Being an entrepreneur, on any level, is tough. It takes a lot of attention, focus, self-esteem, and drive. All of these elements go into your will, and it’s your will that guides you forward in your life. There are plenty of things that cause people to struggle in the world of working for oneself. We get lazy, distracted, and lose focus in so many other ways. But if you’re a solopreneur, even if you’re just a freelancer, your success, at the end of the day, comes down to you. So how do we stay motivated? How do we maintain the drive to succeed? It’s different for everybody, but here are a few ways.
Communicate Extremely Well. If you work for/with other people, but not in a traditional employment role, it’s important to demonstrate that you are an amazing communicator. This helps you and it helps them too. People learn to rely upon people who demonstrate excellent communication skills. So if you’re working from another zip code or time zone, make sure that your communication still cuts through. You can achieve this by preparing ahead. By a NobelCom phone card for your time working and recreating in Senegal. If you don’t see someone you’re working for, or a particularly special client, make sure you stay in tune with them by contacting them regularly and giving them the benefit of your attention and concern. This will lead to a situation where you have plenty to work on.
Have Enough/Too Much to Do. People lose motivations, oftentimes, because they don’t actually have enough on their plate. When work is urgent, it’s much easier to get it done. When you’ve only got enough work to fill a couple of hours in an entire day, it’s easy to let those tasks draw out indefinitely. Also make sure to expand socially. By getting to know people in your neighborhood, local industry, and even your competitors, you’ll be more established. Your growing reputation will be motivation in itself, as you work to outdo yourself and maintain your reputation for excellence.
Replace Tasks With Better Tasks. As you build your career or expand into new markets, it’s important to make sure that you are getting more out of the arrangement as you go. People have a tendency to paint themselves into corners, by accepting work that pays well (that they hate) or by following the path of most enjoyment (with no consideration of how to get the bills paid). As you go, take your new opportunities seriously. If you have a chance to replace one task with another, and that would give you significantly more time, enjoyment, or money, make that change.
It takes work and focus to make an independent career happen. If you focus on the important aspects like these, you’ll be much more likely to achieve the independence and monetary stability that you wish to have. You’ll discover many techniques of your own over the coming months and years. Take the time and work hard, and you’ll make it just fine.
