Inspiration is an important character in any business and with your leadership team. It's the fuel that keeps people going and wanting to do more. Pretty critical to your success. So what do you do to keep this character high?
Here's a recent article I noticed on this subject. Some good ideas here....see if it might work for you.
9 Tips to stay Inspired. It isn't easy to stay inspired all the time.
Staying inspired in business isn't always easy, especially if your business is just "ticking over", feels like it’s going under or maybe you've been successful for some time now but no longer feel challenged.
So how do you stay inspired? Here are some tips to get you fired up again. They are ones that I use myself on a regular basis if I feel my batteries need recharging or my motivation slipping a little and believe me - they really do work:
1. Networking. But with particular groups of people – those that are already more successful than you are. Meeting up with successful individuals will give you that extra little push to forge forward with your own business ideas.
2. Vision. I'm not talking about your business here, but your own personal vision. Knowing that your business will allow you to retire early and spend more quality time with your family in the long run, travel or take up that hobby you love full time is a perfect way to get fired up again.
3. Coaching. This can be a great way of not just inspiring yourself, but others too. In going over the basics and seeing the enthusiasm of your class, it reminds you of the reasons why you went in to business in the first place. Enthusiasm can be incredibly infectious, I've found. This method of inspiring yourself can also prove to be another income stream too, of course.
4. Compartmentalise. Break down projects into milestones and celebrate little achievements along the way rather than hanging on for an ultimate goal (i.e. reaching a certain amount of sales, etc). That way you'll be continually reminded of how well you're doing and it will give you the inspiration you need to continue.
5. Spread the word. Richard Branson's way of motivating himself may seem a little weird –it's to spill the beans, as it were (i.e. to tell others about his latest idea). The more he talks about it, he reckons, the more it becomes a reality to him. This method also has the added bonus of attracting potential investors.
6. Get feedback. With so many social media channels around today (Facebook, Twitter, etc) it's easy to get direct and honest feedback from customers. Appreciative customers can always inspire you to improve the business to make them even more delighted. Social media is also a great marketing tool for your brand.
7. Friendship. Befriend a competitor if you can (or at least someone in the same industry) and have a weekly chat about what you've both achieved that week, how the industry itself is faring and what you can both do together to improve it. It's a form of accountability where you're both inspiring each other.
8. New opportunities. This is best way to avoid complacency and inspire yourself at the same time.
9. Reminders. Keep a file of all those inspiring entrepreneurial quotes you come across and read it every now and again to remind you of why you went in to business for yourself in the first place.
The above all worth putting into practice and are certainly ideas I've used from time to time. What about you? How do you remain inspired on a day to day basis?
Raj Dhonota is a serial entrepreneur and investor in start-up businesses. Raj first came to the public eye as a candidate on the first series of The Apprentice in 2009 but has essentially been self-employed and involved in starting and growing businesses for over 15 years.
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