Starting an online business on your own is never easy, especially if you don’t have a business partner. You may be totally motivated at the beginning, but once the hard work breaks in, it isn’t uncommon to struggle with self-motivation.

See, the amount of work doesn’t correspond to the money your earning – if you’re earning any at all! That’s only at the beginning stages, and you know that once it’s all up and running, the coin will flip: If you plan your time and tasks wisely, you’ll be working less, and start making money. And if you invest part of that money into acquiring tools or hiring people that can help you reduce your workload, the balance is going to tip towards the more money / less workload side.

And yet, staying motivated feels hard. That’s why most people who want to start a business realize that it isn’t as easy as they thought. That it’s almost impossible not to struggle with self-motivation. And that you have to put blinders on to keep being consistent and trying no matter how you feel at certain times.

Reasons Why You Struggle With Self-Motivation – And Possible Solutions

Now, I’m not saying that those who lose consistency and motivation are acting, or that they’re lazy. I think that the first step you should take is figuring out why you’re struggling with keeping motivated. Once you have the reason, you can plan different measures to take on the problem – and solve it if that’s what you wanna do. So let’s see the most common reasons for losing self-motivation:

• You’re a creative person. You love what you do, and there are many people who want to buy your work. That’s why you wanted to start in the first place. However, you’re not a strategist and don’t want – or don’t know how – to be an entrepreneur. It has never interested you actually.
  • SOLUTIONS for creatives:
    • Partner with someone else – Someone who has the skills you’re missing.
    • Hire help.
    • If you don’t like either option, start how to do it yourself – although this is going to take you much longer.
• You’re not a techie person. You love planning, creating strategies and taking action – but techie isn’t your thing. You could throw your laptop out of the window every time you get stuck. You just want to get your job done, and you hate it to testing out software functions to get what you want.
  • SOLUTIONS for non-techies:
    • Hire a virtual assistant who takes care of all your techie stuff. An expert you can tell what you need and gets it done. That’s the only way for you to move forward.
    • Partner with a techie friend. Make sure your tasks are clearly differentiated and that you can collaborate without it affecting your friendship.
• You feel overwhelmed at the enormous amount of info you find on the Internet. There seem to be too many things to do on your own. What are the priorities? And what’s the best order to accomplish all tasks?
  • SOLUTIONS for the overwhelmed:
    • Invest in a Coach who guides you.
    • Invest in a course which gives you a framework to follow.
• Your family and friends are trying to advise you from your new adventure. They want you to keep your job. They tell you how safety should be your priority #1.
  • SOLUTIONS when you don’t find support:
    • You don’t need to quit your job before starting a business. Plan thoroughly how are you going to handle your finances before you leave the office. Check out how you can start an online business while working full-time.
    • Remind your people that you’re old enough to make your own decisions. That they don’t dare to quit their job and start a new career doesn’t mean that you should behave like them.
• You think you aren’t worth it! Who are you to start a business? You aren’t only struggling with self-motivation, but with self-confidence.
  • SOLUTIONS for the insecure:
    • You need to join meetups, masterminds or groups of people who are starting a business just like you.
    • Read motivating books, listen to podcasts that motivate you. And do it as often as you need!

More Tricks to Help You Keep Going On – No Matter What

1. Plan your weekly workflow or schedule when you feel motivated.
2. Once your plan is all set up, don’t wait for motivation to magically appear: Just stick to the plan!! If you gotta handle your book draft in a month and haven’t started yet, you’d better stop waiting for the motivation to appear! If you’re struggling with sticking to your own plan, discover how to stay on track with your goals.
3. Keep track of your work: When did it flow more easily? Was it when you worked first thing in the morning? After having trained? Late at night, when everybody at home is asleep? How long can you work focused? Do you need a break every 30 minutes? Every hour? Figure out what works best for you, and adapt your plan accordingly 😉
4. Check out this blog post about working from home as a creative.

Recap – Stop Struggling With Self-Motivation

Take your time to figure out the reason why you can’t keep motivated. Only when you know the answer, will you be able to find a solution. Sometimes, the answer is just in front of us – but we can’t see it. And more often that not, the solution involves asking – or hiring – for help 😉

Alicia