When you first started your journey as an entrepreneur, it can feel like motivation is lurking around every corner. But as you get comfortable with your new lifestyle, what was once an exciting new career path has faded into monotony. The world is filled with people who have given up on their projects due to a lack of motivation. What they don’t realize is that you have to continue to work, even when you don’t feel like it.
If you feel like you’re losing your drive, here are five easy ways to keep yourself busy, even when you’ve got other things on your mind:
Break It Up
The last thing anyone wants to do is wake up to an inbox full of duties that all needed to be done yesterday. Suffering from overload is incredibly common. When you don’t know where to begin, sometimes starting is the hardest part.
The key is to just sit down and focus on one thing. For at least a few hours, forget all of your other obligations and focus on completing one single task. Telling yourself that you have to sit down and accomplish an hour or two of work is much easier than chaining yourself to a desk for the entire day. You’ll probably find that when you view your tasks individually, you’re able to effectively push yourself through the day without breaking a sweat.
Remember Your Goals
What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to get a foothold in a competitive market, or were you seeking financial freedom?
Motivation comes from an emotional desire for something. If you can reconnect with the reason you undertook your responsibilities, you can often find the inner drive to push yourself.
Enter a Supportive Environment
The people you surround yourself with can have a bigger impact on your mood than any other environmental factor. If you’re surrounding yourself with negativity, it’s going to be a struggle to accomplish your goals.
Consider heading down to a coworking space. These places are often full of other freelancers and entrepreneurs who live a very similar lifestyle to you. It can be inspiring to be surrounded by people who have accomplished your goals, or who are starting out just like you once did. If you prefer to work in a solitary environment, you can always spruce up your desk a little bit. De-cluttering your workspace can be almost like de-cluttering your mind, creating room for you to focus on your responsibilities.
Set the Bar Low
Lofty goals are the driving force behind innovation. But you can’t build a successful career if you’re constantly demanding excellence from yourself. If you don’t feel like accomplishing much, you’ll want to set the bar a little lower.
For example, try pushing yourself to complete two hours of uninterrupted work. Anyone can find the motivation to push themselves when it’s only for an hour or two. When you’re having a better day, you can stretch yourself a little more. Remember, it’s not always about being the best. Sometimes, it’s just about being a little better than you were the day before.