24: Motivation: Five Pitfalls That Cause Us to Lose Our Drive and How to Overcome Them

When it comes to being motivated, we all have our ups and downs. But if you find yourself in a slump more often than you'd like, it might be time to take a closer look at what's causing your lack of drive. In this episode, I share five common pitfalls that can make it hard to stay motivated in your online business and how to overcome them.

👉 Join our community for course creators and coaches >> https://launchperspective.community

Connect with us:

Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest | Facebook

Follow the Podcast:

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on

Transcript:

The life of an online business owner or entrepreneur, it's not always glamorous. In fact, it can be downright tough at times. Am I right? One of the biggest challenges that I know online business owners face is staying motivated. It's easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day grind and forget why you even started your business in the first place.

So, today I want to dig into five things that I think can cause us to feel unmotivated. And then I'm going to share some practical tips that I know that have helped me overcome this area so that I increased motivation. Because self-motivation, while it may feel easier to some, it's actually normal that everyone has times where they feel unmotivated. It happens to all of us. Even as someone who typically is self-motivated and positive and enthusiastic, I most definitely had times in my business where motivation was a struggle.

So, know that you're not alone. But also know that you don't want to stay in that place of unmotivation too long, because the longer you're there, the harder it is to move forward in your business, the harder it is to restart and gain that momentum.

So, here's the first pitfall that I feel can cause us to feel unmotivated. It's that we've lost sight of our vision. It is so important to have a clear vision for your business and what you want to achieve. Where are you now and where do you want to be? Without a clear vision, we lose sight towards what we're working for and without that end goal in mind it makes it very challenging to be motivated, especially when obstacles come our way, when we're not getting the results we hoped for.

But I absolutely love the quote that says, "if it's important to you, you will find a way." And that means that you need to know what's important to you. So, if you haven't ever done this, I encourage you to write down your Why. Why did you start your business? What is it that you're wanting to create? And when you reach that level of success, whatever success is for you, how will that impact you and your family? How will it impact others and the world? When you're feeling lost or uninspired, you have to remind yourself of your goals and what you're working towards.

Remember, success is never a straight line. But as I've shared in many of our past episodes, you often learn what works by first learning what doesn't. Failure is definitely not the opposite of success. The more noes you get, the more yeses you get. The more you launch, the faster you will hit those goals. So, the struggles and sacrifice will be worth it. It'll be worth that effort when you know what you're working for, when you know why what you're doing is important. So, definitely take time to write down exactly what it is you want, why you're doing it, and that will help you stay focused and motivated as you continue on your online business journey.

The second pitfall is that we simply haven't surrounded ourselves around the right people. In addition to having a clear vision, there are a few other things to stay motivated as an online business owner. And this area right here to me is key. You have to surround yourself with positive people who believe in your vision, who are supporting your efforts. And these people will be a source of inspiration and motivation when you need it most. Isolation is a serious motivation killer. Left to ourselves most of us are going to struggle to be self-motivated. 

And if you think about the COVID pandemic over the last two plus years, isolation is more common. It's definitely escalated in a lot of people's lives. People are feeling more alone than ever. But as online business owners, we can connect with people from all over the world who have the same goals. And just having that connection with people, I feel has a huge impact on, I know, my motivation for sure. Being a part of online Facebook group communities in your niche is a great way to connect, knowing that you're not alone. And just having a place where you can share your wins, your struggles, where you can get validation of your ideas. All of these things increase motivation and excitement.

And if you're thinking, wow, I wish I had a community like that. There are many out there. You just need to search for them. But I, of course, invite you to join our community. You can go to launchperspective.community and introduce yourself. Remember, networking is a two-way street. So, you have to be willing to put yourself out there. Find an accountability partner. That is a great way to keep yourself motivated and doing what you say you will do. I always think about when I did WeightWatchers many years ago now. The reason why you're motivated  each and every week is because you know you're going to show up and have to get on a scale. And so, who are you connecting with that's checking in with you, that's asking how things are going based on the things you said you want to accomplish in your business?

And I have one other tip for you. You can also surround yourself around a team. This made the biggest difference for me, because when I first launched my online business, I did everything myself for the first five months. It was lonely and way too easy for me to have days where I did nothing when I was unmotivated. But then I hired my first team member to help with customer and admin support. I hired her originally to work just 10 hours a week, but just by having someone who I was now responsible for paying it lit fire in me to really get my act together. I started thinking through my systems, my goals, my priorities, and just having one other person to meet with every week to plan with, it kicked my motivation to a whole new level.

And it continues to do that for me today. I now have three other team members besides myself. We meet every Monday on Zoom to map out our plan for the week and working together with a team has totally helped me to get pumped for the week. It gives me clarity and vision and helps me stay motivated because it's no longer just about me, but it's about we, all of us as a team. So, the people that you're surrounding yourself around, whether it's peers or mentors, or even team members, being with others, communicating with others, building relationships, and working together, that all makes a difference in your motivation.

Number three, I think is a pitfall that a lot of people may not have considered being a part of their lack of motivation. And that is that we aren't taking care of ourselves. Let's be honest. Life is not always easy. It can be crazy busy. We're often pulled in so many directions. And so, we forget to take care of ourselves. And I'm here to tell you that when life outside of your business is struggling your motivation in your business is going to struggle. If you are not fit physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally in your relationships, all of these things absolutely affect your motivation.

Now, there are always things that are outside of our control, but one thing that's never outside of our control is how we respond to the things life throws at us. And I know for me when I'm stressed or something's going on with my kids, or I'm super busy, I definitely stop taking care of myself physically. I'm not moving my body enough. I'm not meal planning, which means I'm not eating the healthiest. And sometimes this goes on for so long we don't even realize that it's become the norm. And you have to do something differently if you want a different result.

So, six months ago, I decided I could no longer put my physical health on the back burner and started going to a Pilates class two to three times a week, started eating better and moving more. And let me tell you even small changes, make a big difference. A big difference in how I feel when I wake up, how I feel when I'm working, how I feel about just life in general. So, finding those things that work for you is so important. I know for me, spending time in prayer, listening to worship music, staying connected with others in my community and my church helps me emotionally and spiritually. Because hustling 24/7 is not what's going to get you to your goals. You need to have those times to rest and refresh.

I'm actually recording this episode while on vacation right now because we all need time to recharge. But if we don't take care of ourselves, we won't be around to run our business. And you cannot pour into others from an empty cup. So, make sure you're taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. Entrepreneurship can be taxing on your body and mind. So, it's important to take time for yourself: exercise, eat healthy, get enough sleep. It's going to allow you to be your best when you're working on your business.

Number four is probably the biggest motivation killer, and it's when we feel overwhelmed or confused about our next steps. When business is going great, we're super motivated. Right? Things are just thriving, and everything's building and it looks like everything's going awesome. You're excited to work that day, but what happens when you are completely overwhelmed, you're confused by the technology that you're implementing or you're not exactly sure what your next steps are? It's so important to break down your goals into small manageable pieces, because trying to accomplish too much at once can be overwhelming. It leads to frustration, and it's important to focus on that one thing at a time and celebrate each accomplishment as you reach it.

Now don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, because there's no shame in admitting when you need assistance. In fact, it actually shows that you're willing to do what it takes to succeed. So, I know for me, when I feel overwhelmed or I'm stuck trying to make a decision about something, I reach out to either my network of fellow entrepreneurs, I reach out to a coach, I reach out to someone, a mentor, an accountability partner, or someone who has gone before me. We have to sometimes hear from someone else to get that validation, to help us get unstuck.

I know for me, sometimes I've had to schedule strategy sessions with a coach or a mentor because making decisions means that I can move forward. I always tell my students and my clients indecisiveness is the enemy. And when we're confused or overwhelmed, it's very difficult to make decisions. But if you can get validation from someone else, if you can get clear direction, you'll start to feel that excitement. You're starting now to take action and that motion is what leads to momentum.

The fifth and final thing that can really affect our motivation is listening to the lies in our head. How many of you can relate to things like this: I feel like such a failure, is there any hope, will things ever change, will this ever work? You know, you have to trust the process and celebrate each step of your journey no matter how small the wins may be. You have to acknowledge the progress you're making. You have to give yourself credit for the hard work you've put in. And you need to realize that it is a marathon, not a sprint. This acceptance that there's going to be ups, there's going to be downs, there's going to be times where you are feeling good and times when you're feeling like nothing's working, that that is part of the process. It's going to help you feel more motivated and inspired to keep moving forward.

You have to rewrite some of the limiting beliefs. And this of course is where mindset comes in. It's a big part of being an online business owner. You have to be able to identify the thoughts that are in your head that are not serving you and rewrite them into other affirming words. Such as, right now I don't feel like things are going well, but there is a solution. And what steps can I take to move forward from where I am right now? Often the solution is not that far away. You can use any of the tips that I just shared with you to connect with people, to reach out to a network, a coach, an accountability partner, someone who can give you the truth about what you're experiencing.

Often, we are the most critical of ourselves and that's not helping us gain motivation. So, go back to the vision of why you started your business. How can you impact others with what you are sharing, whether it's in your weekly content, your courses, your programs as a coach, whatever it is that you are doing and whoever it is that you're serving? What will happen if you don't show up for them? If you can make it all about others, I find that also makes a difference because it helps me get my thoughts off of me and all the things that I don't feel are going right. And instead, I start focusing on what others need, how I can serve them, how I can show up. And by showing up that naturally motivates me. When people are engaging with me, whether it's on live or even in a response to a message or an email, the more you're showing up, the more engagement you're going to get and the more motivating it's going to be.

Being an online business owner can feel lonely and difficult. And while it's easy to get discouraged, remember, you don't have to go on this journey alone. Use the tips that we just shared to stay motivated, because what you are doing has an impact on your life and the life of others.

So, decide right now, which of the strategies that I've shared today that you'll implement to increase your motivation.