17 Ways for Lone Entrepreneurs to Stay Motivated
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Who said being an entrepreneur is easy? It isn’t.
Entrepreneurship takes hard work, motivation, and persistence. To boot, everything you’ve built up can fall apart at any second.
We hang precariously in the balance of succumbing to mediocrity or ascending to success.
We persist, but persistence is a muscle. More often than not, it can strain and weaken.
In my 3 1/2 years of entrepreneurship, I’ve learned to strengthen the persistence muscle—though I’ve had my share of weak moments.
Running a business can be especially difficult if don’t have anyone working with you.
Here are some tips that have gotten me through some of my rough, lone-entrepreneur days. I hope you will find them useful.
1. Adopt a cat or a dog.
I put this suggestion first because I think it’s the main reason for how I’ve managed to stay sane (especially over the last year).
My dog Sammy has been everything to me: pet, friend, son, and furred shoulder to lean and cry on.
If you don’t already own a dog or a cat, I highly suggest that you adopt one. Being around another being that relies on you reminds you that you have a purpose in life.
Petting a dog or cat is also highly therapeutic and is like the Splenda for real-human contact.
A strong suggestion: Please consider adopting from your local animal shelter. Animals from pet stores and breeders are not in danger of being euthanized, while animals at the shelter are running out of time.
2. Take a 5-minute break every hour.
On the hour, take a 5-minute break to do something that helps clear your mind.
But, make sure that you only do it for 5 minutes! Don’t get too distracted or else your work will never get done.
3. Decorate with plants.
Plants are aesthetically pleasing and have an innate quality to brighten up any room. (Sorry if I sound a little Martha-Stewarty here.)
4. Make a work schedule and stick to it.
Being your own boss doesn’t mean that you can do “whatever you feel like,” whenever you want. To become truly successful, you need to create a schedule and stick to it.
I have a whiteboard calendar on my refrigerator, which I use and look at everyday.
Something is scheduled for every day of the week. It keeps me focused and helps me get my work done.
5. If you don’t have time to go out, call, or use Facebook/Twitter to socialize.
If you’re like me and work odd, late hours, then you probably don’t have a lot of time to socialize. I consistently use Facebook and Twitter as an outlet.
You might be surprised at how satisfying and enriching online interactions can be.
6. Vent.
Don’t be afraid of venting. It can be one of the most beneficial things you do for yourself. If you’ve had a rough day, don’t let the tension sit.
Call a family member or friend, or write a rant on Craigslist.
If you don’t vent, all the negative energy is just going to sit on your chest. If you don’t get it out in some form, you’ll likely burst at the seams and have a complete meltdown.
7. Don’t stop moving.
This is a really good point, and one of my favorites.
If you’re constantly working on something, there’s not enough time for negativity to seep in. You’ll also get your work done a lot more efficiently.
8. Listen to audio books.
As weird as it sounds, audio books make me feel as if I’m in a *real,* social, work environment.
Hearing someone else’s voice is soothing on a basic level and the placebo effect will improve your work performance.
Audio books can also be a great way of maximizing your effectiveness.
You can soak up new information from business-related audio books or let your mind wander with fiction-based audio books.
9. Listen to happy music.
I like to listen to music that makes me feel motivated to move and “go.” Although musical taste differs from person to person, I suggest listening to a whatever types of songs that put your in a happy place.
- Happy places = productivity, efficiency, success.
10. Don’t socialize with depressing, negative people.
Although socializing can be an important facet of our lives, be selective with who you socialize with.
Avoid people you can’t vent to. Avoid those that poke fun at what you do and don’t support your business. Don’t feel obligated to hang out with them because of some unwritten social contract.
You’ve gotten this far by being a free, independent thinker. Apply that to your social life and things will fall further into place.
Though this may sound like a “yeah, duh” suggestion, I’ve seen my share of people that have lowered their standards just so that they have a social life.
11. Exercise.
And by “exercise,” I mean sweat it out. Going down the stairs to the parking garage is not exercise.
Put at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise into your day, 3-4 times a week.
I personally run 3 miles a day, and find that I start getting crabby after about 2 days if I don’t—which begins to affect my work motivation.
Besides improving your motivation, exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body and mind. It’s a proven stress reliever, it releases endorphins, reduces muscular tension, boosts your immune system, and helps you get a better night’s sleep.
12. Have a good support network.
If you work from home and don’t get out a lot, don’t let that stop you from having a good network.
It’s easy nowadays to find like-minded entrepreneurs through Twitter, forums, blogs and the like. These are the people that can help you grow your network, stay motivated, and envelope you with positivity.
Locally-based networks would be even better for both personal and business reasons.
13. Breathe.
It sounds so simple, and you’ve probably heard it a million times. I though it was cliche until I actually tried doing it.
Take a few minutes each day to take slow, deep, and even breaths. It helps release pent-up stress and helps clear your mind to zen-like clarity.
14. Work in a clean environment.
Don’t make the excuse that “you’re the only one that’s going to see it [the mess].”
Believe me—a clean, organized environment will make you feel better about yourself, whether you realize it or not. When you enter your work area you will feel more accomplished.
Slobs are typically not the poster children for accomplished people, so don’t be one.
Subconsciously or consciously, we are our own bosses and can be our own worst critics. If we see a messy work area, we can subconsciously pent up negativity. Not good.
15. Work in a clean-smelling environment.
This point sort of ties in with the previous point, except there’s an important difference.
The strongest memories we have are olfactory. If you work in an environment that reeks of new plastic and metal, your impression of your work area will not be as positive as if it smelled like french vanilla.
Invest in a plug-in-the-wall air freshener and your mood, and motivation, will improve.
16. Remember your priorities.
Remember the reasons why you became, and stayed an entrepreneur in the first place.
Write those priorities on your whiteboard (if you don’t have one, I suggest getting one), and look at them daily.
The more firm your priorities are, the more successful and driven you will become (and stay that way).
17. Post some of these suggestions where you can see them daily.
Repetition and affirmation are key: remember your priorities, remember to follow through, and don’t stop moving.
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