What’s the biggest problem that we face as individuals working on our own? Motivation, procrastination, boredom, lack of focus? Yes, these are problems that we all face at times but I believe that the biggest problem that we suffer is lack of stimulation form our working environment.

Take me for instance. Every morning sometime between 8.30am and 10.00am, depending on other chores that have to be done first, I sit down in the same office (a very nice office) in front of the same computer trying to solve the same problems or improve the same products I was working on yesterday. And what do I get – yes, you guessed it – the same answers and I had yesterday.

Last week I agreed to look after my friend’s framing shop/picture gallery for a few days while he was enjoying a well earned break. It’s not particularly busy – customers tend to be few but do spend a bit when they come in. Knowing this I came armed with lots of Internet Marketing stuff to keep my self occupied – products I’d bought and never really spent time on, free reports etc.

What I also brought with me to my surprise was an open mind. Just sitting in a different environment with peace and quiet gave me degree of focus that I had not had for quite some time. Recently I completed my first product Free Traffic Torrents and knew that I had to start driving traffic to the site. Despite having all the tools to do this I’d messed about and hadn’t really got beyond stage one.

By the end of day one in my new environment I’d mapped out a strategy and listed all the actions I need to carry out to get things moving. Did this occur because of a moment of blinding inspiration? No, it did not. It happened largely because I’d taken myself out of my normal environment and was surrounded by fresh stimuli.

This reminded of my days in corporate where we used to have “away days”. Now don’t get me wrong, these were not the jollies you read about in the tabloids with paintball competitions, outdoor events or visits to theme parks. These were hire a hotel room and sit down with the team days. Everyone brought their projects and their problems and all the same old problems were addressed in different surroundings. The results? Well, issues were resolved, new directions were found and we all left with a feeling of purpose and direction.

How can you apply this to your situation? How many times do you sit in front of your computer and end up the day feeling that you’ve meandered through the day? Why not give yourself an away day. You don’t have to go to the extremes of hiring a hotel room. I remember Lee McIntyre telling me that he used to often head down to Weatherspoons with his laptop just for the stimulation of a fresh environment.

So go to the park, hotel lobbies are also good and free, your local library – anywhere that gets you out of the mental rut you may have settled into in your home office.

Go on – give it a try. The results will surprise you.