by Leo
Sun
As a young entrepreneur, it is easy
to lose your way, to lose steam as motivation wanes. Failed products and poor
sales can crush your spirit, and the loss of support from family and friends
can cause you to doubt yourself. What are some ways young entrepreneurs can
keep up their spirits and persevere in today’s cutthroat business environment?
Time
is on Your Side
Just as financial advisers tell
young investors, “Time is on your side.” When you’re young, you can take higher
risks, such as buying up high-risk stocks and waiting a decade before selling.
The same applies to small businesses. If you’re young and able, you have the
luxury of failing and being able to pick yourself back up. You’re able to take
risks that older businessmen simply can’t afford to take.
Don’t
Look Before You Leap
Fear is a great motivational tool.
If you want to start up a business, quit your day job. Transfer your life
savings to a trusted family member, then tell them to withhold it from you.
Once you’ve removed all your safety nets, you’re ready to leap. The greatest
entrepreneurs have risen from desperation – and you’ll never truly feel
desperate unless you lose your monthly income and access to your savings.
The
Glass is Always Half Full
There’s simply no point in viewing
the glass as half empty. Pessimists should not be entrepreneurs – they should
try to make a living shorting stocks instead. A great motivational tool is to
always look at the bright side – a cliche, for sure – but also one of the most
important qualities of a motivated manager. Perhaps you botched a product
release, and a competitor flattened you. It’s only a big deal if you didn’t
learn anything from the costly lesson. It was worthwhile if you’re able to
perform a thorough autopsy of your dead product to understand why it failed.
Your product didn’t fail – rather, you were given an opportunity to see weaknesses
which you couldn’t see earlier.
Relax!
Sometimes you just need to take a
time out and relax. Put the world on pause, and put on your favorite CD. Go out
for a cup of coffee, get a massage, and let your worries melt away for the day.
Rushed and stressed managers often make terrible decisions. Taking a day off
and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the workplace can help you come
back to work with a fresh perspective on the current situation. Encourage your
co-workers to take breaks, or hold meetings in outdoor, casual environments.
Reevaluate
your Priorities
Sometimes our personal and
professional lives get so fragmented that we lose sight of what’s important,
and become creatures of habit and routine, rather than passion and motivation.
Think of your mind as a hard drive desperately in need of defragmentation,
where disassembled volumes are scattered carelessly about rather incoherent
volumes. Meditation, exercises and prayer – depending on your personal
preferences – can help center your spirit and allow you to see what’s truly
important in your life.
Connect
with Loved Ones
Our personal connections with family
and friends are often sacrificed in the name of our careers. Reconnecting with
friends and family can put us back in our place, motivating us to either try
harder or to relax more. You might be earning a lot of money, but if you’ve
become so alienated from the important people in your life, is all that cash
worth it? It’s doubtful that you can stay motivated if no one is there to share
your success.
Other
Sources of Motivation
The key to staying motivated is
simple – stay positive. Inspect yourself from time to time and ask yourself if
you’re truly happy, and can stay positive. If you can’t, it’s time for a
change.
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