Reward yourself
Rewards are not only motivating; they’re a way to pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments since there’s no boss around to do it for you.
Dangle a carrot
Some tasks are just tough to get through. Instead of trying to avoid them or letting them affect your attitude, decide to reward yourself when they’re done. Anticipation of a reward helps you stay focused on achieving the end result, especially if you defer that reward until you accomplish a particularly challenging task. While it may be true that a job well done should be its own reward, a little extra incentive doesn’t hurt.
Create an incentive program
Make a rewards list. Identify specific rewards to give yourself and post it where you’ll see it every day. It should include both big and small treats to help you stay positive and inspired. Reserve the most significant rewards for those days when nothing goes right, and keep reminding yourself that at the end of the day, that treat is waiting for you.
If you don’t reward yourself for small victories you’ll quickly burn yourself out and become less productive. This isn’t being selfish; you need it and deserve it!
Stay on top of your game
Many people enjoy friendly competition with their coworkers. That’s what performance contests and rankings are all about! When people work alone they may miss that. So redesign the kinds of competition that kept you motivated in the workplace in ways that suit your new solopreneur status. You can compete against industry colleagues and/or against yourself! Here are a few suggestions about how you can do that.
Compete against colleagues
- Place Google alerts (google.com/alerts) for your competitors’ names as well as commonly used industry phrases. Google will send you an e-mail whenever those words are found on Web pages, news releases, articles, or blogs. This means that you’ll always know when items about your industry or your competitors appear on the Internet. Place a Google alert for your own name, too!
- Visit competitors’ websites to see what they’re saying and doing. Analyze the techniques they’re using.
- Join competitors’ mailing lists to learn what they offer their customers.
- Join and frequent business-oriented social media sites to make sure you become known as an expert.
- Join industry associations to take advantage of educational content and networking opportunities.
- Subscribe to industry publications to keep up with the latest developments.
- Attend industry educational and social functions and meet the leaders, movers, and shakers. Learn from them.
- Visit industry trade shows to compare your products and services, and upgrade if necessary.
- Join a mastermind or other accountability group that has no members in direct competition. You’ll be motivated by their accomplishments and raise your own game so you won’t be left behind.
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