In this article we’ll talk about how to stay motivated in your own business. It is important for any entrepreneur to maintain a positive attitude and build their level of motivation. It’s important to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to.
However, business ownership can be difficult especially when you are working hard with little to no financial reward or recognition to show for all your hard work. The reward and recognition will come, it just takes time, and in the meantime you need to find ways of staying motivated, have a long term vision and keep going day to day even when times get tough.
Every small business owner has to deal with adversity at some point when running a business. Whether getting stuck on an idea, not seeing the results you want, losing a client, or just feeling unmotivated. The important thing is to remind yourself why you started your business in the first place.
As business owners we all started with goals and ambitions for growing our businesses. And sometimes it feels as if you’re not moving forward on any of them. Sometimes you might even feel you are going backwards! Or you feel that you are constantly facing obstacles that seem to consume all your time and attention.
Whatever the cause, it can be extremely difficult to deal with, not just for yourself but also for the people around you, your family, friends, employees and this often leads to feelings of frustration and risks of burnout.
To stay motivated in your business you must keep moving forward even when things aren’t working out as planned. You need to find inspiration and business motivation and keep working towards building a successful business. If you let yourself get too discouraged by setbacks then it will be harder for you to overcome them, keep up the momentum and move forward.
You need to have a certain mindset and some strategies that will help you feel like you are moving forward towards your goals. The trick is figuring out how we can keep things going in the right direction. Starting with yourself first, think about the things that keep you motivated in life and business.
There are several strategies that can help work through challenging times in your business to make sure you don’t give up before making any progress. Here are 6 proven methods for maintaining motivation in your business.
1. Set specific and achievable goals to help give you motivation
You know you need to set goals, but it’s hard to do this and even harder to keep them. Setting goals is a great way to stay motivated in your business, but many people struggle with making these goals specific and achievable. This makes it hard for you to follow through on the goal or get discouraged when you don’t meet the goal right away.
We’ve found that setting specific achievable goals will help give you motivation in your business because they are easier for you achieve than vague ideas of what success looks like. When we make our own specific measurable small steps towards our big picture vision then we are more likely to stick with them!
A very effective method for this type of goal setting is using SMART Goals. SMART is an acronym for the following 5 elements of goal setting:
- SMART goals are Specific
- SMART goals are Measurable
- SMART goals are Achievable
- SMART goals are Realistic
- SMART goals are Time based
2. Write a plan and break your goals into smaller steps
Far too many people who have goals, even SMART goals, don’t break their larger goals into smaller achievable steps. It can be overwhelming when you don’t plan out your goals into smaller steps, risking that you give up before even starting. This is especially true for substantial goals like starting a large business project or building a business.
By writing out your goals and breaking them into manageable chunks, you’ll be able to achieve more in less time because it’s no longer such an overwhelming task. You will start seeing results faster which will help feel a sense or motivation and achievement, and give you lots of opportunities for using rewards as an incentive which we cover in number 6.
3. Break down your overall timeline by week or month
To stay on-track and reach your goals, you must create a detailed timeline so that you don’t forget anything important or miss an important deadline. Creating a timeline of what goals you want to reach by week or month will help you find motivation and keep you focused.
A timeline is one of the best ways to keep everything organized because it keeps your attention focused on where you want to go while allowing flexibility if something unexpected comes up (as it all too often does).
4. Find an accountability partner to encourage you
It can be hard to stay motivated and on-track with your business goals, especially when you’re working on your own.
Create connections with people who inspire you and together that make you want to work smarter, increase production and achieve your goals. This could be a partner or friend who sees you regularly and knows what’s going on in your business. This is much more effective than trying to do it all on your own.
Another way is to join an entrepreneurs’ network with similar like-minded people who are working towards similar business goals where you can create and share motivational strategies, ideas and support each other and keep each other accountable.
5. Use rewards as an incentive
Rewards are one of the most powerful ways to motivate yourself. Rewarding yourself for your achievements can be a great way to keep you motivated and on-track. The right reward will make achieving your goal more enjoyable and give you incentive to stick with it until the end so that you achieve success faster than before.
It’s all too easy to go overboard with rewarding yourself for every little thing that you do. We suggest using rewards as an incentive when you achieve a business goal or milestone. The best part is that there are many different types of meaningful rewards out there and everyone can find something they enjoy when you have reached a well-earned milestone.
Conclusion
Motivation requires continuous action towards a desired outcome with a strong belief that it can be achieved through creativity, persistence, hard work and a motivation to succeed. Never ever give up, push through or pivot even when you don’t feel like it!
The strategies to stay motivated and productive in business are many and varied. There’s no right way to choose the strategies that will work for you. Some people find it easy to create a plan with their goals and timelines while others might need an outside source of motivation like an “accountability buddy”, or rewards to do so. Do whatever you need to do … for you!
Remember that in the long-term, knowing how to stay motivated in your own business is a good thing. It means you’re committed to business growth and moving forward with your business ideas and achieve the life that you envision for yourself and for your family.
Further reading
The essential elements of strategic thinking for startups
What is the main reason why entrepreneurs experience daily stress
This original content was created by www.BusinessNavigate.com
© BusinessNavigate.com – All rights reserved
