We all have days when it’s hard to get motivated in your business. Maybe things haven’t worked out quite how you wanted them to. Or they haven’t developed quickly enough. Or you’ve just had enough of doing the same old thing day in day out. We’ve all been there. All had those ‘Here we go yet again…’ kind of feelings. You’re absolutely not alone.
But the good news is, that it doesn’t have to stay that way. There are lots of things you can do to regain that motivation. There is a great article here on the seven types of entrepreneur and what motivates them if you need to reconnect with what type of entrepreneur you are, and here are 7 ideas to get you started:
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
How to get motivated in your business
1) Revisit your Why
When it comes to getting motivated in your business, this is a great one for me. Quite simply, I remind myself why I’m doing it. As my recent poll on LinkedIn shows, 67% of women start businesses as a way of being able to work flexibly – and that often means to be able to work around their children. The same is true for me – being able to work around my daughter is why I work for myself – and so when my motivation starts to slip, I think of her.
2) Figure out what the problem is
Sometimes it’s easy to figure out why we’re feeling a certain way, but other times it can be tricky. But either way, it’s really important to take the time to work out what’s causing you to lose your motivation. Because if we don’t understand what’s causing us to feel negatively about our businesses, what hope do we have of trying to make things better?
3) Give yourself a break
It might sound a bit weird – but sometimes the easiest way to get motivated in our businesses is to give ourselves a break from them. When we’re working so hard to make something a success, it becomes easy for us to start to feel consumed by it. That then leads to resentment, and a lack of motivation. So give yourself a break. Take some time out to reset and recharge, and then come back strong!
4) Shake things up
Sometimes, when we’re lacking in motivation, it’s because we’re bored – even if we don’t realise it. Boredom can creep in when we do the same thing day in day out, with no variety. And particularly, if that ‘thing’ isn’t bringing us the results we’re looking for, we start to feel resentful and apathetic. So to combat this, shake things up. Do things differently. A change is as good as a rest, as they say!
5) Push yourself
This point is very similar to the point above, but it’s more mindset-related than practical. Don’t allow yourself to wallow, even if your motivation is lacking. Instead, push yourself. Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck. Be your own cheerleader, and encourage yourself to not accept the status quo.
6) Set goals
Often, a lack of motivation can come from a lack of direction and planning. When we plan, we automatically get more control of where we’re going, and what we’re trying to achieve. This gives us confidence and purpose, and sets our direction of travel. And from this comes renewed focus, and then you start to get more motivated in your business.
7) Talk to someone
If you’re struggling to get motivated in your business, and none of these ‘self-help’ options are helping, then talk to someone. It might be that a friend or family member can help you to rediscover your motivation. It might be that you just need to spend a little time working with or near your peers. Or it might be that you would benefit from some one-to-one support from someone like a coach or mentor.
Whatever you do though, don’t give up. Finding it difficult to get motivated in your business comes to us all from time to time. You and your business can definitely come back from this!