If you are going to lead your team to help you successfully grow a one million pound firm you are going to need to keep yourself motivated. This isn't always easy! Particularly if you are right in the grip of the "work in/work on" trap and struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
At a recent workshop there was a really good discussion on self motivation. The discussion started because of the improved business results people see when they're "in the zone". Some people seem to find it easy to motivate themselves (or never need it), where other people have to work at their motivation levels. The tips for self motivation and staying motivated that came from the meeting are below.
5 tips to keep your self-motivation high
I don't know what helps your self-motivation, but the main themes for a whole range of people in the meeting were:
- Work out what you like doing:Â As a partner or practice owner the buck stops with you. That can be draining at times. However, you donât need to always be the person that does everything. Each of us enjoys some tasks more than others. There are always going to be tasks which zap your energy and drag your motivation down. Take note of which tasks you enjoy doing and which you hate. How much can you outsource or delegate the stuff you hate?
- Recharge your batteries: Responding to client relentless client demands; running a practice is a 24/7 occupation. At times it feels like it could be even more so. It is easy to forget that our bodies need time to recharge. Make sure that you are planning some regular relaxation and recharge time into your busy schedule.
- Create easily achievable mini goals and milestones: There is normally a small lift when you achieve something, tick it off the list or know that you're en-route to your long-term ambition. The problem is that when the going gets tough, it's easy to lose track of where you're going. In fact, it can really drag you down. I canât magically change this, but creating small goals, milestones or easily achievable targets can really help you stay on top - or kick start your va-va-voom.
- Find out whatâs demotivating you: We all have triggers that motivate or demotivate us, and most of us have different triggers.  Some people lose faith if they're not getting lots of new enquiries, other people get demotivated by consistently working at progressing potential clients through the pipeline without getting anywhere. What demotivates you?
- Work with a coach:Â OK, I'm bound to include this one. But think about it for a minute, it can be lonely at the top. You can't share stuff with your team, sometimes not easily at home, so a quick word with someone who has your best interests at heart makes a huge difference. Â This is where using a coach to support you can reap dividends. It certainly works for me, being able to bounce stuff off my coach really lifts me.
More self-motivation ideas?
Sometimes I just want to pump up my motivation. I've never seen a motivation pump, but I've found some motivation killers that need getting rid of.
What are your tricks to get your self-motivation back again?