Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Writer @JSBUFORD
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Staying motivated is a challenge new and established entrepreneurs grapple with on a regular basis. When you’re just getting started and the exhilaration of launching into a new venture begins to wane, one of the biggest challenges is how to stay focused and energized absent a boss or company imperatives.
On the flip side, once you’ve achieved success, the monotony of it can begin to grind on your psyche. Yes, monotony. Success over the long term in business often boils down to who is willing to execute some really simple steps repeatedly longer, more enthusiastically, and with greater vigor than the next person. In other words, the successful do what many would regard as really boring stuff over and over again with the same high level of focus and energy.
The wonderful business endeavor that was once a cuddly, shining object, and a symbol of your triumphs is now a grumpy person making constant demands of your time, energies, and attention.
In either situation, if you’re going to continue to thrive and survive staying inspired and finding methods to stay motivated is of the utmost importance. And those who are able to achieve on a high level understand that staying motivated requires investment and it is a skilled trade.
Here are a couple of tools to help you find the energy and build when you may have lost that loving feeling.
Get Your Head Right
Entrepreneurs must be able to answer the following three questions, otherwise, you can quickly find yourself middling, falling victim to the tiny object syndrome, and expending your energies on things that don’t edify you.
- What are your values and the impact you truly desire to make in the world?
- How do you want to serve?
- Who do you want to serve and why?
One of the biggest mistakes people make in general is answering these questions as if they are taking a public litmus test regarding their virtues, rather than simply telling their truth.
In other words, if watches, clothes, yachts, or other shiny objects give you energy, it is what it is. Perhaps, you desire power, influence, and recognition. It’s all good. Maybe you were deeply impacted by observing the death of a loved one due to cancer or gun violence, and you want to rid the world of these scourges. Great. Whatever the case may be, be honest.
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey at times, and worrying about the opinions of others who won’t be in your life ten years from now, or are unwilling to support your dreams and ambitions is absurd. The rent to occupy space in your head should be extremely expensive. The rent is positivity, love, support, contribution, encouragement, affirmation, and feedback that sharpens and improves. And it needs to be collected every day.
I read somewhere recently that According to the National Science Foundation, an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts. This is the enemy that must be overcome.
Also, it’s extremely difficult to expend your life’s energies on a compromise. To be successful as an entrepreneur requires a very high level of energy and focus. Your goals and affirmations should be written down daily, be omnipresent, and affirm the person your business and dreams require you to be. Here’s an exercise to help with the process.
Your Attention is Your Greatest Asset
Attention is like the sun. Whatever you focus it on grows, and what you neglect withers. What are you focussing your attention on daily? How frequently and how long?
Is your attention and thus your energies being focused on people or things that don’t serve your best interests or lack an ROI (return on investment)? What someone said to you. Your fears and anxieties. The people you are angry with or envious of. The job or boss you can’t stand.
Or are you focused on consuming things that will improve your mindset, character, stamina, stir your creativity, and therefore increase your value. Notice these are all things that cannot be taken from you, and allow you to win indefinitely.
How much of your screen time is spent on entertainment versus intentionally sharpening the saw? How often do you turn your vehicle into a drive time university? When your mind begins to wander, or when you find yourself drifting to the world of sports, music, gossip, plaintively pocket watching or noting other people’s lifestyles, what are you doing to offset all the empty calories being poured into your psyche… your attention. You have choices.
- Business Podcasts
- Momentum Calls (Find a collective of people who are moving in the direction you desire to move, and doing what you are doing).
- Training. People don’t rise to their level of desire, but rather their level of preparation.
- Books of the Month
- Inspirational Movies
- YouTube content from DOrus not gurus.
- Leadership Show
- Seminars, Conventions, Workshops
Every moment that you are involved in something that is not growing you, you’re being left behind. You’re either living or dying. There is no in-between. Become obsessed. Yes, obsessed! And extremely intentional about what where your attention is focused or being focused.
Guard the Gates
The people you’re listening to are either pouring life into you, or sapping you of your strength. So is your itinerary, and we all have them. For some of us brushing our teeth and washing our face is part of our morning itinerary. We do it routinely, reflexively, without even thinking about it. We put on our shoes and clothes and even go to the bathroom around the same time every day. And we become agitated and uncomfortable when our routines are disrupted.
The key to keeping negativity out, and allowing space for positive outcomes is found in our routines.
In other words, if you fill your refrigerator to the brim with nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts, spinach, beet and pomegranate juice, avocados, and 1-gallon jugs of water there will be little to no room for soda pop, pizza boxes, beer cans, and greasy, cheese-laden leftovers.
Dedicating time to reviewing your goals, running or biking, writing for 30 minutes regardless of whether it results in good content or not, executing your top three tasks of the day, reading 10-20 pages a day, and consuming content and information that sharpens you, having substantive conversations with people who improve you, attending training or networking events with your tribe… you get the point. It’s time-consuming, and that’s the point.
When your invaluable attention, time, and energies are so occupied with things that serve you, that it makes it extremely difficult for people and things that don’t serve you to occupy your space. That’s how you guard the gates.
Stop Lying to Yourself
I’ll go to the gym when I feel like it. I’ll start saving and investing when I have extra money. I’ll read the books, attend the training, go to the convention, give up bowling, basketball, PlayStation, or a night out with friends when I’m earning significantly more.
You’re lying to yourself. You’re living inside your personal bs.dot.com bubble.
You won’t feel like it until you go to the gym. You won’t have extra money until you set aside at least 10% of everything you earn. You won’t earn enough or significantly more than you do today until you do the things people do who have the success you desire.
Your routines. How you spend your attention, money, and time has led you to where you are. If you want different you’re going to have to change your routines and invest your attention, money, and time into different things. And it will hurt because it’s supposed to.
People dramatically underestimate the magnitude of work, of inputs required to enjoy magnificent results. You want extraordinary results then you have to give extra-ordinary effort. There is no hack for this. The good thing is most people have such an allergic reaction to change, duress, and things that are different, therefore the cost of the extra pales in comparison to the cost of not embracing the ugly duckling stage of your journey.
#successleavesclues #entrepreneurshipisempowerment #nextopposocial #smallbizarchitect
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JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co-Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, transitioned into business ownership, and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing.
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