Motivation
is a precious commodity.
Keep
hold of it and you feel like you’re flying, loose it and its super hard to get
back. During these difficult times, I thought it would be handy to have a list
of tips and tricks to help you keep hold of your motivation!
Take Regular Short Breaks
Take
a (socially-distanced) walk, read a book, listen to a podcast, meditate, finish
early on a Friday – Take a 10,15 or 20-minute break to do something for you
that you enjoy. If you end up spending all your time on your business, you’ll
just end up resenting it instead of enjoying it.
Listen To Others
You
can’t be on you’re a-game all the time, there will be days when you need a
little help to get going. On days like these, talk to your colleagues, find out
what projects they are working on, if there’s anything you can do to help.
Talking to people, seeing and feeling their motivation will likely put the
spring back in your step.
There’s a plethora of virtual communication tools out
there, find the one you like and get to talking.
Build on your goals
One
reason your motivation is a bit sluggish is that your goals may not be quite as
fleshed out as they could be, so you loose sight of how to get there. There are
many processes out there for setting meaningful goals, here are a couple for
you to Google:
- - Visualisation
-
Life Mapping
Spend some time with your customers
Spending
time with your customers can give you a motivational kick when you need it
most. It can remind you of your “why”, why you started your business in the
first place. Hanging out* and speaking with your customers can help give you
another perspective on your business and you will likely come away with a bit
of a boost.
*see
previous mention of virtual communication tools to ensure you’re following the current
social-distancing rules.
Set a personal mission statement
If
you run your own business, its likely you have a business mission statement.
For
Virtualesque it’s:
“Virtualeque is an Administrative Consultancy supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs who need help with their business processes and administration, so they can spend more time doing what they really want. Virtualesque will endeavour to make a healthy profit so that it can contribute back to its community”.
But
that’s business, and while your company is your baby, it’s not you. Having a
personal mission statement will help remind you why you are putting in
countless hours, blood, sweat and tears to build your dream. My personal
mission statement is:
“To create a harmony between my home life and my business which will allow me to feel happy, balanced and successful, helping me toward my goal of supporting my community”.
Having
this statement on show in my office helps me on days when I am feeling a bit
sluggish and instantly gives me a double-espresso-style shot of motivational
energy.
Remember your successes
The day to day can
get on top of all of us sometimes and we can feel like we aren’t making any
progress or making a difference. On days like these, I like to dip into my “YOU
GOT THIS” folder in my inbox that holds lovely messages and testimonials from
clients about me and my business. Comments like the below really help get me
out of a slump:
“…you are efficient! - I almost forgot”.
“If you're ever looking at this and
wondering whether to get in touch and enquire about Nai's service then do, don't even hesitate, you won't regret it I promise you!"
"Naomi is
meticulously organised and without her the business could not have delivered its
key services.
“…I would have been lost without
Naomi".
Give a helping hand to your community
Does your business
have skills that could benefit your community? Is there a local project you
could get involved in or sponsor? Does a community charity need help
fundraising?
You can keep this
modest or go as big as you want but seeing the positive difference you can make
to your community is not only motivating, it does wonders for your soul to know
you got involved and helped a local cause.
I
hope this post has been helpful and insightful and I wish you all a motivational
week!
Speak
to you soon
Photo by Jess Bailey from Pexels
Photo by Dee @ Copper and Wild on Unsplash
Photo by Ella Jardim on Unsplash
