5 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated as an Entrepreneur

Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur is hard work and can be daunting at times. For those who have never taken the entrepreneurial journey, they may not understand the work, sweat and tears that go into building a business. One entrepreneur said:

“Started a company four years ago with staff. First two years were hard. Worked 9 till about 10-11pm every night and worked on weekends. Started to get ill and sick of working all the time. Relationship had issues because of it and just had to stop working so hard. At this point decided to move from a home office to a real office.”

This is the reality of many entrepreneurs, and when all this work brings forth minimal results, they can feel discouraged, demotivated and even depressed.

The secret to succeeding amidst all the obstacles is to keep oneself motivated. Here are five things you can do to keep yourself motivated:

1.  Get a mentor

Everybody needs a mentor who can guide them to success – even Bill Gates has a mentor! No matter where you are in life, there is always someone more successful who can give you tips to reach a higher level of success.

When searching for a mentor, look for someone who understands the struggles of entrepreneurship and who can give you the right tools to get through the rut.

2.   Read books

There’s nothing better than a good motivational book. Many people have changed the course of their lives just by reading a book and by implementing its principles. If you are not an avid reader, become one.

Here are five books you should read as an entrepreneur:

• The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
• The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
• Growth Juice by John A. Weber
• Spin Selling by Neil Rackham
• The Ultimate Sales Revolution: Sell Differently by Steve Lishansky

3.  Start a routine

When certain activities become a habit, you won’t have to think about it before you do it. For example, brushing your teeth in the morning is a task, but most of us do not recognise it because it has become a daily habit. Start doing things intentionally until it becomes a habit.

4.  Take time off

Successful people know when to take time out for themselves. In his bestselling book, “The 4-Hour Work Week”, Tim Ferriss teaches entrepreneurs how to outsource their life, work fewer hours, take a break and return to a bank account that is 50% larger than when they left. The principles in this book have transformed many businesses…so much so that it was translated into 33 languages!

The idea is to work smarter and not harder. Take time off to rejuvenate so that you may be more focused when you return to work.

5.  Set rewards

Human beings are naturally wired to work for rewards. Hence why we work hard to afford luxury vacations or our favourite items. If you tie your tasks to a reward, you will be more inclined to complete them.

Just like you do for your children, you should recognise and reward your own victories. The higher the victory, the bigger the reward. This will motivate you to work harder to achieve the bigger victories.

These are our top five ways for staying motivated, what other ways do you stay motivated as an entrepreneur?