Keeping Motivated – For Your Business and For Yourself
by Larry Slusser on February 5th, 2008
If you own a business, are running a business, or are self employed you are a motivated person, or at least you were when you got started. Many people are very motivated at the start of an exciting new enterprise, but that fades and they struggle to stay motivated.
Most people with the entrepreneurial spirit find themselves working through the following three phases of engagement as they pursue business ownership or self employment:
Phase1: Enthusiastic Beginner
As an enthusiastic beginner everything is fun. You have a great deal of passion, energy, and enthusiasm to learn all of the detail of your business. You usually are the first one to work and the last one to leave.
There is not a detail that is unimportant to learn and you take copious notes, set up continuity binders, and attend every meeting and conference your business is involved in.
You are there for the launch of your site and the first order, and you visit your distribution points and set up all shipping systems. You probably will want to write your own web content, be involved in all brochures and sales letters, and may even go out on sales calls and deliveries if applicable to your enterprise.
Phase 2: Disillusioned Learner
As a disillusioned learner there are things about your business that are starting to get on your nerves. While you still may be the first one to work, there may not be a smile on your face anymore. You look at your continuity binders, review sales materials, and keep up with your income statements, but it just isn’t as exciting as it used to be.
Many people in this phase question themselves and their motivation for being in business. It’s possible you may even be considering selling or finding yourself looking into other pursuits. The key in this phase is to focus on what you like, keep grinding away and looking for wins in your business. Review your mission statement, goals, and strategies to achieve those goals.
You may need to review your goals. Have a retreat off site for you and your key staff and plan where you want to be in 6 months, a year from now, 5 years from now. Look at your business plan and see how you are doing. Revise the document as necessary and gain alignment with yourself on what you want to achieve.
Phase 3: Peak Performer
As a peak performer you have found balance. Work, family, hobbies – you are not able to get enough of them all and are coming to work energized more days than not. You have a plan for each day and work that plan whether you use a check list or not.
Peak Performers know what they are trying to achieve and how they are going to get there. Goals are set, visible to everyone in the organization, results are tracked, and milestones are celebrated.
What Phase Are You In?
No matter what business you are in, what stage of life you are working through, or how great an entrepreneur you are, you will find yourself in all of these phases at one time or another in your career. If you stick to the key strategies, you will work your way through the difficult stages and spend the majority of your time as a peak performer.