Running a business is hard! Probably harder than you ever thought it would be. Most of us decided to go self employed because we wanted more time and more freedom.
Unfortunately that isn't the reality for many of us. We take on too much because we want everything now. Then we get tired. It's not like the old 9 to 5 where we could switch off when we got home. We’re thinking about work all the time. We end up taking work on holiday with us and say “just a few hours a day.” that's all. But it's more than a few hours a day and we realise we don’t have the freedom we started out for. We have the opposite.
Before you know it you’ve fallen out of love with your business and motivation is at an all time low. Maybe its like this for you? So how do you get back on track?
Just Keep Swimming?
Keep going, even saying keep going makes you feel tired, doesn’t it? It makes you feel mentally and physically exhausted but you know you can’t stop. Negative thinking creeps in and you begin to struggle with focussing on what needs to be done.
If you feel you just have to keep going, it’s likely that you aren’t sure where you are going. All the effort and the hard work seems harder because you can’t see what you are aiming for treading water to stay afloat. What are you working towards? If you don’t know then everything will feel hard including knowing what to do and when to do it.
Finding Your Direction
You need direction, how do you get that? Start by deciding on your goals. Really inspiring goals. Big juicy goals that get you excited when you think about them or talk about them. Goals that you want to share with everyone and anyone who will listen. Goals that remind you of your passion, your reason for doing what you do.
Big Juicy Goals
A goal isn’t just about results. Results are important but that’s not the only reason for having goals. Goals give you a signpost. The say “this is where we are going!” They give you direction and provide you with structure. When you wonder, “can I do this?” goals lift you up. When you write out your goals, your language is critical.
Five Steps To Writing Big Fat Juicy Goals
1 - Desire - you MUST desire the goal. It’s got to be something you REALLY want. If it isn't big and exciting, what’s the point? It has to mean something to you, or it isn’t your goal. Don’t confuse goals with objectives, they are not the same!
2 - Positive Language - put some emotions into your goals. You will be investing time and energy into these goals. How will it make you feel to work towards them and achieve them?
3 - Play with the wording - Spend time writing your goals and play around with the wording. Often goals are written in haste. Slow down. Give them the time they deserve. Write your goal in a way so that when you read it, it makes you excited and boosts your confidence and motivation.
4 - Score your confidence - How confident are you that you can achieve your goal? Rate it from 1 to 10. You will know if your goal is hitting the right buttons if you score 10. If it’s not a 10 keep playing with the wording until you get to 10.
5 - Read your goals every week - Read your goals every week! How do you feel when you read them? Do they make you smile? Do you feel excited? Now check back in with your confidence rating. If you’re still at 10, then the goal is still working for you. If you’ve slipped from 10, you need to revisit the wording until you’re back at full confidence.
Something important to bear in mind is that life changes. Our circumstances change. Sometimes we don’t want what we used to. Sometimes a goal stops being a goal. If your goal isn’t exciting you anymore or you can’t get back to 10 on the confidence scale, ask yourself, do you still want to deliver this goal? Is this still the right thing for you?
Keep Your Goal Alive
Back in the old days kids used to have electronic pets called Tamagotchis. They were on little pocket devices and had to be fed, watered and given attention everyday to keep them alive. Your goals need the same devotion, if not more. Write your goals out and put them where you can see them everyday. Use them as your password or your screensaver. Talk about your goals with people, keep them feeling real and alive.
Writing goals can be quite difficult. It’s not always easy because they are personal and emotive. I do a lot of work with my clients around goal setting. Sometimes you are just too close to the situation and it needs a fresh pair of objective eyes. I work with people who feel stuck, tired, out of alignment and who aren’t enjoying their businesses anymore. I use a wide range of techniques to help them get unstuck and remotivated. If you’d like to know more about the work I do or if I can help you, get in touch.