Motivation and Accountability

Motivation is a huge factor when running your own business.

It always starts with a lot of enthusiasm and “Can Do” attitude, but it is hard to stay consistently motivated day, after day, after day. It is especially true a few weeks or months after you start your business. You do a lot of work, but results are still very modest or none. Or you think that you do a lot of work, but the reality is that you are losing consistency and productivity due to a slow creep up of de-motivation. After all you are alone in your house and no one is watching what you do.

To keep yourself going try to do these 3 things:

1. Remember your WHY

2. Identify and WRITE DOWN your Long- and Short-Term Goals

3. Create ACCOUNTABILITY

REMEMBER YOUR WHY

I recommend that you make a list of why you have decided to start your business in the first place. Write it down on a first page of your journal, print it in large bold letters and place in your office and bedroom. This way you will always have it in front of you. Some people create Motivation Boards by printing pictures of their WHYs and pinning them on a cork board.

Here are my personal WHYs:

- Control of business operations and strategies

- Fun of managing renovation projects

- Time flexibility for family needs

- Financial freedom

- Charity

- Travel

- Water fun – Jet Ski and Boating

IDENTIFY and WRITE DOWN YOUR LONG- and SHORT-TERM GOALS

Just like with your WHYs, write down your goals in your journal, print them, and place next to your WHYs. Look at them every day when you wake up and before you go to bed. Share them with others.

Here are my personal Goals:

- 2020: Purchase my 1st Flip property

- 2020: Decide if I need a business entity and register it if I will decide that I need it

- 2021: Purchase 4 Flip properties

- 2021: Purchase 2 Rental properties

CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY

Motivation will slowly evaporate without accountability. It is so easy to procrastinate or get sidetracked when working for yourself. Coming up with excuses and explanations to yourself on why something is delayed or not even started is easy. Find a way to share your plans with others on weekly or daily tasks. Ask them to get back with you to review what was done. Do not beat yourself up if something was not complete but analyze why and develop a plan on how to avoid it in the future and re-schedule.

Here are my personal Accountability Tools:

- Break down each Goal into small tasks and identify the most important ones.

- Write down all tasks and set up start and end dates for each one.

- Utilize Intention Journal I received from BP by signing up for 90 Day Challenge.

- My husband is my Accountability Buddy. On Fridays during lunch I have a weekly review meeting with him, when I am going through what was done during the week, next week tasks and priorities, overall strategies, and progress review.

- Publish weekly updates on my Blog.

All of the above actions do not take much time but really help to stay on track.

Let me know in the comments if you have any issues with motivation in your businesses and what you do to stay on track. I would love to hear back from you and welcome all comments, suggestions, and advise.