As an entrepreneur, you are bound to come across your fair share of challenges. You’ll come across obstacles and overcome them, you will win somethings and other things you’ll lose. Sometimes you’ll set out to do something only to “fail.” And maybe you’ll reach a point when you don’t feel like putting in the effort or the work anymore. This is when it is KEY to stay motivated.
1. Have a clear long-term goal
Anyone who has tried to create something for themselves will tell you that is it a road filled with obstacles. And in order to persevere, you need to have something that you are working towards. This goal is the dream that you are reaching for and it is what will make you push through all the difficulties and struggles of your entrepreneurial journey. And it is not just enough to have that goal in your head, you need to remind yourself (and possibly your team, if you have one) of it every day.
2. Set up small milestones
Regardless of where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, sometimes your long-term goals will feel extremely far away or difficult to reach. So to help keep you motivated, break down those bigger long term goals I just mentioned into smaller, more short-term milestones. This will allow you to feel less demotivated because every time you cross one of your smaller milestones you will be left with a sense of accomplishment that will fuel you to keep working towards your bigger goals.
3. Take time to celebrate
There is no doubt that the life of an entrepreneur requires dedication and commitment, and yet it is extremely important to take time to celebrate any small (or big!) wins. The goals and milestones mentioned above lose so much of their value when you don’t make sure to celebrate achieving them. So don't forget to, at the very least, pat yourself (and your team if you have one because they need the motivation and encouragement too) on the back when you know you deserve it.
4. Change your mindset on “failure”
Okay, I know it’s slightly cliché. And I know it’s a little cheesy but it has to be said. If you want to stay motivated as an entrepreneur, you need to change how you think and approach the idea of “failure.” I am not going to pretend that it is easy to work on something and put in the time and effort and then when it doesn’t work out have to try and find the positive in the situation. And I don’t necessarily think that is what should be done. However, if you can start to view those “failures” as setbacks that can be learnt from and can push you to actually achieve and accomplish more in the future, then you may be less afraid of failure and thus, less afraid of taking the risks needed to be taken as an entrepreneur.
5. Find people and stories to inspire you
Be it success stories of other entrepreneurs or other people’s unsuccessful attempts/experiences, it’s important to have something to not only learn from but to also inspire you to keep going in spite of any challenges you face along the way. Because of this exact reason, we chose to start our Meet The Entrepreneur interview series (which you can find on the website or on any of Entrepreneurs’ Society’s social media accounts) where we sit down with inspiring entrepreneurs and people in the entrepreneurship sphere to discuss their journeys and their experiences in their respective industries.
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