Self-motivation plays an immeasurably important role for any entrepreneur as it substantially contributes to the success of his venture. At the same time, self-motivation along with the motivation of others differ from other components of this success, such as luck, self-discipline, and thorough planning with the use of professional skills, competence, and experience. In turn, it presupposes the process that maintains and guides goal-oriented behaviors – in other words, self-motivation is a person’s desire to act and achieve developed by himself. Self-motivation is an underlying force that determines the efficiency of a process and distinguishes successful entrepreneurs. It may be regarded as a driving power that transforms passive individuals into active leaders who not only motivate themselves but inspire others and strengthen their commitment to corporate goal achievement. As self-motivation is not an inherited quality and may be developed and improved, this work represents the plan of action with motivational strategies to stay focused on the venture and motivate those whose contribution is essential for success.
Self-Motivation
SMART Goals
As was previously mentioned, self-motivation differs from planning that concentrates on business aspects. While the latter refers to the elaboration on particular strategies for stable growth and development on the basis of external factors, assets, and capabilities, motivation implies the desire to follow these strategies and exceed expectations. In other words, motivation is like an engine that allows to move throughout the business process, and without it, even the most efficient business plan may fail.
However, planning and self-motivation have a common ground, including the setting of goals. While for planning, goals determine methods and techniques that should be used for their achievement, for motivation, goals are associated with positive and desirable results that should be achieved if to stay focused on them. In both cases, goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based ones (“Motivational strategy assignment template,” n.d.). For self-motivation, it is essential to determine all aspects of these goals to focus on particular tasks and activities. Thus, my personal goal is not only business start but the start of online business at coaching within the next four months that will focus on women leaders.
The setting of goals along with the elaboration of a plan for their achievement is essential not only for business success but for goal-oriented behavior as well. In other words, self-motivated entrepreneurs know exactly what they want to achieve and know what they are supposed to do for this on a daily basis. In this case, the setting of SMART goals along with the ways of their achievement creates confidence, improves self-esteem, and increases self-motivation on the basis of the belief that thoroughly planned desires are always possible to turn into reality. In addition, self-motivation derives from self-assessment and the understanding of personal strengths and the most efficient techniques of performance. According to Dweck and Leggett, goal orientation may be mastery and performance – while the motivation of individuals with mastery orientation is in learning new things and overcoming challenges, individuals with performance orientation are motivated by using existing skills in order to achieve excellence (Miller, 2020). Using an appropriate orientation that corresponds with personal characteristics and preferences – in my case, it is mastery orientation – contribute to self-motivation as well.
Impact of the Environment
It goes without saying that other people’s success may be a powerful source of motivation. Thus, for self-motivation, it will be efficient to search for entrepreneurial stories in order to learn from them. In addition, the connection with other entrepreneurs for listening to them and sharing personal experiences allows to become more productive and competent in business-related questions and receive support, especially in challenging periods. As a matter of fact, there are multiple groups, clubs, and forums for entrepreneurs that unite people all over the world. In accordance with the specificity of my project, potential organizations, forums, and groups that I may join include entrepreneurial pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Slack, Startups.com, QuickBooks Online Community, The Fastlane Forum, Warrior Forum, Small Business Brief, Startup Nation, Reddit, Quora, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, Startup Grind, Young Entrepreneur Council, and the United States Association Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The majority of them provide communication and education for entrepreneurs to stay competent and focused.
In addition, some of these groups provide an opportunity to receive mentorship, and obtaining a mentor may be regarded as an excellent option for the improvement of self-motivation. From a personal perspective, my mentor should be a person with outstanding professional and leadership skills. He should be a person with charisma and self-confidence to motivate as a role model. At the same time, a mentor should be emotionally intelligent and have great communication skills to understand the feelings of others to address them properly, consider others’ needs, and be able to articulate the important aspects of entrepreneurship.
Morning Routine
The morning routine is crucial for motivation as it traditionally determines a person’s state of mind for a whole day. Thus, in order to stay focused on my venture, my morning routine should include an early wake-up that will be followed by 10 minutes of meditation that will help relax and boost energy at the same time, release pain if it exists, and activate cognitive processes (Newlands, 2017). Subsequently, the routine should include a healthy breakfast as its absence will negatively impact physical health and the ability to concentrate. At the same time, breakfast should consist of fruits, vegetables, and nutritious food to be balanced and give energy (Ye, 2021). After breakfast, I will sit and write my to-do list for the day, contact other entrepreneurs or my mentor, and read motivational stories for inspiration. The last hour will be spent walking or running outside in order to exchange mental and physical processes.
Hobbies and Rewards
While entrepreneurship requires hard work, related tiredness and continuous concentration on business-related issues may have a negative effect on self-motivation – in this case, hobbies may help. My hobby is cooking, and it allows me to stay focused on my venture, motivated, and self-confident. First of all, cooking may be regarded as a highly useful hobby as it is a cost-efficient training of beneficial skills that contribute to the quality of life. At the same time, as cooking is not connected with analytical and critical thinking, it helps distract attention from business. In this case, it creates mental breaks essential for the improvement of self-motivation. At the same time, in order to stay motivated, I reward myself from time to time by playing computer games in order to feel that I have achieved an important milestone and I have enough power to move forward.
Motivation of Others
It goes without saying that any venture is impossible without the participation of other people – that is why their motivation is essential as well. In this case, a competent and motivated entrepreneur should motivate others as well. First of all, it is essential to articulate goals, set expectations concerning everyone’s role, provide directions in order to avoid misunderstanding and ensure awareness, and model expected behavior. At the same time, it is essential to show partners and employees that their skills, experience, and efforts are valued. Thus, tasks should be delegated to others to emphasize the significance of their competence and contribute to their job commitment. Finally, others’ efforts and tasks done should be awarded to demonstrate appreciation.
I believe that I should set expectations through the meetings with employees during which they will be provided with the same information to avoid misunderstanding. Al in all, I expect that they will understand that they work in cooperation with each other to achieve common goals. At the same time, they should behave in the most correct and customer-oriented way representing their company through online services. For this, I should learn them by serving as a role model. For instance, I will show how to communicate with customers and allow employees to head meetings from time to time. In this case, I expect to demonstrate to them that they are respected as professionals. At the same time, I want to show them that corporate goals may be achieved only through command work, and the commitment of every member is essential. Moreover, I will show that everyone’s performance is regulated by common standards, and, for instance, the hard work of any employee is rewarded. In this case, people will be motivated to work in a company where their efforts are valued, and equality exists.
References
Miller, J. (2020). 5 ways to motivate yourself (and everyone around you). The Muse.
Motivational strategy assignment template. (n.d.).
Newlands, M. (2017). 10 ways to stay motivated as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneur.
Ye, L. (2021). 11 easy morning motivation rituals to kickstart your day. HubSpot.