Motivation – It’s In There Somewhere!

Allan Goldner

Ever find yourself looking around the office trying to figure out where you left your motivation? It’s got to be around here somewhere.  You know you had it when you first began your new business.  You’ve run across it from time to time as your business developed. It’s got to be here!  Did you look under the complacency? It might be over by the procrastination. Sometimes it can fall behind the frustration and get stuck by the stress or even end up in the rut. Well, at least you know it’s missing. Some folks go on with their daily activities without even realizing it’s gone. 

Entrepreneurs by their very nature are highly motivated people.  It’s that quality which drives one person to go out on his own rather than simply going through the motions at the old 9-5.  I learned a long time ago, that no one can motivate someone else.  You’ve seen it yourself.  You’ve probably wondered why your key employee has every tool at his disposal, every opportunity to make more money, and a great chance for promotion, and yet doesn’t seem to be able to get going. The fact is that people can only motivate themselves. What might motivate one doesn’t do it for someone else.  And, as there are many different types of entrepreneurs, there are as many different ways for one to stay motivated. 

Some like to pipe in the canned motivation speak with the celebrity expert using the Ipod during the workout or the car stereo on the way to work.  If that lights your candle, listen away. Some entrepreneurs read trade magazines to get moving, they should read on. Others attend conventions to find like minded entrepreneurs and get collectively jazzed up; schmooze away.

Now that I’ve covered all of the above, prepare yourself for the unexpected: an offering of advice from the columnist.  Go to your quiet place and think about all the different reasons you decided to do what you do. Try to relive the time when, what you are doing now was merely a dream of yours. Why did you want this? What did you hope to gain from doing this?  Are you closer to your goals than when you first considered going into business? Is this better than what you were doing before?  You might be starting to feel a little better. After all, even if you’re not doing very well financially, at least you know it and won’t get a surprise pink slip.  You might reflect that at least you have a friendly boss now.  Yeah, you’re the boss. And, perhaps feeling a little more motivated is all you need to clear the next hurdle. You’re doing what you do because you took charge of your destiny. You didn’t wait for it to find you. Win or lose, you’re the one calling the shots.

Wait a minute, what’s that underneath your vision, next to your determination and sitting right on top of your courage, it’s your motivation.