As a blogger, an entrepreneur or even an employee you can tend to feel a lack of motivation when times are rough or your products and services simply don’t get the attention they deserve. It is easy to give up, drown in self-pity or insecurity, which ultimately leads to you giving up or simply not performing in the best way possible.

I have certainly been there and I am sure most of you have too. However, it is in those moments that we can show our real strength and our determination for success. Those moments distinguish the winners from those who will never make it big.
What is it then that we can do to stay motivated when everything seems to be turning against us?
  • The Mindset
    Mindset is everything. I am not the first one to tell you this and I won’t be the last, but the transformation I have experienced in the last months by simply changing my mindset is incredible.

    If you stop acting from a mindset of fear and start having trust in the world and in yourself, your entire outlook on life will change. You will feel happier, more balanced, more confident and stronger, which will weave itself into your work and your performance. By believing you will make it and by knowing that there is room for your success in this world no matter the economy or the circumstances, you will deliver your A game and you will be able to push through those moments of doubt and fear.

  • The People
    The people you surround yourself with are crucial. Are they tearing you down? Are they trying to keep you small? Are they affecting your mood in negative ways? Are they limiting your thinking?

    No matter how strong you are, not matter your confidence, when you spend too much time with people who have a limited mindset, it will affect you personally and ultimately hinder your performance.

    However, if you seek people who share your vision or who have already achieved success far beyond what your situation is right now, you will automatically dream bigger and achieve more. These people will push you to new heights of performance and they will be there to celebrate your successes with you or keep you motivated when things are looking anything but rosy.

    The more confident and successful people you surround yourself with, the better your chances for major success.

  • The Inspiration
    Another huge factor in uplifting you is getting inspiration from all kinds of sources. Read books, attend classes, listen to podcasts, find a mastermind group or go to conferences. Inspiration is all around. You just have to find it. No matter the graveness of your situation, no matter your frustration, you can always find someone who has been where you are, but didn’t give up and ended up immensely successful.

    By feeding your brain this positive and encouraging information, your thoughts will transform themselves and act as a catalyst for reinforcing you that you can always turn your business around. At the same time, you can learn from these people and find new ways of thinking and approaching whatever it is you’re doing.

  • The Goals
    When I started my recovery from anorexia after 14 years of struggle, I had many days and weeks of depression, anxiety and complete loss of identity. But I had a goal in mind: I wanted to live. So I pushed through. I ate, not wanting to. I fought against the urge to overexercise. I stopped abusing laxatives. I gained weight, loathing myself, but I did not give up. I knew my goal and I went after it, no matter the measures of discomfort I experienced.

    The same is true for wanting to create a successful business and life. You need to have a clear, tangible goal and action plans you can implement. The more precise the goals the better. The more detailed the action plans the more beneficial. I know it is tedious. I know most people would rather spend their time in different ways. But when you don’t know in which direction you want to go, you cannot expect to stay motivated in rough times.

    Knowing exactly what you want to achieve will help you along the way and this is the safest way to always stay on track, remain motivated and keep working hard.

  • The Persistence
    Sometimes you simply have to keep pushing through. Yes, bad times suck and they can wear you down, but if you really want to achieve something, you have to persist. By implementing my suggestions, you should believe by now that change is possible, so staying on track should not be too hard. However, if you still feel like giving up, simply don’t. Just keep going. Take one step at a time, but never lose sight of your big goal.
Don’t be fooled. We all have setbacks. We all have times when nothing seems to work and we seem to tread water. Having the right, positive mindset, surrounding yourself with encouraging people, keeping yourself inspired and always knowing your goals will keep you on the right road to major success.
Written on 4/15/2012 by Anne - Sophie Reinhardt . Anne - Sophie Reinhardt is a world traveler, an anorexia survivor, a positive body image advocator, podcaster, blogger, digital entrepreneur, speaker, wife, lover of books, aspiring yogi and social media enthusiast. Her blog, My Intercontinental Life, is focused around living a purposeful, free, healthy and passionate life.Photo Credit: RLHyde
Follow Dumb Little Man on Facebook already!

Read more posts on Dumb Little Man »