From time to time, everyone gets a little down on motivation. As a web entrepreneur you really do need a reliable trigger to enable yourself to keep going, particularly when you're first starting out and things aren't happening so quickly. Different things work for different people, and some may even find a combination of these to be most effective. Below are what I've found in order to be the most useful sources of motivation - and I hope you find them useful too.
#10 - Your Past Accomplishments
You've already achieved great things in your life so far. Remember what it was like to come out the other side, how good it felt and what challenges you were able to overcome. Look back on your previous work to find a little of yourself you may have lost and find a way to re-inject it into what you're working on now. You've done it before - you can do it again.
#9 - Your Past Failures
Failure is rarely pleasant for the majority of people, but it always offers a unique learning experience. Put some of those lessons into practice when you go about your next attempt at something. Prove to yourself that you can do better, and let failure be the kick in the pants that drives you to greater heights than you had previously imagined.
#8 - Watch Others Succeed
It is often very uplifting to look at others who are attempting similar things to you and having success. Look at what they're doing and what you're not, and let their success prove that what you're trying to achieve is really possible. And if they can do it, so can you.
#7 - Things You Want
While it's not always reliable, thinking about what physical possessions success will eventually allow you to have can be a powerful motivator - particularly when used in a visual way. Don't rely on it too heavily though as it can lead you to focus on achieving success for the wrong reasons, and if you have a setback your first response will be in the vain of "now I can't have that". Hence, focusing on what you should be getting, rather than what you should be becoming.
#6 - Imagine It Done
Have you ever looked at a large mess in the kitchen and thought "well, I know it won't be pleasant but I'll feel better when it's done" and used that as your motivation to clean it up? Focusing on the end result can also work for getting through many other unpleasant activities, as well as others you often struggle to get started with.
#5 - Follow A Daily Mantra
Write your own set of personal rules that you can read and stick to each day. This should not be too specific like "today I will take out the trash, today I will go to the store and pick up the groceries at approximately two o'clock" but should be more along the lines of "today I will achieve all I can, today I will not be bothered by outside influence, today I will make more time for me" and so on.
#4 - Take Time To Escape
There are many ways in which you can choose to simply get away from it all. You can travel to someplace new, watch a movie, read a book, listen to some music or even take a nap. When you come back you'll feel recharged and ready to tackle whatever you need to get done.
#3 - Be Accountable To Others
Tell other people close to you what you're doing and what you're trying to achieve. You'll find that by simply having someone to report to every now and then, you're much more likely to strive harder and put more effort in so that you can share your accomplishments.
#2 - Find Others With Similar Interests
There are few greater forms of motivation than surrounding yourself with people who share the same goals and interests. Photographers have photographer friends, writers have friends who are also writers, musicians form bands, fitness freaks go to the gym together and businessmen often have drinks after work (though, partly because nobody else likes them). This gives you a sense of kinship, allows you to compare notes and generally drives you to achieve more to get some form of recognition or respect among your peers.
#1 - Take Care Of Your Body
Without a doubt, what you do to your body has the greatest potential to influence your mind. If you're finding it hard to focus, then chances are your diet is bad. If you're low on energy or feel tired all the time, then you're not sleeping or exercising enough. By putting the right stuff into your body, you'll get the maximum from your mind. All other methods for staying motivated have the potential to run dry, but not this one - if you continually look after your body, then your mind will rarely struggle with motivation. Prior to writing this I had some scientifically-enhanced oatmeal, a bowl of yogurt, two pieces of fruit and a glass of orange juice - whoa, what a hit!
Free your Mind from Temptation
