I’ve never had a problem with motivation.
In fact, I’ve been ‘driven’ for most of my 44 years. I can remember being 8 years old and having this overwhelming desire to read the complete works of William Shakespeare, Volume 1. My father had a dusty old copy on his bookshelf and his widely spoken pearls of wisdom were often lifted from the pages of that great anthology. So, why would a young girl from small town Gaspe set her sights on Shakespeare? Simple. From an early age I knew what I wanted out of life. I knew what made me happy and what I enjoyed.
“This above all: to thine own self be true” Hamlet. Act 1. Scene 3.
Was I born with an innate sense of purpose? Hit by lightning? Dropped on my head as a child? What was and continues to be the source of my motivation?
As a busy mom, wife and entrepreneur, being motivated and staying motivated can be tough under the best of circumstances. With 4 kids, a home based office, a growing business and an endless to-do list, my life is a juggling act.
The only way I know how to manage is to keep moving! Knowing what I want, making an achievable plan and taking daily action is my simple recipe. The exact same approach I had with Shakespeare! Call it determination, desire, discipline or dedication. Call it what you want. I don’t label it. I just do it and live it, each and every day without let up. I take action.
This approach can be as simple as sending one meaningful email a day or making one purposeful phone call. Doing anything is better than nothing in my world. It keeps you in an active state of mind and makes it a whole lot easier to get out of bed each day and do it all over.
Working from a home based office I could easily fall prey to distraction. The key is to control your distractions by following a set routine. If you don’t structure yourself and your environment you will find yourself in serious trouble, holed up on the couch, binge watching Homeland. But by following a set routine you will be able to cross off all the non-work things on your to-do list like laundry, groceries, and Netflix, while still remaining focused and productive.
To that end I have created my own no-fail environment.
- Expect something great to happen each and every day.
- Do something each day that propels you and your business forward.
- Surround yourself with positive people.
- Make a plan.
- Follow a routine.
- Celebrate all your accomplishments – big and small.
- Be strong when everything seems to be going wrong.
- Don’t be afraid to be big and bold!
- Do what you love.
- Know where you are and where you are going.
(Note: Now if I could only apply this to diet and exercise I’d be unstoppable!)