Self Motivation Lessons from an Entrepreneur

Over the last 10 years, in the quest to build a sustainable business, I have discovered through personal experience what I did not know when I set out. This is that self motivation is the main reason that anyone succeeds at anything. I also learnt that there are some truths that anyone setting out on a challenging journey will encounter sooner or later…

In the earlier days of my small startup, there were some dark periods. There were times when there was little or no business. Along the way, I bumped into people posing as business associates when the only difference between them and thieves was that these guys carried a business card. I thought I knew quite a lot about business given my years of corporate experience only to find out that much of what I knew was not that helpful in starting and running my own business.

Remember all the data about the majority of small businesses failing? Several years of struggle into the business venture, I realized for the first time in my professional life that I might end up being a total failure, another casualty in the statistics of half-baked failed ideas. Then, a few years ago, things changed significantly – for the better.

Failure is not an option

The one thing that terrified me was the idea of being a failure – someone who could not make it. I was in a difficult market and business was not going to be easy but I just did not want to fail. This was what I needed at the time – a compelling force to keep me going and staying the course. With time, things improved but without the fear of failure. I would have not been able to continue.

You are your best friend

I used to think that I could get by on the goodwill of others and started confusing dependence on others with collaboration. Friendship, collaboration and partnerships are fine but only once you have realized that no one else is going to do for you what you need to do for yourself. Once you take control of the way you want to be and the way you operate, the resulting confidence and motivation to succeed just goes through the roof.

Find meaning and direction

Most business people will blab on about mission and vision. I find this to be non-existent in most organizations and where there is a stated mission/vision it is more often than not just lip-service. Business ventures big and small tend to meander this way and that, stumble on some opportunities then pretend all of this has been part of a grand predefined strategy. Along the way, it’s just numbers and forecasts and clients until you find some meaning, some purpose. I found that this is more about discovery than a preconceived statement on a business plan.

I discovered my venture was really good at some things and not so good at others. This developed into a “niche” and acquired some meaning and some purpose and real benefits for clients. When this finally happens, everything becomes easier because you have something tangible to work with. It is absolutely amazing that when your work becomes meaningful for you, it also becomes meaningful for your clients at the same time.

Meaning also provides immense stamina – the kind that allows you to work for weeks on end without getting tired.

Expectations are just expectations – change them

When you don’t get what you expect, that can technically be called a “failure”. There are two choices: one is that you accept this as a failure and quit and the other is that you re-calibrate your expectations. After all, your expectations are just a peculiar alignment of neurons in some obscure part of your brain so what’s the big deal about reducing expectations?

Small steps and small wins

Some ventures enjoy enormous, overnight success. Others take time to grow sometimes over many years. Go with the flow. Celebrate small wins – like a new customer, a new service that is working, a task well done. I have found this to be a great way to keep myself motivated almost on a daily basis.

Self motivation in my experience is not one, monolithic entity, It is a collection of molecules, collected on a daily basis, that aggregates into a compelling force over time.