How to stay motivated when starting a business

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Americans launched new businesses in unexpected fees during the pandemic. Perhaps the time in isolation inspired people to finally take a chance on a new idea, or perhaps the unfortunate layoffs prepared people to take a new path. Either way, if you are a recent or new business owneryou are likely to face some daunting challenges from time to time.

If that sounds familiar, read on to find out what those common challenges are and what you can do to get motivated again.

Common Challenges Business Owners Face

Starting a business requires a high level of courage, resilience and reliable resources that allow us to overcome challenges and see through your goals. People starting businesses of all kinds, from products to services to startups and more, face many of these challenges:

• As you embark on the new path, fear and uncertainty lead many business owners to worry when they take risks and find themselves questioning their plans or intentions.
• Financial issues such as the need for financing, using your savings as an investment, and making ends meet at the start of a business can present significant hurdles for many entrepreneurs and cause stress from the start.
• Differentiate yourself from the competition and standing out in the market it can be challenging initially.
• Finding and keeping a strong team and reliable employees can be complex and have a huge impact on your success rate right from the start. High turnover and poorly functioning equipment can negatively affect a company’s workflow and production.
• Balancing your new business with your personal life or full-time job, if you have one, means you’ll be short on time, and this can be a stress point at first for business owners.

Related: 7 factors that make a brand stand out

How to stay motivated

With all these challenges, it’s important to put systems in place that help you manage your workload and stay on track. Running a business is a long-term challenge, but there are particular stresses associated with starting up that can level off over time. So when you get started, consider the following strategies to help you. keep motivated in the middle of obstacles.

1. Set goals: Be sure to use the SMART method when setting goals so that you set specific and achievable goals. ELEGANT stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Limited in Time. This structure can help you stay focused and on track.
2. Celebrate as you reach goals: Be sure to enjoy your winnings. Honoring those moments will help you feel optimistic about your progress and the way forward.
3. track your progress: Check in with various milestones to measure how far you’ve gone beyond revenue and profit. Have you acquired more customers this month than last, sold more items, or increased average order value? Tracking various metrics will help you see your strengths and achievements.
4. get inspired: Consume media and content that excites you and find leaders who inspire you. Listen to podcasts, read books, and watch videos that can teach you how to view your challenges in a new way and broaden your understanding of your business and yourself.
5. improve: Keep improving your skills and learn new ones to add additional value to your business operations. If you still need to hire an entire team to cover the tasks that need to be done, you’ll need to learn how to do them yourself. Brush up on your marketing, Excel, accounting or sales skills to lift the currently lagging portion of your business.
6. remember your why: When you feel like giving up, it’s hard to remember why you started doing all this in the first place. Having your why written down somewhere where you can always see it can help you feel motivated again when you feel like you can’t keep up.
7. Visualize success: It is vital to create a strong mental image of what success looks like for you. Make a vision boardkeep a journal and come back to these things when you feel discouraged.
8. Create a motivating workspace: Surround yourself with an atmosphere that promotes inspiration. Motivational quotes, images, or just things that make you happy can help you achieve this. Keep your workplace clean and free of clutter that can contribute to stress.
9. Find an accountability partner: Sometimes you will need help to get where you are going. Find someone or a group of people on the same path as you who can help keep you accountable. It feels great to connect with like-minded people to help you achieve your goals.
10. Take strategic breaks: Working too much or too hard can lead to burnout. It is important to plan breaks that will rejuvenate and refresh you. Find an outlet that helps you de-stress, like yoga, hiking, or swimming.

Related: Build a business? Here are 4 common challenges you’ll likely face along the way.

It’s understandable that any new business owner may feel inspired some days and lack motivation the next. Running a business can seem like an uphill battle in the early stages, but when it works, it’s worth it. Incorporate a few of those practices into your daily routine to stay motivated.