Here’s a message from Kate with some questions about motivation:
Savannah,
Got to say I really enjoy your site and the advice you share in your videos. So, thank you for that. I’m currently in full-time employment in the city. I really love what I do, but I long to branch out on my own and become my own boss. I have to be honest here though and say – I’m scared on so many levels. Mainly, I’m scared about being able to stay motivated. I, of course, love to feel motivated but usually, it takes me ages to get inspired; I have to run with it when it comes, but I feel nervous that it is not something I can sustain myself. So, I’d like to ask for a few pointers on how to stay motivated when you work for yourself. Thank you in advance,
Kate, from the City.
Kate,
What a great question – Thank you for reaching out and asking.
Obviously, there are more aspects going on when you go into business for yourself than I can cover in one episode here, so I’m going to hone in on what you specifically asked about – motivation – as that seems top of your mind.
Motivation is a super important thing when dealing with your own business. To put your mind at ease, I’d like to share with you today 3 Myths About Motivation that I have discovered from nearly 20 years in business – nearly five of those within the online space.
Myth 1 – Motivation is serious and difficult to cultivate by yourself.
Now, whilst we take motivation as a serious topic in business, what motivates you is normally an unserious thing, and rather easy to come by.
Kate, I like to think that what truly motivates should feel fun, and to me, the word motivation implies that you need to keep moving. I take that very literally and find that one of the best ways to get ‘motivated’ is to crack open a tune and wriggle it out.
It’s easy to get distracted and boogie the whole day away, so find a rhythm. I usually go for 3-4 times a day.
Myth 2 – Motivation is something you ‘get’.
Motivation is such a buzzword for people and something people feel the need to ‘get’ before anything else can happen.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that motivation is something you generate rather than collect from anywhere.
Motivation is a result of consistent and high quality ‘food’ for body, mind and soul.
Dancing will lift your body and spirit, and good mind-food will feed your imagination.
I have a folder on YouTube of short informational videos that inspire me. I make sure that nothing is longer than 15 minutes, so I can dip in and out of it when I need it and still get on with actually working. I would encourage you to save things that inspire you and rewatch them.
Myth 3 – Motivation is something that must be found alone.
This is a humdinger of a myth. Whilst you may find that to focus, you need to work alone for various parts of a project, one of the most important things to know about going into business for yourself is when you go into business for yourself, it’s better to have support.
You might be saying, ‘Hey, Savannah, I’m unable to afford hiring anyone yet.’ Fortunately, what I meant will actually cost you nothing. I simply mean find and connect with people that are aligned with your morals and your goals.
Create a Mastermind Group of five or six people, people who you trust and feel inspired by, and make yourself accountable to that group.
Have a ‘To-do’ list – meet regularly (I opt for weekly) with your Mastermind Group and share your progress and your thoughts or questions about how your business is evolving. This will help keep you on point with your goals and growing your business.
So, Kate, that is my answer to your Quick Query.
I hope it helps, and I wish you all the luck in the world with your new venture. Please stay in touch and share with us how you get on.
Now, I want to ask you – Do you run your own business? How do you stay motivated? What practices keep you on your game? And where do you go to inspire yourself?
Share with us in the comments below.
