How to stay motivated when you're a team of one

"According to a 2025 report by Leapers, nearly half of self-employed professionals feel lonely occasionally or some of the time. One in five feels lonely or isolated often or always. It can be really hard to stay motivated when you're working in isolation. You have to create your own structure and find ways to keep going without other people around."

"You can work when you're most productive -but you have to make sure you actually get stuff done during that time. For example, I still mostly follow a traditional workday schedule because I have kids, and that's when they're in school. However, I also find that I'm incredibly productive early in the morning, before anyone else is awake. I have the least energy in the evenings, so my day often ends at 3:30 or 4 p.m."

Nearly half of self-employed professionals feel lonely occasionally or some of the time, and one in five feel lonely or isolated often or always, according to a 2025 report by Leapers. Solo work provides freedom to choose hours and how to work, but sustaining motivation requires deliberate structure and strategies to avoid isolation. Designing a workday around personal peak productivity—such as working early mornings and ending when energy fades—boosts output. Time-blocking for deep work, administrative tasks, and meetings creates accountability by turning calendar blocks into self-appointments. Tracking focus patterns for a week reveals when concentration is highest and when energy drops.

Read at Fast Company