When the going gets rough in business, you’ll need motivation to keep moving. Motivating yourself can be hard but practicing consistent habits such as reminding yourself of why you started can be a major boost. A network of friends and partners can also serve as a great assurance and reminder that you’re not walking.
Here are the various ways entrepreneurs and business owners stay motivated in business.
#1- Gratitude
Gratitude keeps me motivated whenever I feel like this entrepreneur journey is just too darn hard. What am I grateful for? Three simple yet powerful things. First and foremost, my brother had cerebral palsy and died in 2006 while I, on the other hand, have good health and a fully functioning body so I have no reason to complain and more than enough motivation to pursue my passion. I also draw on the unbelievable synchronicity and support I have experienced on many an occasion, as out of nowhere amazing doors have opened after I took one small step, and then another, to move my business forward. And last but not least, the sadness I feel when I see someone suffering from a preventable illness or struggling to cope with stress, I am motivated to continue building my health coaching practice to help as many people as possible.
Thanks to Christine Franklyn, The Good Living Network!
#2-Recognizing the blessings
Plan some rewards or treats to keep your motivation up. When pursuing a big goal, it’s easy to notice your shortcomings and miss recognizing your achievements along the way. This negativity can kill self-motivation. So remember to recognize the blessings in your life and the things you have accomplished so far.
Thanks to Neil Grant, Dalvey!
#3- I regularly review my goals and progress
When results don’t come as quickly as you expect, it’s natural to feel frustrated and have difficulty staying motivated. This is why I regularly review my goals and progress. Seeing progress is a great motivator in itself. When nothing goes right, I take control of how I think, how I feel, how I act.
Thanks to Wayne Connors, ACCL!
#4- Listening to motivational podcasts and read inspirational materials
Keeping motivated in a dog-eat-dog world can be challenging. To keep ahead of the game I refer to motivational podcasts, educational and inspirational material, or e-books. There is rarely a day that one of these is not playing in my car as I sit in traffic, zip around town, or on a bicycle training for a race. Business is a lot like a bicycle always needing to move forward while balancing life. I spend time daily keeping my knowledge with the standards of my industry.
Thanks to Joe Needham, Citrus Studio!
#5- Two tips
Communication is KEY, but over-communication can be a waste. I have a small team, so I will admit it's easier, but something we try to do is the schedule as few meetings as possible via Zoom and ensure all meetings stay one hour. This ensures that, for the most part, our Zoom meetings don't go over for longer than necessary, and everyone has to say their portions as concisely and efficiently as possible while making sure everyone stays on the same page. I also encourage, when I can, Zoom-free Fridays. With my clients, when they feel low motivation, they are often actually feeling discouraged. I take the time to listen to their concerns actively, and often, we pinpoint where the source of their discouragement and then come up with a game plan to solve it. I often see a 180-degree change in their mood.
Thanks to Roy Morejon, Enventys Partners!
#6- Being able to pivot
Being a good founder is knowing how to lead from the back. Encouraging the team to consistently be hyper customer-centric, while being able to pivot the entire organization on a need basis has really motivated me and those around me. This mindset has enabled us to consistently move forward on several fronts simultaneously, driving growth through detailed customer service and experience. The ever-evolving Baby and Kid's sector has shown us that our business changes real-time – new products, new services, new experiences, daily – and it has pushed us to prioritize pivoting and strategizing, real-time.
Thanks to Julius Son, Ububba Baby & Kids!
#7- Weight training in the morning
Starting the day with a good weight training not only keeps me motivated but also energized. Being in the fitness industry, I’m lucky enough to work doing things I love, in addition to providing quality supplements for athletes and fitness addicts. I get to work out before work and use the very same product and supplement I have on the market for other people. There’s something about working out early in the morning that helps me with organizing my day in my head before I even put anything down on my calendar or a to-do list. Doing this gives me more clarity, puts me in a great mood and I’m ready to tackle anything that is thrown my way.
Thanks to Mike Kolb, XWERKS!
#8- Having an accountability partner
The best way to stay motivated as an entrepreneur is to find an accountability partner – for me, this was a formal business partner to go through the journey with together, but it can also be a friend or a colleague. An accountability partner increases the chances of achieving goals up to 95% on average, and those numbers don’t lie.
Thanks to Chelsea Rivera, Honest Paws!
#9- Prioritizing a good night’s sleep
Sleep may be the most underrated activity in a person's day. After dealing with sleep issues for years, I will never take a good night’s sleep for granted again. Ever since I started prioritizing going to sleep early and a consistent schedule, I have gained so much more energy and motivation. It is the number one habit that keeps me going as a business owner.
Thanks to Vinay Amin, Eu Natural!
#10- Taking mini-breaks
Sometimes the best way to regain motivation is to take a break, as counterintuitive as it seems. With life rolling at breakneck speed, we sometimes feel that we shouldn’t take the time to relax and recover. 20% of employees worry that taking a lunch break will communicate to their boss that they're not hardworking, and that's a narrative we all need to change. While entrepreneurs don't have a boss, they're often harder on themselves than any manager could be. I take mini-breaks through the day to sit and eat, meditate, or walk around the block. It’s proven that breaks help reduce mental stress, which in turn can improve productivity and fuel motivation. Why work longer when you can improve your productivity instead? A productive day is one of the biggest sources of short-term motivation.
Thanks to Devin Johnson, Kennected!
#11- Two tips
To stay motivated, I remind myself of the positive impact my work has on my customers. This is usually enough to get a shot of inspiration and keep going. Also, it may sound counterintuitive, but I maintain my motivation by not working myself to the ground. Having healthy boundaries with my work schedule allows me to enjoy my time off and be re-energized when I get back to work. When I begin to feel burnt out, I also will usually go out for a walk to clear my head.
Thanks to Nathan Liao, CMA Exam Academy!
#12- Focusing on work-life harmony
I stay motivated at work by focusing on work-life harmony instead of a work-life balance. This is especially essential during remote work, when it can be so difficult to draw a line between our work life and our home life. I’m lucky because I love what I do and my company, Snow Monkey, has never felt like ‘work,’ but it’s important to find a way for both pieces of your life to work together as opposed to against each other if you’re going to stay enthusiastic and motivated throughout the day. Identify the personal activities you enjoy like at-home workouts, cooking, baking, or going for walks or hikes. Then, find ways to enjoy them throughout your day as opposed to strictly outside of work hours. On days where you have back-to-back meetings, take your calls while on a walk around your neighborhood. Or if you really enjoy yoga, try flowing during a break in your day.
Thanks to Rachel Geicke, Snow Monkey!
#13- Showing up as the best versions of myself
The key to staying motivated during the 40-hour workweek, especially as the CEO, is to show up to work every day as the best version of myself. This means getting enough sleep at night and eating enough during the day to avoid the dreaded “hanger” or “hungry anger.” To avoid burnout, I’ll try to take an hour or half-hour lunch break and schedule it into my calendar, and when we’re working in-office, I keep Outstanding Foods' office stocked with our Pigless Pork Rinds and puffs so my employees and I can snack throughout the day. Self-care is the key to staying on top of your game.
Thanks to Bill Glaser, Outstanding Foods!
#14- Writing down and tracking my goals
I stay motivated by writing down my goals and literally checking them off one by one. Since I am a visual person, I become motivated the most when I see the progress I am making every day. In addition, once most of my goals are marked as done, my list also serves as a reminder to set another goal which gives me a brand new reason to be energized and inspired. This cycle goes on and on, which is why I am motivated at all times.
Thanks to Andrew Raso, Online Marketing Gurus!
#15- My staff
Project brainstorming, watching how our craftsmen make signs as if they’re making art pieces, having teams from different countries collaborate smoothly and exchange ideas… This brings me the motivation to never stay complacent, take the risk, go for the next step and raise my company to the highest level. I feel that everyone involved, including myself, believes that we’re doing something great, that all of this is not just for money. We want to create memorable projects and experiences, to help other businesses thrive. I am truly driven by this. Plus a little bit of humor. It keeps me going even during the toughest times. Humor breaks down barriers between team members and helps everyone bond. It brings people closer and they feel free to share ideas and at times even take risks.
Thanks to Gevorg Hambardzumyan, Front Signs!
#16- Curiosity and remembering the why?
Being an Entrepreneur is means that every day is a new challenge, and as we are all aware, rarely does success happen overnight. Being an entrepreneur, especially a starting one, can be quite draining and frustrating. When these moments come, I remember why I started, and it's for my love of art and for the passion I have towards empowering emerging artists and helping them find their way. When I hit a wall, what get’s me going back on is learning something new, figuring out what's blocking me or the business, and seeing what knowledge I can acquire to overcome it. Constant curiosity keeps me and Piezā running.
Thanks to Carolina, Piezā!
#17- Sticking to top 3 goals
I stay motivated by focusing on weekly goals, the “law of three” and CEO motivational Monday. I hit it hard on Monday by writing down the goals for the week, every week, even if they are the same and then the 10 things I’m going to do to get me there. I then narrow in on the top 3 and focus 90% of my time there, and delegate or move the other tasks. It’s very easy to lose productivity and get distracted when you have a lot coming at you. In the end, your goal is growth, innovation and servicing client needs. Customer service and keeping happy customers is what business is all about and is always the North star, but innovation and creativity keeps me motivated to keep going when things get hard and situations like COVID happen that are out of my control. Stick to the plan! More than 90% of entrepreneurs don’t success and it’s because they give up.
Thanks to Angela Minardi, Fit City Adventures!
#18- I reflect back
Being a successful entrepreneur is never easy, but it's important that when you hit a rough patch, you pick yourself up and get back on track. Whenever I need motivation or inspiration, I always reflect back on how far both myself and my business have come. Think back to a time before your first customer, or before you hired your first employee, even before you launched your website. This will remind you of all the hurdles and challenges you pushed through. When you take a moment to put into perspective all of the work you’ve done to be where you are now, that’s all the motivation you’ll need to keep going.
Thanks to Brianna Socci, UBERDOC, Inc.!
#19- The small victories
My greatest motivator is the small victories I achieve along the way. While big victories are great motivators, they don't happen very often, so I started recognizing and celebrating the small ones because it all adds up to the big champagne-moment victories that all entrepreneurs dream of. These small victories remind me that I'm making progress and keep me from dwelling on my flaws, which keeps me motivated to achieve my goals.
Thanks to Michael Knight, Incorporation Insight!
#20- Accountability
Staying motivated can be a challenge – especially since I've run my business for 15 years. The #1 I've improved my motivation is through accountability to my team and organization. Our entire team shares fully open task management software, weekly priorities and daily priorities. Each day I email my immediate team my priorities for the day (they all do the same), and I check-in at the end of the day. The commitment I've made to my team and the importance of setting an example keeps me focused and motivated. Even on days where I'd have let my productivity slip I feel pushed to deliver as I made an open commitment.
Thanks to Krista Neher, Boot Camp Digital!
#21- Powerful motivational quotes
I absorb powerful motivational quotes to help me stay motivated. Motivational quotes are shared on a regular basis by some of the most common Instagram accounts. Reading motivational quotes provides the extra push I need to get through a difficult task or situation. I've subscribed to daily inspiring quotes in my inbox and followed motivational social media accounts. I also print them out and hang them on the walls of our office. Our company has motivational messages on our interior walls.
Thanks to Lacy Summers (PMP), Crush the PM Exam!
#22- Meditation
Meditating helps me to stay motivated as an entrepreneur. I make time to meditate every morning or evening (or both). Finding a calming process to wipe the mental slate clean is a perfect strategy for remaining motivated. It energizes and refreshes me, encourages me to see each day as a new opportunity.
Thanks to Daniel Foley, Halcyon School!
#23- Getting in a routine
Some people find it difficult to get started each day because they are self-employed and working from home. Getting into a schedule is one thing that will improve. Each day, start by getting yourself dressed, then grab a cup of coffee and roll up your sleeves to get to work. Alternatively, read a short inspirational novel. You can get a lot of information from the internet, Facebook, among other places. The goal is to have a daily routine that will assist you in getting through your day. You might be shocked by how much you can do by doing just this one little thing.
Thanks to Andrew Smith, CozySeating!
#24- Reading business news each morning
It doesn't matter if the news is a good or a bad one, reading it makes me try my hardest. The business articles influence me to create good decisions, implement effective strategies, and watch out for business pitfalls. It gives me an idea of whether I should follow or disrupt the business trend. Above all, I think that being in touch with reality makes me a wise manager and if I reap more successes than failures, the more I feel motivated to run my business.
Thanks to Francisco Remolino, Remolino Associates!
#25- The natural fire in my belly
I have been very fortunate over my 19 years old career to always do work that I have a true passion for. True passion comes with a natural fire in my belly to keep going and not give up no matter what obstacle I am faced with. Do I get discouraged at times? YES! But that fire simply doesn't die even at times that I may secretly want it to. When I launched my company I did it out of a personal need that I had and quickly realized SO many people shared my same need. And that right there was my reason WHY that ignited my natural internal fire. No one knew including myself how to fill the need that we had to have a mindless, simple way to store all of our paper stuff in a secure, portable, and easy to access place. My Macro Memoir fulfills all of this by giving each user a guided experience taking them through a set of YES or NO questions that include anything and everything that may be relevant or important to them.
Thanks to Jaclyn Strauss, CPA, MyMacroMemoir.com!
#26- Regular vacation and self-care
I have been self-employed since 2009. Throughout owning multiple businesses in different industries, I have learned two things that help me keep moving. First is regular vacations. These don’t have to belong, but I do need to go and try to not work! This helps me renew, refocus, and sometimes even get great new ideas as I am open to new things. The second is making self-care a priority. If I am worn out and exhausted, it is tough to stay motivated. So I start working out, sleep and meditation all non-negotiable. If I skip these for too long, it jolts the quality of my work and my
willingness to keep going!
Thanks to Salvador Ordorica, The Spanish Group LLC!
#27- Constant rewards
I constantly reward myself a well-deserved time to spend or go out with my family and friends after achieving company targets and finishing what needs to be done. Doing this helps me balance the different aspects of my life and keeps me motivated to work more efficiently to help everyone in the company, organize everything and finish earlier. It then allows me more time to spend with the people who are the reasons why I continue to hustle.
Thanks to Sam Dolbel, SINC Workforce!