Having your own online business requires a great amount of self-discipline…or let me rephrase that – it requires a great amount of Self MOTIVATION. In any job really, you will at some point need to dig out that self-motivation in order to get to your goal. Personally, I’ve found the below strategies very effective when it comes to improving self-motivation.
Have Fun!
Well, this may seem a bit cheesy and ‘too easy’, but it’s no secret that it’s easier to get things done when you enjoy what you are doing. In online business in particular, you have the choice to write about something you’re passionate about, which is a fantastic starting point. By having a sense of humor and not taking yourself too seriously, not only will you find yourself being more self-motivated, you will also keep stress levels at bay.
The Carrot!
Decide on your goals and write them down. This is something I have done in so many aspects of my life. I can remember in my early 20s, when I was saving to travel the world (on a shoestring)…I had cut-out pictures of Macchu Picchu, beautiful remote beaches, Sydney Opera House, Las Vegas and so on everywhere in my tiny unit…I mean; I had them placed everywhere! Thinking about it now, I actually don’t blame people for thinking that I was a bit weird, carrying pictures of random places in my wallet at all times. Well my point is, although you don’t have to go to extremes like I did back then, I truly believe it’s important to have a visual of why you’re doing what you’re doing. It makes it feel real, and will certainly add to you motivation.
Be willing to leave your comfort zone.
The reason I’m saying this, is because as soon as you take a leap of faith and do something new and something that you’re not familiar with, then you learn something new…you gain new skills, you learn in time to be comfortable in this new area, and you gain a sense of accomplishment. To quote Thomas Jefferson: “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.”
Be Proud!
Take pride in the job you are doing. You know the end goal and why you set out to start your business, and it’s a lot easier to be self-motivated when you take pride in the job at hand. Remember, it doesn’t matter if you are learning along the way (that’s a good thing!) or if you make mistakes – use your pride to learn from the mistakes and improve on your skills, and it will improve self-motivation.
Stop Procrastinating.
I am happy to admit it – I can be THE WORST offender of procrastination at times! THE worst! And it sucks, quite frankly, because it really does nothing good to your self-motivation. So how do you stop procrastinating? Well, people are different and will have different things that work for them. I find I work better when I have some sort of a schedule, and have prioritized tasks. Stay focused, complete each task and reward yourself.
Have Fun!
Oh yeah, I already mentioned this one 😉 Just figured it was a good one to end on too…and in all fairness; something that starts as a fun and exciting idea, leads to self-motivation and getting work done, which leads to success… which is FUN!
I would love to hear your input and own strategies for improving self-motivation. Please drop me a line below or here.
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Hello Karina. Great point! However, if you are indeed THE WORST procrastinator, then I must be the top contender for your “Title.”
One way that I improve my self-motivation is to remind myself of my own motto:
“No matter how well it is currently being done, it can almost always be done better, faster, or more efficiently.”
Then I go out and make it happen.
Hi Joshua, thanks for the input 🙂
Great motto!
Yes, I think having fun is the best motivator. If we’re doing something that we hate, we will procrastinate it right out of our lives. Life is supposed to be fun, so have fun doing the things you need and want to do!
Thanks for the comment Christina, really appreciate it! 🙂 Enjoy the day!