Here are 3 Important keys to Self-Improvement and Motivation:
1. Inspiration
Inspiration is THE key to staying motivated and making continual improvements in one’s life. Motivation is crucial for staying engaged in your business. If you are not interested and don’t care, your motivation level will never be high and there will always be something else that you’d rather do.
Take an honest look at your inspiration level. Are you excited about going to work or is it an obligation? You would be surprised at the number of people who choose a business that looks good on paper, but in reality, does not interest them in the least. These individuals will grow weary and uninterested pretty quickly because they have no inspiration or passion to sustain them during the difficult times they will encounter as small business owners.
If you do not like your work, then think about how you can re-focus your small business to better match your needs. Or consider making a change entirely. Without inspiration, there will not be motivation to even try self-improvement.
2. Setting Goals
Short and long-term goal setting is vital for any business owner. If you do not set goals, you would have no definite purpose on which path of self-improvement to take. How could you possibly be motivated if you were unsure about the direction of your company?
Take the time to put your goals in writing. A business plan may sound daunting, but it is really nothing more than goals, strategies, implementation, and a budget. Write your own business plan and update it at least annually. Include mini-goals that can be accomplished in a matter of hours, days, or weeks as well as the more ambitious grand goals that may take years to complete. Refer to this plan throughout the year.
But can a business plan really help motivate you? Of course. Written goals will make you feel more professional and certainly more connected to your business. It will also free you from having to reinvent your business goals every single day.
3. Networking
Another key factor in getting and staying motivated is networking with other small business owners. No one person knows all the knowledge. However, when a number of people begin working together, the challenges will just be there waiting to be conquered. In fact, the isolation of working alone is of one the most difficult parts of being an entrepreneur. You can never be on your way to self-improvement without the help of others. Mutual support is motivating.
Make it easier on yourself by connecting with others either in your community or online. Even when businesses are not related, you will often find common ground and ways to work together. Many successful entrepreneurs report that finding the right networking group was a turning point in the growth of the business. Working together, a networking group can help its members generate more qualified sales leads and solve problems faster and more efficiently.
Sharing ideas, expertise and experience is also an invaluable aspect of motivation and self-improvement.Your own personal team of business owners will help re-energize you when the burdens of running your own business seem too much. With your professional networking team to count on, you can accomplish more in less time and probably have more fun in the process- who wouldn’t want that? You will feel motivated to stay agile and develop under their guidance as well as have an excuse to network.
