Some days are harder than others. Some days you have to work really hard all day, just keeping your head down to get through everything that needs to be done. And sometimes you have several days, or weeks, like that all in a row.
When this happens it can be really easy to lose sight of why you wanted to start a business in the first place. Odds are good it wasn't so you could work 60 hours a week, never see your family and always be worried that things were slipping through the cracks even though you were working as hard as you possibly could.
At these times it's more important than ever to stop, take a deep breath and remember what's motivating you. Why did you want your own business in the first place?
You might be feeling pretty far from the freedom and flexibility you imagined when you first started to think about your own business, but that's OK. Take 10 minutes and think about those feelings you first had when you were dreaming of your own business.
Think about the afternoons you've been able to spend with loved ones when work wasn't so crazy, or all the things you've been able to do with your business, the people you've met and the opportunities you've had that wouldn't have come your way if you weren't working for yourself.
Think about all the dedication it has taken to get you where you are, and think about the rewards having your own business has brought you. Remember that all that is still there even though you can't see it right now.
Taking some time to think about what really motivates you can get you and keep you going when times are tough in your business. You'll begin to see that all those things that motivated you to start your business in the first place are still there, which can give you a boost.
You may find yourself inspired to work through your current unpleasantness with renewed vigor because it really is taking you where you want to and need to go with your business.
And if you find that you're working so hard and are so unhappy because you've strayed from your original vision of what your business was going to be, then this can serve as your wake-up call that you need to change things, pronto, for the sake of your business, your family and your sanity. |
