The idiosyncrasies of small business operation make achievement rewarding, but the slow progress and complications encountered along the way can propagate a negative mindset that is anything but productive. Finding the right motivational strategies to help negate this is crucial to workplace productivity and cultivating a positive work environment. In this post, we’ll discuss the best strategies to prevent and deal with motivational ruts.
Go Outside on a Walk
In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, small issues can quickly begin to feel all-consuming. This mindset can create a cycle of over-fixation that builds even more unnecessary toxicity. To prevent this, take a break from the task at hand by taking time for yourself outside. Fresh air and a new environment can rejuvenate even the most stagnant of mindsets, and help provide necessary perspective when working through problems—or on that products and services page you’ve been trying to perfect.
Try Something New
Once you’ve established a daily or weekly routine, it’s easy to subconsciously stick to habit in favor of simplicity and comfort. When something interrupts this harmony, it can feel like a huge upset and lead to further stress. To prevent this, consciously push yourself outside of your comfort zone, making the effort to incorporate new activities on a semi-regular or intermittent basis.
Try scheduling a cooking class, attempting a new form of exercise, or simply taking a different route home from work. You may even want to try a new and more creative marketing activity like Instagram Stories to change things up and give your logical brain a break.
Mixing up your routine will result in a healthier, more adaptable mindset, creating a feeling of happiness that will positively affect your attitude both inside and outside of your business environment.
Grab Coffee With Another Small Business Owner
The distinctive characteristics of a small business, regardless of the industry, can be difficult for those not involved in similar environments to understand. Forging positive relationships and connections with other small business owners can prove invaluable during times of stress—something as simple as grabbing a quick coffee break with another small business owner when a problem arises can be helpful. Chatting with someone else who ‘gets it’ and has their own unique approach to commonly experienced issues can be mutually valuable for both parties, culminating in creative solutions and insight.
Also, keep in mind that building relationships with other small businesses around you is a great way to strengthen the community and create a foundation for local marketing.
Re-evaluate Your Goals
Often times our instinct is to aim high, setting lofty goals that, while admirable, are not easily attainable. While these kinds of objectives are valuable to establish, it is also crucial to break larger aspirations into smaller and more feasible chunks.
By doing so, you’ll prevent the feeling of constantly striving towards a goal that’ll never come to fruition, which creates a mindset of defeat. Smaller accomplishments can be just as rewarding and lead to a positive mindset of consistent achievement, a huge motivator that will make your long-term goals seem less intimidating.
Read Customer Reviews
Your customers are the reason you created your business, and they are also a significant part of what drives you to keep going! When in a rut, it can be difficult to think outside your own boxed perspective. By reading your positive customer reviews, emails, or letters of gratitude, you will be able to reconnect with the roots and overall purpose of your business, helping to reinvigorate your mission and inspire you to keep persevering, regardless of the circumstance.
Daily Mantras and Quotes
The entrepreneurial path is paved with setbacks and hindrances galore, so it’s smart to source your inspiration in as many ways as possible! Getting into the habit of reading a motivational quote before the work day begins will uplift your mood and establish a go-getter mindset for the day ahead.
Watch a TED Talk
Every successful businessperson has faced pitfalls and setbacks they’ve had to overcome to prevail in their field. Free and easily accessible online, TED Talks are a great source to channel this kind of inspiration. Whether the talk in question is immediately relevant to small businesses or not, watching these individuals relay their stories provides tangible examples of perseverance in the face of adversity, lessons that any small business owner could benefit from.
Regardless of how you source your motivation, the right strategy can inspire and encourage your efforts, preventing you from getting stuck in inevitable ruts. Implementing small changes in your daily routine and the ways in which you handle adversity can do wonders for your business. A motivated attitude will help generate a similar mentality amongst employees and co-workers, setting standards of capability and positivity that will then be palpable to your customers.
