There are days I look at my screen with multiple programs, two browsers, and a zillion tabs open... and just want to get up and walk away. 😛
I'm seeing a lull across the web, and have been talking to other home business owners too, so I know I'm not alone in feeling overwhelmed and scattered with my online business. Or some days, just plain burnt out with it all.
But wait! 😯 I LOVE my business. I ENJOY my work. What the heck is going on here?! I asked myself that question, and came up with some good answers...
It's easy to lose your focus when you're lost in a never-ending list of mundane tasks. Or to lose sight of the things that excite and motivate you when you're in the thick of the daily runnings of your business.
There are phases in your business where you feel totally unstoppable and on top of the world, and the creative inspiration seems to have a neverending flow.
Then there are other phases where you're mindlessly drudging through the tasks to maintain that same business.
When those phases of drudgery, dispassion, overwhelm or frustration drag on... you absolutely MUST stop - and do something about it.
Here's what's working for me...
6 Simple Ways To Revive Your Business Passion
Revive: regain life, consciousness, or strength; give new strength or energy to; revitalize, refresh
1. Get back to the things that motivate and excite you.
Why did you start your business, and what do you love (or did love) about it? Think back to times you were "in the zone" and having the time of your life. What were you doing then that you're NOT doing now? What has changed? What NEEDS to change?
Step back from the 342 browser tabs and neverending task list for a moment, and consider what you LOVE doing. Then get back to doing exactly that: the things that motivate and excite you!
DO something creative and inspiring. Those tasks aren't going anywhere...
Take a day to work on something FUN to refuel your passion for what you do!
2. Make time for creative inspiration & brainstorming.
Schedule it in, whether you take an hour (or half a day) on Friday mornings, or you spend 10 minutes every day doing some creative brainstorming.
Make it part of your routine!
I do this in Evernote, and come up with some of my best ideas through my journaling there. Not to mention a boost of motivation to dig in to projects that matter!
Of course you should also jot down ideas as you have them, otherwise you'll lose them. I use Evernote to keep a running list of ideas to come back to (instead of letting them distract me from the task at hand).
When I come up with blog post ideas, I open WordPress and jot those down and save them as a draft. That way when I log in to my blog I already have ideas drafted. Then I can just pick one and start writing!
3. Clear your space, clear your mind.
Lately I have found myself completely overwhelmed with the space around me. It's not just the thoughts & ideas swirling through my mind, but the digital clutter and the clutter in my office & work space as well.
I have to take tons of product & food photos for my low carb blog, for example...
I have a great photo/video setup with all kinds of cool accessories: tables, backgrounds, lighting setup, stands, you name it.
The problem is... they're all over the place, and in the WRONG places, so when I go to shoot a video or photo it becomes more work & hassle (moving around of things) than it needs to be. 🙄 😛 Solution: Put everything I need in a permanent setup so it's easy to "shoot & edit" quickly!
Deal with the clutter in your office or work space. Organize your task lists and idea lists into one place - ideally in digital format that is backed up and/or synced, like with Evernote. Then prioritize those lists!
A clean, organized space is SO refreshing! It makes your work easier when everything is right where it needs to be, and a clear space does wonders for clearing the mind.
4. "Stop doing what's not working."
Consider what you can change up, do more of, do less of, etc to get things moving in the right direction again. I have a favorite saying, which is:
"Do more of what IS working, and less of what's NOT."
That makes perfect sense, right? Yet all too often we get caught up in tasks that aren't really producing great results, and neglect the tasks that would.
Results will give you a BIG boost in motivation and inspiration. Working on things that aren't bringing fun, exciting results will just drag you down - and they aren't doing much for your business either!
There are times I get caught in what feels like a hamster wheel of tasks in my business. You can probably relate. Jump out, STOP, and get back to doing the things that MATTER in your business.
I find it helps to analyze my books and revenue sources for ideas on "what's working" - or what has over the last year - and get back to THOSE things.
5. Outsource anything you can.
Pass off the tasks that are dragging you down and taking you away from creative projects. Especially repetitive tasks, or things that drain you. If you can't outsource right now, even at cheap places like Fiverr.com, make that a goal!
6. Focus on ONE thing: the highest priority.
What can you do in your business that will make the biggest difference? Consider what will serve your market best, what will make YOU feel most fulfilled, and what will grow your business the fastest.
Focus on that ONE priority to the point of exclusion and MAKE it happen.
What are you best known for? What is your most exceptional quality or offer? What could you bring to the world - if you weren't drowning in tasks? Don't be a busy body, trying to do a million things. Be exceptional, stand out for something. Figure out what that ONE thing is, or get back to it, and pour ALL of your energy into it.
A good read on that topic: You Can Master Anything. Stop Trying to Do Everything.
These are the things that are working for me, so I hope you found some ideas you can implement here as well. Motivation and inspiration are the top ingredients for a successful online business. When you're at your best, excited about what you do and doing what you do best, everything just falls into place... and becomes FUN again.
I would love to hear your thoughts, and any tips you've found helpful in reviving your business or your passion & motivation. Leave a comment & let's discuss!
Best,
p.s. Nothing gets me fired up again better than a great book! The ideas, inspiration and motivation you can get between two covers is amazing. 🙂
About Lynn Terry
Wow Lynn, so nice to see you blogging here again! And this post was just what I need too. 😀
Hey Lynn,
I enjoyed the post thoroughly. I had to laugh at my initial reaction to the headline because it was "NO SH*T, but that IS damn good advice!" so I HAD to read it.
Thanks for writing and keep up the good work!
I have to admit that #3 has been my problem, and it's led to other problems. Over the past few weeks (longer but go with me) I've been thinking more about my mother and her memory issues and how to deal with it, especially as I'm an only child & we live 90 minutes apart, and she's all alone. It's led to my sleeping way less, which has led to my not being able to concentrate on anything related to business. I'm even blogging less, which is problematic.
I'm working on my motivation and energy, and trying to find ways to get more sleep. I've been able to increase my daily average by an hour a day to this point by relaxing my mind a bit better when it's time to go to bed and I'm listening to more music which, oddly enough, is helping a lot (I'm doing disco now after starting with opera and swinging to classical lol). As you said, we have to try to find ways to get our minds clear and back to the goals we've set for ourselves.
I love tip #4. One thing I've learned over the past year is to fill my days with more of the work that I enjoy and less of the stuff I don't. So far it's working pretty well. 🙂
I frequently suffer from motivation loss. I think it happens when I get too deep into the small stuff and lose sight of the big picture and reasons I do what I do. The other issue is boredom, feeling uninspired which happens when I don't see the results of my work. All the points that you've mentioned made me think to myself "me too!". What also works is what you say you do when you feel uninspired - taking a break to think away from the working environment, especially in nature! 🙂