Five Easy Steps To Staying Motivated

Motivating yourself for success in your business as well as motivating your employees should be an ongoing process, not something you do just when the spirit moves you. It should become part of your daily business routine. And this means all aspects of your life that affect your business, these include: your attitude, your physical well-being, your work atmosphere, and how you interact with others both during and after work.

Motivational experts have identified the following as five key factors of motivation:

1. Maintaining a Positive Mental Attitude – 10% of our life is what happens to us and the other 90% is how we react. Our reactions and attitudes and what comes of them are our responsibility. If they are affecting you negatively, you need to learn to change them. We tend to adapt to our environment. If you hang around positive people and places, you can’t help but feel positive and have a great attitude. The same goes for a negative attitude and environment so be conscious of your people and surroundings. If you have employees, try to maintain a positive attitude and environment. They will find it a more pleasant place to work and will be happier. Happier employees are more productive.

2. Leave Your Personal Troubles Home - Everyone has troubles in their life. But these troubles can affect your business. So, if at all possible, leave the troubles at home. Focus your energy and attention on your business. This is not only better for your business, but it is better for you as well as it provides a mental break from your troubles.

3. Create and Recite Positive Affirmations - Create a list of positive affirmations about yourself and your business. Positive affirmations are statements such as, “I’m a successful person,” or “I will make good business decisions today.” Your subconscious mind does not know the difference between reality and perceived reality. Your mind focuses on what it sees and hears. Writing these affirmations gets them into your subconscious. Reading them gets them even deeper. Saying them aloud gives your mind these affirmations from 3 different angles and plants them deep. Recite these positive affirmations each morning as you start the day and each evening before you retire. I would recommend taping them to your bathroom mirror so they are always there in front of you. Try it, it works! You’ll be amazed at the changes. This has been proven by successful men and women for years now. Create a new list of affirmations every month. Target them towards areas in your life and business that need improvement. Remember to repeat them daily as repetition is important.

4. Take Required Breaks - Many entrepreneurs fail to take the breaks they need. They get so involved in their business out of excitement and they don’t ease up. You get working on something or on a problem and think to yourself “I will take a break as soon as I get through this” The next thing you know 3 hours have passed. I used to do this all the time. What you need to do is set a regular break schedule. Short breaks are required to keep you sharp and relieve tension. It is good for you and your business. If you work on a computer it can be even more important. You tend to work in the same physical position for hours. This is not good for your body. The best way to ensure you get the breaks you need, is to set a reminder on your computer for about every 2 hours. When the reminder comes up, walk away from your desk or computer for at least 10 minutes. Pop outside for a quick breath of fresh air – it will help rejuvenate you and freshen your mind. And your body needs to stretch.

5. Exercise, yes exercise - Exercise may not seem like an important factor in your business, but in reality it is. And by “exercise” I don’t mean spending your lunch hour at the gym. What would be beneficial and easily do-able is that those times when you get your break reminder from your computer, get up and walk around your desk or room. Better yet, as I said go outside. Take a walk around the block; it will only take you a few minutes. It will give you some fresh air and hopefully a chance to enjoy the sunlight. At a bare minimum get up and do a few stretches. Concentration, intense thought, typing at the computer - or whatever your work entails, makes muscles tighten up. Periodic stretching, or getting up and walking over to the window can help.

It doesn’t take much effort to get and keep motivated and productive. In the end it all leads to increased success.

To your success...