7 Motivational Methods for the Entrepreneur
By Kristen Haldeman | December 3, 2019
Allie worked at a corporate marketing firm hating the routine and formulaic approach the firm took to clients with unique problems. After several frustrating months, Allie left the corporate firm and began her own marketing company. Her focus was on the need of the client, taking the time and energy to understand each small business and develop a strategic plan to help that particular business succeed. Allie is only a couple weeks deep in her new company and is exhausted and overwhelmed by phone calls, meetings, and sticky notes. Not to mention she has her three year old’s birthday party to organize.
She’s worried that she will be the one out of every two start-up companies that fail in the first 4 years, and she hasn’t even made it to one.
Lucky for Allie, information exists that can help her with her business. Below, we provide some of the most helpful tips and tricks to move her, and you, on the road to success.
1. Make sure you love what you’re doing - Co-founder and CTO of Due says, “We want to not only make a lot of money but enjoy what we do as well. We are willing to take on the risk of unstable pay in exchange for following our dreams.” If you lack passion and purpose for what your startup represents, the odds of you becoming one of the two failures increases exponentially.
2. Set personal and business goals - Knowing what you’re passionate about is the first step. The second step is how you are going to manifest that passion. Keeping it detailed and organized, the plan should include short term and long term deadlines, and the reward that corresponds with meeting that goal.
3. Set reminders - There are several apps that can aid in making sure your goals are completed in a timely fashion. If you’re not a tech-savvy person, find an accountability partner or tape your schedule in a prominent location.
4. Eat a healthy diet - Snack foods are great for short bursts of energy and comfort, but they often leave us feeling lethargic. Eating healthy foods provide long term energy and make us feel like we’ve accomplished something when we pick up the orange instead of the chips.
5. Sleep! - This doesn’t mean sleep for 10 hours every night. Actually, some of the most successful people sleep as much as 8 and as low as 5 hours a night. Their key is understanding their body and schedule and incorporating a sleep pattern that equips you for a productive tomorrow.
6. Be grateful - Take it from Gary Vaynerchuk, “Most of the time when people ask me about motivation, 80% of the time I attribute it to gratitude. If you want real fuel to win, be grateful. Gratitude is what has gotten me through my toughest moments in business. Whenever I have lost a deal to a competitor, or an incredible employee, or millions of dollars in revenue, I default to gratitude.”
7. Surround yourself with successful people - Whether it’s listening to TedTalks, spending time with your leader friends, or attending conferences, the contagious motivational attitude might just infect your system when you surround yourself with other motivated people.
The title does say 7, however, there is just one more method that is particularly beneficial.
8. Don’t wait to be motivated - “So many people wait to feel ‘motivated’ before they do anything. Here’s a newsflash: happy productive people do not wait for motivation, they just get on with it,'' said Marie Forleo.
Allie is passed the four-year mark with 5 team members and her own office space. If Allie can do it, so can you.