Motivation

[megamuel]

Anybody else struggle with motivation? I think that motivation is vital for success. More so than intelligence and skill. Unfortunately it is something I really struggle with. I am a massive procrastinator! I have 3 projects on the go but I always find a reason not to do any work on them. It's really starting to bug me now though because I'm 27 and need to start cracking on with things!!!

Anyone else like this? And more to the point, anybody else been like this and overcome it? What habits/techniques/methods did you utilise? I believe exercise is supposed to be good for mental clarity but again you need motivation for that too! Maybe I need some Ritalin!

Anyone have any thoughts?

Sam.

 

[mhall]

I usually find that looking at my mortgage payments give me all the motivation I need to get on with it!

Perhaps you just have no reason to succeed ? I think that is quite a major issue in this country- we actually don't need to do anything to survive- even if you kill someone we will still give you four square meals a day and Sky telly in your room.

If you HAD to do it, you would. You don't because you don't have to. Find something to force you to do it.

 

[internetspaceships]

Anybody else struggle with motivation? I think that motivation is vital for success. More so than intelligence and skill. Unfortunately it is something I really struggle with. I am a massive procrastinator! I have 3 projects on the go but I always find a reason not to do any work on them. It's really starting to bug me now though because I'm 27 and need to start cracking on with things!!!

Anyone else like this? And more to the point, anybody else been like this and overcome it? What habits/techniques/methods did you utilise? I believe exercise is supposed to be good for mental clarity but again you need motivation for that too! Maybe I need some Ritalin!

Anyone have any thoughts?

Sam.

Nope, you're obviously a lazy oik mate and need a kick up the butt. Otherwise how on earth are you ever going to achieve anything?

You need to get into the habit of picking up one job and finishing it and don't "bit and bat" around trying to to do multiple projects until you've trained yourself to cope with seeing one through to the end.

Get some self discipline going- only you can teach yourself that.

Harsh reply maybe but blowing smoke up your butt and coddling you won't do you any good at all.

Crack on!

 

[Small Biz Jessica]

The fact that there's no-one else motivating you, or standing over you with any kind of stick, is definitely one of the challenges of working for yourself.

I think it's normal to have good days and bad days. If you're disappointed with what you're achieving overall though, maybe the structure of working for someone else would suit you better?

Or maybe if you think about what really matters to you, maybe having a relaxed pace of life is more important to you than lots of conventional success. That's been true for at least one of the small biz people I've interviewed: http://www.smallbiztribe.com/content/seduced-lifestyle-self-employment

Best of luck, either way!

 

[Small Biz Jessica]

And sorry, I forgot to say, in terms of techniques, there was a book I found really helpful in getting myself better organised: http://www.smallbiztribe.com/content/book-got-me-organised.

And also I had an epiphany a while ago that if I just knuckle under and get on with whatever sh*tty tasks I have on my To Do List that I'm avoiding, then after that they're done! Gone! No longer on my To Do List! No longer a source of guilt!

That's helped me crack on with some of the really dull stuff I normally spend my time avoiding/denying, LOL.

 

[CherylDavis]

Sometimes motivation is achieved by breaking a task down, so it does not seem so daunting, which is the reason for delaying it.

 

[largada]

Nope, you're obviously a lazy oik mate and need a kick up the butt. Otherwise how on earth are you ever going to achieve anything?


Harsh reply maybe but blowing smoke up your butt and coddling you won't do you any good at all.

Crack on!

This may hurt but i agree, yes motivation is a fluid quality at the best of times, but you sound ike you've slipped into the cant be arsed catagory!!

when the bills start stacking up you might find the motivation needed!!

 

[JamieM]

Personally I am only motivated when I'm creating. I get bored with the daily repetitive tasks of running a business. I always need to be innovating and finding new things.

Therefore I try to delegate or outsource the 'boring' tasks.

Maybe it's just a case of doing the things you enjoy.

 

[Moneyman]

1. make lists.
2. start everyday by hitting a few of the problems and try to tick them off. just forget the big picture every morning. Just the tasks big picture suff is for afternoons.

 

[tony84]

I tended to find if i was stuck in the office all day i would los emotivation.

My trick was to get up, have some breakfast (9-9.30ish), check some emails and do any small jobs then head to the gym (11ish). come out then spend the rest of the day working until around 6.30 or later if i had appointments to do.

I think getting out and not being couped up all day was good for motivation. There was also a nice bar near where i lived where i could get out of the house and do some work without the distraction of a TV.

 

[megamuel]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. My organisation for these projects is very poor so I think that is where I should start. Making lists etc as people have suggested.

As for being lazy, I'm not so sure I am. When it comes to my regular job I'd say other than the boss I am the least lazy person there and I don't think any of my colleagues or customers would call me lazy. If there is work to be done, I will do it. It just seems to be when I'm at home I always find a distraction or end up thinking about what I'm going to do rather than doing it. But maybe its a combination of the things suggested in this thread - subconsciously I know I don't need to do it to pay the bills etc, poor organisation, distractions, and nobody standing over me with a stick! Maybe a little bit of laziness too

Jessica you make a very good point though with regard to what really matters to me. After years of suffering with anxiety panic attacks, depression and other such related troubles, I definitely desire a more relaxed life where I am happy, over one full of possessions and money. I'm not a big 'possessions person' anyway. In fact, these projects I've picked to work on, I picked because WHEN I get them going, they won't be massive earners but they will hopefully allow me to live the lifestyle I want. So although I would like to work with someone for motivation purposes, there wouldn't be enough money in what I'm doing to share if that makes sense. Oh and thanks for the book suggestion, I'm about to read the review on your website.

I'm surprised more people haven't struggled with poor motivation though (or more people aren't saying so). I only need to look around my local town to see that there are many many people around that are less motivated than me!!! However, I guess we're all here because we have/are interested in our own business so that would make us more motivated than a lot of people!

I know there are a lot of books and audio books out there with specific motivational techniques and such in. If anyone has ever tried any please let me know if you have any good tips. For now I'll start making some lists of small achievable tasks and see how I get on!!!

Thanks,

Sam.

 

[MBE1]

As suggested get a routine and make lists.

I always start at the same time, and work until I clear the jobs to do on the day.

Then again, I never struggle with motivation. Maybe deep down you are not as commited to your self employment as you might think, I work twice as hard for myself as I would for any employer.

 

[varanassy]

May be its because deep down you don't want the perceived success badly enough - ie what is this "success" going to bring - material wealth, sense of reward etc... Do any of those things motivate you? Sadly we live in a celebrity culture where the media can also make it look like we can have all these things while doing actually very little without having to work really, really hard. Most of us have to work really, really hard Luck cannot be relied on or even brought into the equation as things like winning the lottery will not happen to many of us

The other issue is procastination I think. Its when you are motivated by a few things but are not keen to pin yourself down to one thing. Again it probably happens because none of those things drive you enough... which makes us keep searching.. Good luck. Don't be to hard on yourself. Perhaps you need to reevaluate what success would mean to you and then work out how you can set yourself some realistic goals that will help you achieve this.

 

[cafelife]

Hi there,
Yes you are 100% right, Motivation is definately one of the key point for sucess!
I find that reminding myself of the goal I set out to achieve in the first place helps me through the bad and low times.
I have just bought a business and it's been tough uphill struggle from the start, my motivation did go into hidding from time to time... but I just kept reminding myself of why I bought it in the first place, and I carry on.
I just turned 29 yesterday and like to think I am still young.. so now is the time to go for the dream!
Keep going, you can do it if you really want to