How to stay motivated when your business is struggling

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Businesses go through their ups and downs. It can be challenging to stay motivated at the helm when you’re going through a bad patch. As the leader, it is your job to sort it out, but you can’t do that if you lose your drive. In this article, we’ll talk you through the best ways to stay motivated through a business related slump.

  1. Be clear on what needs to be done

Burying your head and hoping it gets better is not going to help. Facing your issues is vital to your mental health, and you can’t do anything about fixing your struggling business if you’re pretending it isn’t happening. Sit down and make a note of what’s going wrong. Spend some time working out all of the ways of fixing your situation and then choose the most feasible. You’ll feel more motivated once you have a plan.

  1. Talk to your customers

Talking to your customers is an excellent way of reminding you why you do what you do. Spend some time with the people who rely on your products or services. Their words should motivate you to knuckle down.

 3. Set rewards

Whether you realise it or not, your brain is stimulated by rewards. Why not make an internal agreement to yourself that when you reach specific targets, you’ll reward yourself with a holiday or that gadget that you’ve wanted for a while? You’ll be surprised by how hard you work when you see the potential for enjoyment at the end of it.

  1. Take time for yourself

It might be difficult for you to put your problems to one side, but dwelling on them out of hours is not going to help you. It will probably make things worse. There is no denying that we’re in the grips of an overwork epidemic that is causing a rise in depression. Being depressed is going to make it much harder to save your business. Dedicate some time to mindfulness and meditation. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Enjoy time with your family and friends. You’ll be much more motivated to work when the time comes if you aren’t spending all of your time doing it. Make sure you’re giving yourself a bit of a break.

  1. Stay positive

Researchers have discovered that positive emotions narrow your mind and focus your thoughts in the same way that negative ones do. For example, if you’re afraid you’re about to be hit by a car you automatically shield your head and move out of the way. Forcing yourself to think positive thoughts about your business will motivate you to take positive actions towards pulling yourself out of your slump. It has been proven that when you feel positive emotions, you see more possibilities in your life. Meditation, writing and dedicating time to do the things you love will all increase positive thoughts and help reduce the negative ones.

  1. Ask for help

You are not the first person to have fallen into a business slump, and you will not be the last. If you’re struggling with what to do next, then it might be a good idea to talk to someone who has been there before. A mentor can help you with key decisions and motivation. Look for someone who works in your sector or industry and has achieved the things that you hope to achieve. Ask them if they would be interested in mentoring you. You’ll be able to tell them about the issues that you’re facing, and they’ll be able to offer valuable insight into what you might be able to do to turn things around. At the very least you’ll feel better for sharing your worries with someone who knows what it feels like, and that can be a motivation in itself.

  1. Read stories about successful people who have failed

There are more people who have been through this than you think and you can find their stories all over the internet. Lady Gaga, Will Smith, Donald Trump and Walt Disney all went bankrupt at some point in their lives, and look at them all now.

“SUCCESS IS STUMBLING FROM FAILURE TO FAILURE WITH NO LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM”

– WINSTON CHURCHILL