Motivating yourself to work as a freelancer and effective/efficient ways to do so have a lot in common with things like dieting and quitting smoking. The main takeaway here is that you can't rely on "motivation" and "willpower", but let me explain. (thread)

Let's say that you want to stop eating snacks. One way you could go about it tell to yourself "I won't eat snacks" and make the conscious decision not to eat snacks every time you see a snack. This relies on your motivation to stick with that plan and

the willpower that it takes not to eat that delicious candy bar. But those two things can wax and wane depending on a variety of things (stress, hunger, sleepiness, tiredness, etc.). So maybe next time you see that candy bar you don't have enough willpower and end up eating it.

A more efficient method would be putting all of the candy bar in your house into a ziploc bag, put the bag into a jar, and put the jar into a hard to reach cupboard. You will probably still get the craving, but now eating a snack will take you more effort, and therefore

more willpower. Not eating the snacks has become the "lazy" choice, the one that is (physically, and thus mentally) easier to take. This raises your chance to succeed at fighting the crave. Succeeding for a long period of time motivates you, making it easier to continue.

So one should force results in order to get motivation, not the other way around. As a freelancer, who works in their pajamas and can wake up at any time of the day he pleases, I find that applying this same mindset to my job makes it easier to drag myself in front of the PC.

Instead of relying on willpower, I end each workday by opening the files I'll have to work on the next day. I leave my laptop open and ready to go at a moment's notice. I leave my phone in another room. I don't take any long (20'+) pauses, because "going back to work-mode"

takes a lot more effort than "staying in work-mode". When I really don't feel like working despite having to (deadlines), I tell myself that I can slack off, but, instead of doing something enjoyable instead, I can only do nothing. It's so boring that I eventually start working.

While I work all doors are closed. All distractions like music, family, non-urgent communications, food, etc., are not allowed into my office. If it would take effort to ignore them, I know I'll eventually give in.

PLEASE don't think that I'm trying to pass off as some sort of ascetic. It's the complete opposite of that. I'm writing this from my filthy bedroom desk, which is covered in packs of cigarettes, funny books, video games, and a literal bottle of mayonnaise.

I don't like effort. I don't think that doing things out of sheer willpower is cool. I think it's inefficient. I like easy things, and this is the mindset I apply to my work, which can be tiresome at times but that I actually love. Don't change yourself! Change your environment.