When you have a regular 9 to 5, it’s easy to call in sick or even take a hiatus if you’re feeling like you’re slowly burning out. You might be lucky enough to have access to a health and wellness officer who will direct you towards the proper resources. Not so much with a business. You might be the sole captain of a one-person ship and taking a wellness break could very well mean the end of your business. So, what can you do if you suddenly lose motivation? Here are a few suggestions.
Listen to Other Entrepreneurs
Only another entrepreneur can feel your pain, so we suggest that you get in touch with other people who may have gone through the same thing as you. This would be a great time to look for a coach or a mentor. If you didn’t make networking a priority, you have to now, even if it means joining and participating in groups online.
Another thing you should do is listen to other entrepreneurs speak on the issue. Here’s a list of 50 inspirational quotes from the world’s most successful entrepreneurs you can draw from. We also suggest that you listen to a few podcasts as well. Tim Ferris, the author of the 4 Hour Work Week, has a great podcast you could check out. Other motivational podcasts include The GaryVee Audio Experience and EntreLeadership.
Give up Equity
Maybe you would benefit from playing in the background instead of being implicated in every aspect of the operation. You could sell equity in your business or even sell it off to interested investors. You could even contact some of your competitors and see if they would be ready to buy you out.
Relieve Past Successes
Maybe you’re having difficulty now because you’re in a professional slump. Things are moving at a snail’s pace and there haven’t been major developments in a while. In this case, one thing you could is remember your last or first big break and relieve the experience. Feel how it felt to reach these accomplishments. This could give you the fire to aim for the next one.
Speaking of which, you have to make sure that you have goals to begin with. You need to see areas where you could improve, what success would look like, and have a clear plan and roadmap. Planning for a goal makes it more real, and humans tend to be more motivated when they can see the end scenario. So, make sure that you make that goal as detailed and vivid as possible.
Pivot
Maybe it’s time to pivot towards another specialty or business. If you still want to work and run a business, then you could decide to move to something different. One thing you could do is become a consultant. Or you could change your service offering. If you own a restaurant, for instance, you could switch to food production, catering, or even farming. Just changing scenery and pace could be enough for you to catch a second wind.
As you can see, there are tons of things that you can do if you feel yourself losing motivation in your business. Follow these few tips, and don’t hesitate to ask for help.