It can be super difficult at times to stay motivated when you are running your own small business. when you're used to being a very creative driven person and this wave of nothingness just swings by and smacks you right in the face, it's pretty frustrating!
Here are 5 tips to stay motivated when running your small business:
1. BE CLEAR ABOUT WHY YOU ARE DOING IT
If you have a clear message in your head as to why you decided to do what you do, this will always help you stay motivated when running your small business.
There will be thousands of different reasons depending on who we are, where we are from, what stage of life we are at, but each of us will have our own individual message. It may be to fit around family life, to be able to draw for a living or maybe you have always dreamt of running your own business.
It's kind of like a goal but something that when you're having an off day, will continue to drive you forward, spark excitement and motivate you in the days, weeks and years to come!
2. FIND OUT HOW YOU WORK BEST
Wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same! Maybe you're workspace is an organised mess or maybe you prefer your pencils lined up perfectly. You may scattily scribble random thoughts on a loose piece of paper or neatly write lines in a notebook. You may work most productively on a morning or maybe you're a night owl - there really is no right or wrong to how you work!
You just need to find out what works best for you and roll with it. This way you'll learn how you tick and really get the most out of yourself.
3. PLAN YOUR TIME ( & YOUR TIME OUT )
Planning my time made such a humongous difference to how I work and how i feel. I generally plan out my week ahead on a Sunday evening so I have a schedule of what I'll be working on that week, making sure I note down fitness classes, runs or coffee with pals too. This way you can set yourself maybe three achievable tasks per day, motivating yourself once you've ticked them off!
It's super easy to get caught up in the all work no play scenario when you're working for yourself, which sometimes leads to a lack of love for what you do! so be sure to organise a cup of tea and cake date or getting your nails done as a treat. You'll get the most out of yourself and your business if you love both equally!
4. SET SMART GOALS
I recently posted as part of the #marchmeetthemaker instagram challenge how I set my goals. I find it really helpful to set small achievable smart goals. This way keeps me motivated as I know I am making progress and building my brand.
s - specific
m - measurable
a - achievable
r - realistic
t - timely
Obviously as I mentioned earlier, everyone works differently so maybe more hefty challenging smart goals would work for you but either way they should help you stay motivated when running your small business.
5. BE INSPIRED
Take time out to be inspired. This is one I struggle with as I often feel guilty for having a day out an about visiting a city, seeing lovely architecture and visiting a few galleries. It doesn't feel like you are working but essentially you are because how will you create an ace new collection or amaze a client with some brilliant work if you are totally uninspired and not feeling motivated?
Maybe being outdoors in the countryside with your pooch, sitting for a coffee people watching through the glass outside or burying your head in a good book sparks exciting new ideas! Whatever it is that keeps you motivated and passionate make sure you find time to do it!