Self-Employed But Not a Self-Starter: Strategies for Mastering Motivation 

We can’t all be business dynamos who work tirelessly and never seem to sleep, whilst pursuing a quest for success with their venture, in fact some self-employed people take an altogether different approach to running their company.

You would naturally expect people like Jacksonville car accident attorneys to put in the hours and leave no stone unturned to get a result, but what if you are self-employed but somehow seem to lack the motivation and level of productivity that others like you seem to demonstrate?

Learning the art of self-motivation

The first thing to say is that you should never underestimate the power of self-motivation, as it often trumps many of the other qualities that you can possess.

You can have the sharpest brain around and be able to produce winning ideas almost at will, but if you lack the self-motivation required to go out and make those ideas happen, it will most likely come to nothing.

It really doesn’t matter who or what you are, if you can find the key to motivating yourself to get things done quickly and efficiently, it is a trait that will serve you well, especially if you are self-employed.

Consider the idea that self-motivation is a skill that you can learn and develop. The more you practice, the better you get, until you reach a point where tasks are approached with enthusiasm and energy rather than indifference and apathy.

Banish complacency

A good trick to use in order to improve your level of self-motivation is to avoid complacency.

Take the view that no job is ever completely finished and therefore want you are doing with your business is never entirely finished, but merely evolving constantly.

It makes a lot of sense to set yourself some goals and milestones for your business, so that you can measure your success to a certain extent, but make sure that you set new goals and challenges once you have reached your initial target.

As a self-employed person, it is your sole responsibility to drive the business forward and keep building and strengthening it. That is a quest that never really stops, which should be all the motivation you need to keep moving forward and to banish any complacency.

Evaluate how you spend your time

Another valuable self-motivation trick to utilise, is to constantly evaluate how you spend your time and what you are focusing on.

It is very easy to get caught up with what is directly in front of you and to only find the time needed to complete current tasks. Learn to find the time to implement some long-term initiatives and goals, that will help you to stay motivated, both now and in the future.

The bigger picture

It is perfectly feasible that with the right amount of self-motivation, you could end up with a scenario where you seem to be putting fewer hours into your business, but getting twice as much done as before.

Being self-motivated can make you successful at life as well as work, and there are endless possibilities when that enthusiasm and energy for anything becomes a personality trait and not just a skill you have managed to acquire.

Joe Bird has owned a retail business for many years, and seen many changes over the years; especially with the invention of e-commerce! Now taking more of a backseat, he enjoys writing business articles which others can learn from.