, start and end my day whenever I wanted. Heck, I could take a break in the middle of the day to catch a movie.

Ahhh, FREEDOM. Or so I thought.

As I let my surroundings, routine and appearance go lax, I also saw my confidence take a downward slide.

I no longer felt like I knew what I was doing in my business. I had a lot of ‘who am I to think I can do this?’ thoughts. My motivation took a hit too. Hiding felt so much more comfortable.

Nothing in my abilities had changed though. In fact, my skill level only grew by leaps and bounds.

An episode from Brooke Castillo’s podcast that I listened to years ago keep quietly humming in the back of my brain… show up.

Yes, I was present every day for my clients, but I wasn’t fully present for my own business.

I forgot to show up.

And so, I decided to make some major changes to give myself a much-needed boost in motivation, confidence and go-get-it attitude.

Dress as if I’m going to an appointment every day

It is so easy to throw on whatever is quickest, comfiest, cleanest when starting your day as a work-from-home online business owner. But that lackadaisical attitude in clothing and appearance can start to bleed into those feelings of being the confident, inspiring business owner you aim to be.

Bumming around in a hoodie and yoga pants and unwashed hair doesn’t exactly scream pulled-together, self-assured entrepreneur.

I mean, if you’d be embarrassed to open your door that day, then your clothes are probably not giving off any positive vibes. And if you’re being honest, are more likely contributing to an attitude of slack.

Instead, envision what your future self will look like when you’ve achieved your big business goals and start to dress that way today.

Need help getting started? Check out StitchFix.

Get out of the house and into a coworking space

As nice as it is to work in the comfort of your home, it is can be isolating. And lonely. And repetitive. And uninspiring. And it’s easy to get distracted by the load of laundry that needs folding rather than write your next blog post. And this is coming an introvert who enjoys procrastinating at times.

The energy is just different versus when working around others, even if you aren’t working with them.

Going to a local coffee shop or library is a great, super inexpensive option to put yourself in a new setting. But then, you need to go to the bathroom and who’s going to watch your MacBook for you? And how do you take a client call in the stacks?

Coworking spaces are popping up everywhere and for good reason. They put you in a space that feels business-y without being corporate. And they help you feel more like the business owner that you are.

Since it’s a members-only space, you can also feel confident leaving your gear for a moment to grab a cup of coffee, make a phone call or visit the loo.

Plus, most have frequent networking events to get to know the other members. Again, work-from-home doesn’t afford many opportunities to bump into and chat with other business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers. I know of people who join multiple spaces for the mix of different networking events alone.

Many spaces have multiple options, from punch cards to use as best works for you to dedicated private office spaces.

Interested? Just search ‘coworking spaces near me’ and see what pops up.

For me, those two shifts have allowed me to re-access my business owner mindset, the one that is confident is making decisions, feels blessed to have the freedom to work on the projects that best tap my superpowers, and wakes up {most days} ready to tackle the to-do list and strategize for new goals – basically, the boss of my domain.

Have you ever acted as if? Did you notice a difference in your actions and results?