Staying Motivated when You're the Boss

Hello, I've been looking back over my previous broadcasts and what I've noticed is that I've spent a lot of time talking about your team. I've been explaining to you how we go out to recruit, I've been explaining to you how we motivate our teams for better results, and I've even helped you manage those difficult team members out of the business if their performance falls below a certain standard. The thing is, these broadcasts were always supposed to be very firmly focused on you as the business owner or manager and your experience of your small business. So apologies, and today's broadcast is to redress the balance slightly. We're going to talk about how you stay motivated as the business owner. Welcome. When you're a startup, it almost feels like we haven't got time to be demotivated. We're so focused on growing our businesses and getting so much done in a small amount of time that we really don't have time to feel demotivated. And then something happens, there's a shift. As the business starts to stabilise and grow, hopefully, and we start to recruit people, our motivation starts to alter a little bit, and quite often people stop enjoying their businesses in the same way as they used to. My name is Phil Jackson. I'm a coach and mentor to small businesses and entrepreneurs, and I've made it my life's work to bring you the tools you need to master to build the business you deserve and enjoy. So where do we go wrong? Well, I think part of the problem is that we try and motivate ourselves in the same way as we're motivating our team members. And that's a big mistake. Their experience of their day, their experience of being in your business will be very different. They've got a different skill set, acknowledge that, but we also know they've got different goals. We've also know they've got different life goals. They're probably at a very different career stage, maybe even a different life stage than you. So expecting the same thing to motivate both camps is expecting too much. So acknowledge the differences and follow these three little tips that I have on how I keep myself motivated, separate from my team. Firstly, I want you to fall in love with your list. We need to find a way of acknowledging the hard work that we're doing and celebrating those little wins through our day and through our week.

So if it's as simple as keeping a list of stuff that you need to achieve today and crossing those things off or using a bit of tech to turn it from red to green on your spreadsheet, then let's do it. Celebrate those small wins. Pat yourself on the back regularly. Give yourself the rewards that you promised yourself when you set that goal in the first place. And watch your motivation levels rise. My second tip actually goes back to the team a little bit. I think we need to learn to fall in love with their success. What we need to appreciate is that when they're doing well, your business is doing well at the same time. I know that I've caught myself out a few times when my team's done particularly well over a month and I'm writing out a check for a huge commission. It does stick in my throat slightly, which is insane. I priced my products and services properly. I know that the commission was priced in and actually that big check is a sign of a big win for the business, but it doesn't always feel that way. So we need to learn to join in with their success. We need to learn to celebrate their wins and try and use their wins to motivate us as business owners. And my final point is around your network. Everybody turns to their network when things are tough. It's almost like we only worry about motivation when the business is struggling or under economic pressures. And I think you're missing out on a lot of potential wins because actually when things are good in the business, if we can get you more pumped, more motivated, then we're going to be really operating at peak performance and getting some amazing results for your small business. So build your network outside your business. We need some people in your life away from your friends, away from your family who understand your business, who can celebrate those wins with you, who understand what you're up against. I've tried to build communities like this on Facebook and Instagram and with my LinkedIn page, but actually we need some face to face content as well. I'm talking about your professional network. So when you are doing business networking, please move your focus away from sales. Stop looking for people that could be potential customers in the future. Start looking for people that you can just go out for a drink with after work or meet for lunch once a month and help them help you keep your motivation high. I hope that's been useful to you. If it has, don't forget to hit subscribe. I do a broadcast like this every single week with small takeaways to help you get more enjoyment out of your business. If you've already subscribed, I will see you next week. Take care.