Running a business is mentally taxing and resource-intensive. And it is no coincidence that more than 60% of small companies stopped their operations within the first three years (source. ABS).
Furthermore, keeping up with the daily tasks of firefighting and managing high-level of stress can be a bickering experience for most business owners. And if you repeat this for the next few years, it can be exhaustive and tiring.
So, how do you stay motivated and keep going and going like an Energiser bunny? Here are 3 ways to stay motivated in your business and Life:-
#1. Be Brutally Honest With Yourself
Your success depends on your ability to face the brutal truth.
Admitting that there is a problem and you need help, guidance, and support is the 1st step to a positive change.
No #1. Are you happy with the current situation: profit:hard work ratio, lifestyle, time-wealth, physical and mental health, me- time, solitude?
If your business is not attracting your ideal client, figure out your strengths as an entrepreneur. What can you offer clients or customers that will make them want to buy from you instead of someone else? How well do those strengths align with what people are willing to pay for (i.e., demand)?
Second, look at your business model and ask IF it is profitable (net not gross) —or even sustainable—in the long term. It is hard to stay motivated if you are not making a profit. Week in and week out, it’s a deficit.
We have an entrepreneurial and business assessment to help you go deep to explore opportunities and gaps that you can work on. click here.
#2. Simplify your Life
This is easier said than done. As business owners, we often overcommit ourselves by taking on too much work and responsibilities.
We have no issue over-committing ourselves to family choirs, business meetings, functions, work, networking events, and handling family matters during the 8:30 am to 4 pm time zone that we forget to have some ME-TIME for ourselves.
Weight gain, hair loss, fatty liver, borderline type 2 diabetes, and heart palpitation are signs of stress due to an unhealthy lifestyle, diet and exercise (or no fitness) program.
To stay motivated, you must find ways to reduce low-level and low-income activities to preserve your energy.
So how do you simplify your life?
Find the employees with the proper work ethics to keep you sane. If you cannot find local talents, try offshore.
Build business systems to automate your processes and workflows so that you can focus on what matters most in your business and Life.
For health’s sake, hire a business manager/ implementor/ integrator to take away some of the load from you.
Remember, if you continue to stay where you are, i.e. do things that complicate your Life, it might affect your business in a negative way: attracting the wrong client, poor staff morale, high turnover rates, and not much net profit.
Remind yourself occasionally…
“I simplify my [life/activity/ work/ tasks]“.
#3. Review, Re-Assess, And Re-Evaluate (The 3 R)
Like a marriage counsellor helping a troubled couple, the three Rs will help you stay on track and help you…
- REVIEW Why you started [ insert activity/ action/ project ] in the first place
- RE-ASSESS Why do you want to keep going?
- RE-EVALUATE What benefits do you get from your Client/ customers/ or business opportunity?
Most of this 3R brings you back to your Values, Vision, and Mission.
You can apply the 3R in any context you want, especially whenever you feel lost in direction, clarity, and Purpose.
The 3R is your Self-inquiry tool to help focus your resources on activities that give your business the maximum value.
You can also empower your employees using the 3R approach to coach them and help them unify their efforts towards their productivity, work processes, and prioritisation.
For more information, get the Business Assessment & Diagnostic Tools
Conclusion
The journey of running a business is a difficult one. Staying motivated and on track can be even tougher. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By finding the right balance of being honest with yourself, simplifying your life, and constantly re-assessing, you will be able to stay properly focused and motivated in both your business and personal life.
All these steps require dedication, effort and consistency if they are to truly have any meaningful effect on your life. That’s why I strongly suggest joining the Business Growth Workshop or Mastermind – think of it as an investment in yourself, your dreams and your aspirations.
