Maintaining motivation is challenging at the best of times. As entrepreneurs face ongoing uncertainty, enemies of motivation—procrastination, anxiety, impostor syndrome—are everywhere. Over time, however, you gain skills, inspiration, and methods that will help you maintain motivation even in difficult times.
What motivates us is extremely personal. This is even more true for entrepreneurs. There are fewer external sources of motivation, such as deadlines from superiors or salaries from employees. And when you build a company from scratch, you are more dependent on your own motivation.
How do you create that self-motivation? What motivates you to pursue your goals even when you encounter challenges? And how do you motivate a team? Learn how to stay motivated on your path to success with advice and strategies from founders and creatives.
Why is motivation so important?
Motivation is directly linked to your “why.” If you’re building a business and don’t know why you’re doing it, poland email list you’re likely to lack the motivation you need. As an entrepreneur, it’s crucial to find your personal source of motivation – whether it’s your “why” or the prospect of reward when you achieve your goals.
Especially in the early stages of your business, this source of inspiration helps you stay motivated even in difficult times, finally, in terms of implementation for example when sales are low or stress is high. Motivation transforms positive thinking and good feelings into energy and action and drives you forward.
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation comes from within and usually stems from an interest or passion for the task itself, germany business directory not necessarily a tangible reward. Curiosity to learn, grow, experience, and succeed is often enough to drive intrinsically motivated individuals to achieve their goals.
Extrinsic motivation is based on external factors such as the prospect of a tangible reward (such as money) after completing a task. Avoiding possible negative consequences of not completing a task can also be considered extrinsic motivation.
How to stay motivated: 12 effective strategies
To discover some of the ways people find motivation, we asked entrepreneurs and creatives, “What motivates you?” Below, read their strategies and other tips to help you build daily routines and stay focused and successful.
1. Find your passion
Some people are motivated by their love of a craft or interest. If you see yourself as someone who values creative fulfillment at work over status or money, pursue a career or business idea that satisfies that need. Alternatively, you can start a “passion project” on the side. Rune Madsen , an engineer at Shopify, stays motivated with “projects around the house that keep me busy and learning away from the computer.”
When pursuing a business idea, ask yourself, “Does this make me happy?” If the answer is no, you will probably always have trouble staying motivated. For example, if you want to start a business , choose an idea based on something that already motivates you.
2. Be goal-oriented
The prospect of achieving a goal—a new sales target, a promotion, fitness goals—can help you stay motivated, especially if you define those goals with a measurable and achievable plan. Content designer Ibrahim Hasan stays motivated by “checking things off a list.” It sounds superficial, but I love a completed to-do list.”
Set clear goals and place reminders of them around you. Develop daily routines that take you step by step towards those goals. If your goals ever become unclear, you risk losing motivation. Review them regularly, keep them present in your mind and adjust them if necessary.
3. Meet your basic needs
Basic needs can be a secure financial future, supporting your family, or protecting your mental health. For Jessica Blaine Smith , a freelance photographer, money is a big motivator: “As a freelancer, I need it to make ends meet.”
Understanding your needs helps you reevaluate other tasks or activities in the context of your core goals. For example, if you tend to neglect your emotional needs in favor of work, change your perspective. Spending an evening with friends to meet those emotional needs could actually give you more motivation and perspective at work.
4. Eliminate distractions
Staying motivated in your day-to-day life can be as simple as surrounding yourself with things that inspire you. However, you also need to remove anything that doesn’t. One distraction might be spending time on projects or activities that don’t contribute to your main goal.
While distractions are the enemy of motivation, so is monotony. Create “creative distractions,” or opportunities to experience something new within a current project. For example, can you learn a different method of completing a task?
