It takes a lot of self-motivation to own and run a business. When you’re the one in charge, you don’t answer to anybody except the people sending you bills. It’s necessary to make an honest, accurate assessment of your own abilities and performance. A large part of that motivation comes from understanding your passion: understanding exactly why you’re doing what you do.
Many people look towards business ownership as a moneymaking venture. While it’s true that there is a monetary reward in business, pursuing money as a primary goal ends up creating a pretty shallow passion. To me, I think that my passion is to truly make a difference in other people’s lives. I also want to be a good steward of what I’ve been entrusted with. If someone running a business has a deep passion for what they do, I think it will go a long way towards being successful.
Because of my desire to make a difference, I regularly ask myself if the 28 people that are currently employed with us really think this is a great place to work. Can I provide for those families, and am I making a difference in their lives? If the answer would ever be no, then I would be extremely motivated to do whatever it would take to make that answer become a yes. This is an area that takes constant reevaluation and growth to make sure you’re on the right course.
It’s also important to have a lot of energy due to the demanding nature of the job. There are many people looking to you to take action at different levels. Lifestyle is one of the main factors that will contribute to the amount of energy you have. What you eat and how active you are will determine whether or not you have the energy it takes to meet the tasks presented to you on a daily basis.
Another kind of energy that’s required is geared towards attitude and morale. If there’s a positive energy around you, it becomes a fuel for motivation. That’s why it’s very important to have positive people around you. If not, it wouldn’t take very much negativity to really zap the energy out of everybody else. As a business owner, it’s part of my job each day to set the tone and create that positive energy.
In my experience, the beginning of the day is often the most important time to be energetic. This is the time that will set the tone for the rest of the day. It’s very important to understand that there are other people that need the motivation and energy you bring to the table.
Another thing I think about quite regularly is self-improvement. There are some people out there that are overly-obsessed with improving themselves. I think that if you make it a goal to improve others around you, more than likely you’ll improve yourself in the process as well. Not only is it more rewarding to help others, but you can very easily become selfish if you only focus on yourself. As you help other people to become stronger, you will eventually learn what is most important to them.
Day in and day out, I stay motivated in business by seeing how what we do here does improve the lives of others in more than one way. Our company donates to others, I have the opportunity to use my skills to help those in need, and I try to be a good steward. Whenever we can enrich other people’s lives, it’s a very rewarding feeling for me. It’s one of the things that helps me stay motivated each and every day.
If you have any questions about business motivation or any other general questions, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 685-0366.
