Feeling Flat and Stuck In A Rut? These Are the Five Techniques That Leaders Use to Keep Pushing
Do you find yourself looking at giants like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and Richard Branson, thinking How do they do it? It's all about the drive and motivation, and you can get there, too!
Anyone wishing to become a successful entrepreneur needs to accept the constant challenges of the career. It takes persistence and intense focus to push on, but that inner power can get depleted fast, draining your motivation and making it hard to stay on top.
Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with ups and downs. Both can take their toll, but what sets those that succeed from others is their mindset.
Richard Branson saw everyday challenges as a source of motivation, taking the opportunity to learn something new from every experience. Oprah Winfrey made a point of not limiting her belief in what's possible, and Steve Jobs was aware of the limited time we have in this world and how precious it is to use it on following our hearts and intuition.
There are many ways to revitalise your entrepreneurial spirit and keep moving forward, exemplified by the most successful leaders. Different people discover motivation in different places, but some universal methods are certain to work for most.
Here's a list of the most effective motivational techniques that will help you remain on your path.
Five Motivational Techniques That Drive You Forward
1. Exercise and Meditation
Bo Bennet famously said: Success is not what you have, but who you are.
With that in mind, there's no better way to maintain your productive force than keeping your body in good shape and your mind clear and calm.
Getting physically active has many benefits, both for your overall health and state of mind. You don't need to keep an intense routine to feel the positive effects of exercise, though. Half an hour a day of mild cardio, stretches, and some basic strength training will do the job, as will yoga or a low-impact workout like Pilates.
Perhaps the perfect way to remain active would be to have a walk at a brisk pace, as it will make you spend time outside and away from your work environment.
Meditation might seem like more of a challenge for a busy mind than regular exercise is for the sedentary person since it's hard to let go of the thoughts buzzing through your head. However, if you take the time to learn an effective meditation technique and use it regularly, you'll be surprised by the results.
Use the exercises for body and mind to your advantage and they will help you build yourself up to endure the stress of everyday entrepreneurship better.
2. Finding Passion in Your Work
We all know the famous saying attributed to Confucius: Choose a job that you like, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Yet, life finds a way to make matters complicated and for many people, getting to do what they really love is the goal, not the starting point.
The good news is, you can find passion in your work regardless of the circumstances. The key to that is in your mindset. You can choose to get interested and fully immersed in what you do. Focus on aspects of the job that speak to you the most and concentrate on improving them while relegating the less inspiring tasks to others.
Seeking out the company of passionate and inspired people in your line of work is also a great way to maintain your productive drive. As humans, we're naturally hard-wired for empathy, so spending time and working with those who are excited about a project will make you feel the same way.
3. Spend More Time with Friends and Family
When it comes to the necessary devotion to your work, it's important to remember that fatigue can set in quickly if you become overworked. And it's not just about being tired. Spending all your time in a business environment can be physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing as you're burdened with concerns and stress.
If you feel that fatigue creeping up, it's good to remember the insightful words of Christopher Morley, who said that the only success is to be able to spend your life in your own way. This quote means that you need to take command of your time and make sure to spend it with people who care for your well-being.
You may be surrounded by the best co-workers, but this won't guarantee a fulfilling personal relationship, as nothing can substitute the love and care of persons closest to you. Spending time with friends and family isn't just a way to relieve stress and share our concerns with dear people. Rather, it's a basic human need that keeps us vital, motivated, and truly feeling alive.
4. Remove the Fear of Failure
As the prime minister of the United Kingdom during some of the most challenging periods and a Nobel Prize laureate, Winston Churchill likely knew what he was talking about when he said Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.
Although this quote is far from being the only one about the importance of accepting failure, the point is still lost on many modern entrepreneurs. Fear of failure remains relatively common, fuelled by the pressure of unrealistic expectations.
There are many reasons we feel this fear in professional and everyday life, with the heavily filtered success stories we hear among the most common. Like most people, you probably have a role model whose achievements inspire you to keep going. Yet, the parts of their story that drive your enthusiasm are mostly focused on their achievements, disregarding all of the failures that made them great.
It's crucial to remember that failure is a ladder. Although we don't aim to fail, it happens to everyone all of the time. Before you succeed, it's essential to learn what doesn't work, and failure is the best way to gain that knowledge.
5. There's Immense Power in Rejection
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
The message behind this quote by Bill Gates is quite apparent. Rejection is a powerful tool for learning what you need to improve on, whether we're talking about a startup or a romantic interest.
Making your offer to the right people and having them reject you has a profound emotional impact, but it's vital to understand the source of those emotions. What upsets us the most upon rejection is the feeling that we've somehow come up lacking, but that can be the best possible lesson for our future efforts.
Again, it comes down to your mindset and the way you accept rejection. People won't decline your offer because of who you are, but because something doesn't meet their needs. In most cases, if you determine what doesn't work, you can start improving on it right away, bettering your chances in the future.
You can take advantage of this great power and use every rejection as a stepping stone to eventual success.
Stay Motivated and Strive to Greatness
No matter how hard we work, the way we feel about our business and its role in our life is what keeps us going. For that reason, motivation remains a crucial factor in becoming successful. Lose it and you'll become too inert to improve and grow; maintain it and even the most strenuous work will gain a higher purpose, driving you to further achievements.
If you need more inspiration and helpful advice, don't hesitate to check out my speaking services that will aid you on your path to becoming the best entrepreneur you can be.
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