Four Tips to Stay Motivated During the Lulls
Recently, one of my clients asked me how to stay motivated during the lulls of her new business. A mother of four under five, with a full-time job and an entrepreneurial spirit, her new swaddle company was born one night, in July 2020, out of a mix of sleep deprivation, frustration and inspiration to help other Mom’s navigate the newborn stage.
Launching a business and navigating the manufacturing process during a pandemic has been challenging to say the least, and she was experiencing burnout from the constant delays and pushed back launch date.
Without a product in hand, she was struggling to stay motivated.
1. Reframe the circumstances
Remember your why. Often, motivation is lost when we lose sight of why we are doing what we do. Breaks in the action provide an opportunity to think about the big picture.
Ask yourself some foundational questions: What are my goals? Why are they important to me? How am I putting myself in a position to accomplish those goals? What am I doing to align myself to my values?
Specifically for small business owners, use these lulls to recreate the initial passion you had when you first started your business. Giving yourself the opportunity to bring your values and passions back to the forefront can provide a refreshed perspective and offer a push during the slow periods. Creating a mission statement for your brand/practice/business can help you refocus on your values and help you think of ways to stay motivated during the slow periods.
2. Learn from the past to prepare for the future
Use the quieter periods to reflect on the busy times and think about how you can better prepare yourself for future work. Logistically, it can help to examine your past methods and figure out how you might be able to tweak your past strategies to increase efficiency during the next busy period.
From a mindfulness standpoint, lulls in business provide an opportunity to reflect on how you felt during the busy times. Think about how your energy was affected and how you might be able to use those past feelings to help you in the future. Consider what drained you, what motivated you, and how your past mindset helped and hurt you. Use the answers to these questions to map out how you can minimize drainers, maximize drivers, and mentally prepare yourself for future success.
3. Revisit old or abandoned projects
When business is booming, it can be difficult to focus on anything other than keeping up with the pace. However, slower periods provide a time to return to old work and ideas for further development.
Coming back to old ideas can help you recalibrate your focus and vision. It may serve as a reminder as to what you want out of your work and how you want to develop your brand/practice/business to reflect your values. Revisiting past projects can pump up creativity levels and lead to new professional strategies while remaining grounded in your mission.
4. Take time to refresh and replenish
It’s no secret that starting and running a business is a round-the-clock operation that demands your full attention. When you’re burning the candles and both ends, and you feel like your business isn’t growing at the pace you’d like it to be, it’s easy to feel burnt out and depleted. If your motivation is lacking or you're feeling stuck, it might be because you haven’t given yourself the time to take a step back.
Take some time for self care and do the things you enjoy. Stepping away from your professional life to check in with yourself can make you aware of what helps you regain motivation and energy. While you might feel that you have to attend to your business 24/7, it can be counterintuitive to disregard your mental health for your business given that the two are so intertwined. Using the lulls for self-care can be a crucial practice for recharging your energy and motivation.
For my client, I asked her to take a step back and consider the purpose of her business. Was she a product, a community, or both? This simple question was enough for her to take that step back and realize that she could continue to provide so much value and support to new moms while she waited for her product to be finalized. It re-ignited her passion, and she’s been using the lull to build her community on social media and build her website so it’s ready for launch day!
Motivation looks different for everyone, and finding what it takes to re-light that spark during the lulls can be difficult. I’d love to hear what you do to stay motivated or recharge your batteries when things slow down! Send your tips to jenn@conshycoaching.com. I am always excited to hear form you!
Interested in learning more about working with me? Head over to the Work With Me page and schedule your free coaching exploration call today!
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