If you feel your motivation slipping, turn back the clock and remind yourself what your previous work life was truly like.
- When you worked for someone else, you had to do whatever the job called for. Even the things you enjoyed had to be done a certain way…someone else’s way. Not any more. Now that you’re the boss, you can do things any way that suits YOU. You set the goals…you decide how to reach them…and you reap the rewards. If you don’t want to do a specific project, you can decline. If a business relationship isn’t going the way you hoped, you can end it. After all, you’re the boss.
- When you worked for someone else, you were expected to conform to a pre-existing culture. You were categorized based on your job description and pigeon-holed by someone else’s opinion of your talents and abilities. Now, you can be true to yourself, and be as conservative or outrageous as you want. You can decide the dress code. You can stretch your personality, your creativity and your individuality as far as they’ll go, and find clients or customers who value exactly those qualities.
- When you worked for someone else, you had to do the whole job, even those parts you didn’t like and weren’t good at. You couldn’t trade tasks with your colleague, just because there were parts of his job you would have liked better and vice versa. Now, that’s no longer the case. Now you can decide which tasks you’ll do, and which ones you’ll farm out to someone else. You can spend more time doing the things you love and are good at, and less time on those other things.
- When you worked for someone else, your boss decided when and where you worked. But now, you can work whenever and wherever you like. Your schedule is totally flexible and allows you to accommodate family and social activities, personal interests and even workouts at the gym. Your office can be anywhere you happen to be: in a coffee shop, in your car, or at the beach. As long as you have a cell phone, a laptop or tablet and Internet access, you can be open for business.
- When you worked for someone else, you had to keep up appearances. You had to act like your boss was the smartest one in the room. You felt compelled to attend the company picnic or holiday party, even dragging unwilling family members along. Now, you don’t have to put up with any of that. And you don’t have to worry about losing your job simply because the boss decides he doesn’t like you any more or his niece just finished college.
Now tell the truth…when you think back on your former life working for someone else, don’t you feel lucky now? Sure, running your own business has plenty of challenges, but what could possibly be more motivating than reminding yourself of the things you used to hate and the things you now love! I could never go back and work for someone else, could you?
