Business motivation is like a fire in that, when it first begins, it is strong enough and hot enough to push you to do whatever it is you need to do. Yet, over time, if you aren’t careful, its power starts to fade. Pretty soon, all you’re left with is ashes that serve as a constant reminder of a dream that has ultimately died.
You see it all of the time with personal goals like losing weight or becoming more fit. But when it happens in business, not only does it mean that you’re not going to be able to create a body you want, you also miss out on having a professional life that is fulfilling to the core.
So, how do you stay motivated in business, even when it feels like everything is working against you? Here are some options to consider.
Focus on Daily Growth
If motivation is like fire, this means that you have to tend to it often if you want to keep it hot. This requires focusing on daily growth according to entrepreneur, investor, and innovator Gene Swank as he says that “your mind is like a muscle and must be constantly challenged to stay sharp.”
To achieve this type of growth, Swank recommends reading positive materials daily, as well as taking care of yourself physically and spiritually because when you create a healthy lifestyle, in addition to becoming more motivated, you’re also better able to “weather the challenges” that business ownership sometimes brings.
Remember Your ‘Why’
The one question bestselling author T. Harv Eker says that most of his students have—no matter where they are in the world—is how to get and stay driven long enough to succeed. According to this motivational speaker who also wrote the bestselling book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, the answer to that question is simple. It’s to develop a strong enough ‘why.’
So, if you’re feeling unmotivated in business (or in life), maybe you’re not focusing hard enough on why success in these areas is important to you. In other words, why do you want what you want so badly? Create a list that you can review to remind you to keep going when you start to feel uninspired and ready to give up.
Get Super Focused
Another way to feel more motivated is to get super focused on what you want. You have to be able to see the future that awaits you with so much clarity that you can feel it in your bones. The reason this works is explained in one of T. Harv’s most inspiring success quotes: “What you focus on expands.”
Take five minutes a day and visualize a professional life that would fulfill you to your core. Incorporate all of your senses—sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell—enabling your mind to feel exactly what it would be like to reach all of your goals. Essentially, this trains your brain to recognize the opportunities in your life that can make this dream a reality.
Surround Yourself with Motivational People
Have you ever noticed that when you’re around motivated and passionate people, you feel more motivated and passionate too? That’s because this particular feeling is contagious, which is a good thing for you (and your business).
It’s also why business consultant and writer Anna Johansson suggests that, if you want to get and stay motivated, it’s best to surround yourself with people who can “pick you up when you’re down.” This will keep you from getting unmotivated when life becomes a bit stale.
Getting motivated in business is easy. Keeping that motivation is a bit more difficult. That is, unless you do these four things.