7 Tips To Boost Your Entrepreneur Motivation
No product. No community. No background. Waning Motivation…
That’s how I started my first company. It was just me, learning to code and trying to build a product. I faced a lot of frustration and it was hard to stay motivated. But I was able to find tricks to keep myself going, even when I wasn’t seeing any actual results.
Entrepreneurs need the ability to stay motivated when things get slow or dull. You don’t have anyone there, looking over your shoulder to make sure you’re on track. You’ve got to do that for yourself!
I’ve picked my seven favorite and most effective tips for staying motivated for you. These have served me well, and I hope you they help you get through the thick of your next project.
Create Clear Goals
How do you get where you want to go if you don’t know where you’re going? The answer is, you will probably never get there. If you haven’t defined a clear outcome, it is extremely hard to work towards anything substantial and your motivation will falter. Create a clear picture of what it is you want and what you’re working for. The things that you do on a daily basis will not only be more effective, but you’ll also find it easier to finish a project with that larger, overarching picture in mind.
Have Allies
Incorporate your friends and family to help motivate you. If other people are excited about what you’re doing, you will be more excited as well. Bring other people into your project to help can make it a social, fun activity. Also, consider having an accountability partner – someone that you answer to about the progress you’re making. (Maybe another entrepreneur or mastermind group) It’s not only motivating, but also helpful to have another set of eyes on your business.
Reward Yourself
I’ve talked about this one before… Break your goal or project into smaller pieces and reward yourself for getting to the major milestones. Looking just a few days or weeks ahead is a lot less daunting than looking at a goal months or a year ahead. If you’re looking forward to drinks with the girls tomorrow evening after you finish up the third chapter of your new book, you’re going to be way more motivated to stick to your timeline to go celebrate with your friends.
Personalize Success
Tie your success to the things that you can control. You have very little control over how many people buy your product, but you do have control over how many people you’re advertising to or how well you craft your sales message. Define success as writing a compelling call to action for your new sales page or telling 10 people you personally know about your product or service. If your idea of success is tied to things that you can’t control, you are leaving it up to someone else to decide if you succeed or fail. This can be so demotivating. Take charge of your success!
Keep Your “Why” Top Of Mind
It’s not good enough to just have a goal, you also need a compelling reason behind your goal. Why are you doing this in the first place? Write out all the reasons you want this goal, and how it will affect your life or the world in the future. Keep that list around as you work. If you feel yourself losing motivation, reread through your list to give yourself a boost. If you’re stuck on your why or its not very compelling, it may be time to reevaluate your goals.
Plan Ahead
Having a road map for your goal or project is just the first step of planning. Identify the places where you anticipate you may lack motivation. Plan for those times! The hardest part about getting over that “I just don’t feel like it anymore” feeling is coming up with a way to get out of it. It’s always easier to have a better perspective when you’re not in the middle of your problem. Plan on using some of the things in this article for your next project.
Skin In The Game
I love the idea of setting a goal and creating a driving disincentive. Give a friend $100 and if you don’t have your goal completed by a certain date, they get to keep the money. You’ll be amazed how well this works. Risk is a huge motivator. Get creative with this idea and get friends involved who will support you.
As entrepreneurs, the ability to stay motivated is so important and it can be a struggle, especially if you’re someone who is working solo with no one else in your business. Motivation and continual inspiration need to be nurtured. Incorporating tips and tricks like these will help you nurture your inspiration.
There is no time like the present, start creating habits that will set you up for long-term success now. Pick one of my tips above and think of a way you can incorporate it into that project you are working on right now.
