Every entrepreneur will experience a ‘dark night’ in their journey as they work towards making the world a better place. That moment in your entrepreneurial journey when suddenly things don’t seem to make sense; and the reason why you started is blurred or rather over shadowed by the external pressure at the moment.
Entrepreneurs have been described generally as those rare individuals who are blessed with enough internal motivation to get up at dawn, be the first one in the office, work all day to serve as a role model, and usually end up turning off the lights at the office at the end of a work day way past 5 pm. And [i]after they get home, they fret all night about decisions they have to make the next day.
Implementing change for social good can be an overwhelming and daunting task. It is often too easy for entrepreneur to become dismayed with the enormity of their end goals, and the complications of unforeseen obstacles encountered along the way. To successfully drive our vehicles of social good, we need to deliberately manage our motivation.
Motivation is essential to the success of your enterprise. While we often read of success stories that serve as our initial catalyst, we rarely hear how to navigate day-to-day struggles, frustration, and failures. If we don’t plan for setbacks or keep a realistic view on our progress, our motivation can be curbed and our dreams dwindle.
Your motivation may start to decline as you become despondent and begin to feel that your goal is insurmountable. By breaking down your goals into more manageable objectives, you can stay focused and motivated.
Understanding that failure is not fatal but instead is a productive opportunity for growth can minimize any loss of motivation caused by countless setbacks. By viewing these struggles as positive learning experiences, you can keep your motivation high and increase your small wins.
Anyone who has started their own business, nonprofit or social enterprise knows it can be lonely. Friends and family might not understand your passion or be able to relate to what you are trying to accomplish. It is important to keep yourself surrounded by people who understand your struggles and can assist and motivate you.
This provides the opportunity to collaborate with others who may be facing similar struggles or can offer you advice. It also has the added benefit of increasing your brand exposure to a like-minded and receptive community.
Any time you feel discouraged, take a minute and remember what Thomas Edison said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.” And remember what Napoleon Hill said, “Most people achieved their greatest success one step beyond what looked like their greatest failure.” Like they say; ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
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