How To Stay Motivated While Building Your Business

The journey as an entrepreneur is long and arduous. It might feel like an endless bleak tunnel with no ray of light or hope.

This is exactly how I feel after a decade of writing and dipping my toes into self-publishing.

There are ups and downs, such as getting reviews from raving readers and depressing months without any sales.

But the key is how do you stay motivated on this tedious journey?

Here are some ways that I personally use to encourage myself to keep going.

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Letters To My Future Self

So this was a gift I bought for myself~ It was something I always wanted but I didn’t really want to spend money on it 😅 Note: It’s a want, not a need. Thus, when I got a gift card, I immediately bought this. I think it’s meaningful too since it became a gift for myself.

So what are letters to my future self?

Simply put, it’s like a time capsule. A letter you write to yourself to be opened in the future.

All you need is to write it and set a target date to open it. Please set a reminder so you remember. And of course, don’t peek until the time arrives.

I bought mine from Amazon. I was really touched by its message: “Write Now. Read Later. Treasure Forever.”

But there’s a more affordable alternative which is to just write on a piece of paper, seal it and open later. Or you can go digital: write an email and schedule it to send on a future date.

One benefit of writing this letter is that it makes you forward-looking. By addressing your future self, it makes you think about the future. What would you like to say to your future self?

Here are some content ideas to include in this future-self letter

• Summary of your current self
• Things that you want to remember about you now
• How you’re feeling now
• Your current values & beliefs: family & friends, relationships, health, career, finance & money
• Your fears
• Your goals & hopes
• Things that you want to change (eg. habits to be healthier, what to exclude from/add to your life)
• Things that you want to stop, continue & start doing
• Questions to your future self (eg. how you’re different now, what goals have you achieved, what lessons have you learned, are you happy)
• Advice to your future self (eg. be nice to your parents, save money for a rainy day)

Also, I strongly recommend that you write in a casual tone. It’s a letter to yourself so write as though you’re talking to your best friend! Use “I” when referring to your current self and use “you” when referring to your future self. You can also break up the letter into various sections where one section will talk about your business and entrepreneurial journey.

Source: OohLaLaLetters via Etsy

Goals

Every year, I write a post to summarize what happened as well as set goals for the new year. These goals are usually business-related since it’s a post published on my author website.

Likewise, you can do the same too. Set your New Year’s resolutions or just goals for the year. You can take this a step further and set monthly goals. It’s really up to you.

However, do bear in mind that these should be SMART goals.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Be realistic. Ensure that the goals can be realistically achieved given the available resources and time.

For example, you could set a goal of writing 10 chapters or just 30 minutes every day. For the first goal, you can break it into 1 chapter per month. For the second goal, you can use a habit tracker to ensure that you’re sticking to your daily habit (and not breaking the chain). These might seem like small baby steps but doing it continuously will ensure that you achieve your goal someday. In addition, they can serve as milestones so you know that you’re on track. Checking these off will also motivate you. Since you’ve already come so far, you’re just a few steps away from your goal.

Source: LilLexiLu via Etsy

Motivational & Inspirational Quotes

So, my phone’s wallpaper is a dream quote: “Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big.”

I get motivated every morning and night when I look at my phone. Thus, I felt that having a motivational and inspirational quote to start and end your day is a great encouragement.

Other than your phone, you can place it elsewhere such as setting it as your computer wallpaper or framing and hanging it up in your bedroom. The key is prominently displaying this quote. It should be immediately noticeable. Or better yet, put this quote in a location you’re at every day or a place you’ll look at every day.

I’ve also included some dream-related quotes in the letter to my future self!

Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels

Testimonials & Reviews From Customers

I have this habit of jotting down readers’ reviews on pretty sticky notes and pasting them in my monthly planner. This way, I can look at them from time to time and feel motivated. These reviews remind me of the reason why I continue writing—so more readers enjoy reading my stories and perhaps, feel happy while reading my books.

By adding testimonials and reviews to your business website, you can build credibility where potential customers can find out how your products and services have solved other people’s problems.

This is a win-win situation: you build trust and you’re encouraged to continue your business.

Photo by geralt on Pixabay

Now It’s Your Turn

How do you encourage yourself while on the road to success?

To end off, I would like to share a dream quote from my notebook of motivational and inspirational quotes: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” :)