If you own your own business or are an entrepreneur, you can often be faced with challenges that strike down your motivation to go on. But here are a few ways you can reign in the troops and find the gumption to keep going.
- Define your core values. Core values encapsulated in a mission statement will guide your company through times good and bad by helping you find direction and bringing you through turbulent times. “Making money” is not a goal that’s sure to keep you motivated when clients aren’t coming, but “delivering sustainable sources of energy” or something similarly specific will help you stay motivated towards a goal that forms the bigger picture.
- Take a look at the checkpoints. There may be a gap between your desired results and the actual results of what’s happened so far because your goal is monolithic and too far into the future. Take a look at smaller components to get a more accurate picture of how things are progressing, which will also bolster your motivation to continue carrying the torch.
- Surround yourself with friends. The people around you play a big role in your success. When it comes to running your own business, there are a lot of naysayers out there who will throw in their two cents, but take it all with a grain of salt. Instead, seek out like-minded visionaries and entrepreneurs, both at networking events and in casual contexts. Get inspiration and motivation from those in a similar station who also have an imaginative vision for the future.
- Remember that the grass isn’t always greener. If you’re one of those business owners who have previous experience in the nine-to-five economy, remember what it was like to sign away your schedule and practically your soul to a corporate overlord. While running your business is tough, it sure beats being underpaid, underappreciated, and overworked by someone who can just flick you away at the drop of the hat. Do you really want to return to that kind of environment?
- Figure out what you want. Desire is the motivating force behind almost anything, and business is no different. If you’ve pegged your desires as shallow goals like making more cash, it can be easy to get discouraged. But if you dig a little deeper and get to some core reasons for being inspired, it’s easier to stay the course—for example, a better home, providing for your family, or enjoying life to the fullest.