When you’re running a business, it sometimes feels as if you’re on a roller coaster ride going through major ups and downs, and it gets tough to remember why you began this venture in the first place. Thus, at these moments of frustration and doubt, it’s vital to get a grip and regain your sense of motivation.
Enjoying the Ride: How To Stay Motivated While Facing The Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster (10 Helpful Tips)
Find Your Passion
It’s only possible to stay motivated as an entrepreneur or SME company owner if you know and understand your passion. Remember that motivation without passion is hollow. You might think you’re motivated, but perhaps you’re only faking it. Likewise, as the old saying goes: “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” This is especially true since you’ll be thinking about how you can be a better version of yourself, how you can improve in your field, grow your business, and offer better products and services to your customers.
If you love what you’re doing, you’ll always put personal value in everything you do. It’s your mission and personal values that will propel your passion and keep you going much further and longer than external recognition and money alone ever will. That passion will motivate you to move forward even during rough times in your business.
Set Realistic Goals
Establishing realistic goals is one of the best ways to keep motivated. So begin by setting achievable short-term goals and then increase the difficulty step by step as you progress. This can help you remain motivated and focused on the task at hand. Moreover, it’s essential also to break down big projects into smaller tasks so you will stay calm and concentrate on one task at a time.
Create a Vision Board
Did you know that creating a vision board is another great option to remind you of your goals and improve your motivation? Most successful entrepreneurs started with just a vision board, and it greatly inspired them every step of the way.
That said, to make a board of your own, first and foremost, you must think about your desired results:
- Do you want your business to remain local, or do you want it to grow into a large franchise?
- What type of people do you visualise your business benefitting?
- What images do you associate with your ideal vision of victory?
Once you think about these things, your next step is to search and create photos that match your objectives and pin them to your board. Thus, when you’re satisfied with your collage of images, you must place your board in a space where you can look at it daily.
In that case, next time you’re confronted with challenges and forget to keep the big picture in the forefront of your mind, you can always look up at your vision board and remember why you’re working so hard.
Surround Yourself With Inspiring Quotes
Words have the power to affect people’s mindsets. In fact, numerous studies have shown the effects of negative and positive words/self-talk on our thinking patterns. It states that negative thinking patterns lead to depression and anxiety, which result in lower motivation levels.
So if you’re prone to negative self-talk, it is best to surround yourself with inspiring quotes that help you be more positive and stay motivated. The quotes could be from your favourite books, shows, music, celebrities, coaches and anything under the sun as long as it gives you the confidence boost and inspiration while working towards running your business.
Have a Routine
Owning a business is not just about glorious rocket launches—when it’s a real slog, there are big chunks of time. That said, having a routine will help keep you alert and disciplined in what you need to do to manage and run a lucrative business. Therefore, it’s important to be very structured in your routine around yourself and your business. Overall, knowing what you’re going to do when you get out of bed in the morning and when you go to bed at night will keep you focused and motivated on the crucial activities you must do every day, week, month and year.
Celebrate Your Wins & Milestones
It’s no secret that, as business owners, we tend to spend a lot of time obsessing about the future, worrying about the things that need to be done and beating ourselves up over failures. However, not acknowledging your successes and dwelling on your errors can lead to negative self-talk, stress and burnout. With that in mind, it’s salient to take a moment and give yourself a pat on the back.
Keep in mind that celebrating your wins and milestones, which could be as simple as launching a new product or getting a new customer, will help you stay motivated and keep your eye on the prize. In addition, it’s also more beneficial to look at your failures as learning opportunities. This way, you could build up your confidence.
Don’t Burn Yourself Out: Take Time For Yourself
Never put your health on the back burner when you are stressed out and consumed by your business. You must learn to unplug and take breaks from it.
Make sure you take time for yourself—eat well, exercise regularly, and spend quality time with the people you love and care about. Feel free to indulge in your hobbies and do something that relaxes you. These breaks help you recharge your batteries to stay motivated and energised over the long days, weeks, and months you are working hard to grow and manage your company.
Finding the perfect balance between your business and social life results in a much healthier mental state of mind and produces much better results.
Join a Group or Community of Like-Minded Business Owners
The truth is—running a business can be a very emotional ride, so it helps to have a support system you can turn to. It’s highly recommended to have a strong and trusted circle of fellow business owners where you all can share your experiences and give each other tips and suggestions on overcoming those hurdles.
Ask For Guidance or Advice
Let’s face it—most entrepreneurs think they know everything and have all the answers; however, that is a wrong mindset. Remember that asking for help when you need it is perfectly fine. So don’t be afraid to seek advice from the brightest people in your field. Doing so will not only help you avoid wasting time, but you’ll also be able to reach your full potential as a business owner.
Here’s an overview of the various benefits of staying motivated when running your macro or micro business:
- Increase Productivity Levels
- Staying Focused
- Overcoming Challenges
- Achieving More Goals
- Becoming Much Happier
Conclusion
Staying motivated in managing a business is a challenging balance that every entrepreneur struggles with. So ensure that you utilise these tips to help you tackle any circumstance with enthusiasm and optimism, no matter how difficult it may seem. It’s time to take control of your motivation and enjoy the ride as you attain triumph for your business!
Let the Moolamore cash flow tool be your ultimate companion to help you stay motivated while navigating the entrepreneurial roller coaster and keeping you on track towards financial success. Schedule a demo with us today!