Too much to do and no motivation to get it done?
As a solopreneur, the responsibility to motivate yourself (unfortunately!) falls squarely on your own shoulders.
If you were working in an office setting, you have the support of others so it can be easier to stay ‘up’.
But on your own, I know it can be tough sometimes.
So here are a few simple things that you can do to help motivate yourself right now!
1. Get up out of your chair. Posture plays a huge role in how our motivation increases or decreases. If you get up and stretch your arms over your head and out into a big circle down the sides of your body, you inject life into your posture very quickly. Do this 5 times and you will loosen up your shoulders and back and your breathing will be deeper, giving you a simple boost in energy. Then try to incorporate daily movement into your routine. Your body and your mind will thank you!
2. Finish what you start. Incomplete work is a big barrier to motivation. When you look at your desk or you task list, what is left unfinished? Take one project and get it done, now. Then moving forward, tackle each project through to completion and you will see a very fast shift in your mindset – one that supports success and happiness.
3. Dream big. What is it that you really want – from your business, from your life? Think about the reason you began your business in the first place. Identify that, and remember how excited it got you! Think in big terms. Do a vision board or a mindmap if you like, but get those ideas and those plans written down so that you can refer to them. Work towards them – use them to remind yourself every day why you are in business. Knowing what your big plans are and referring to them often can give your mindset the jolt it needs.
4. Track your efforts and results. Write down whatever it is you are trying to do and chart the results (ramping up networking? increasing monthly revenue?). By using a daily tracker, you can motivate yourself to keep up your action steps to any goal. I love my revenue tracker. It shows me every day how much money I have made, and it motivates me to go out and get more. Start now by writing down your action plan just for today …
5. Connect with like-minded colleagues. The VA groups are great water coolers, but they can be laden with negativity. Be sure that when you are present in your groups that you are coming in with a positive attitude, and that you leave others’ negativity alone (don’t even respond to that stuff). Surround yourself with successful people (including their attitudes) and motivation will be a breeze!
6. Find inspiration every day. Whether you find something that makes you feel good in a social media arena, blog, forum, friend, colleague, find a place where you can seek inspiration anytime you need it. Feeling good really helps with motivation. Right now, write down three places you can ‘visit’ when you are feeling overwhelmed or down.
7. Record your successes. Every day write down 3 or more things that you were successful at doing that day. They could be so small (made someone laugh!) or complex (completed that huge project!). When you need extra motivation, consult your success journal! What did you do yesterday or this morning that was good for you or for someone else?
Whatever you need to do to find motivation, figure out what works for you and refer to it often. It’s different for all of us.
These are some ideas that I use when I feel like the blahs are coming along, and they work for me.
It’s inevitable when you work alone that you will FEEL alone sometimes. Get your plan in place to pull yourself out of that, and you’ll find it is one of your most useful tools in your business!
And for more support around feeling alone or isolated, check out my blog post on finding support where you need it!