When you’re running a home improvement business or any small business, there will be times when you feel like quitting. It’s normal to feel this way – after all, entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart! But just because you feel like quitting doesn’t mean you have to give up on your business. There are six things that you can do to help keep yourself motivated and moving forward. In this blog post, we will discuss those four things in detail!
What makes us want to quit?
When things are going well with money, clients, and employees, you’re unlikely to be thinking of quitting. However, when the going gets tough, it’s easy to feel like giving up. So, what makes us want to quit when things are tough?
We’re not seeing results
When we don’t see results, it’s easy to feel like our efforts are pointless. This can be especially true in the early stages of starting a business or in times of transition when it can take months or even years to start seeing a return on our investment.
We’re not reaching our goals
If we’re constantly falling short of our goals, it’s easy to feel like we’ll never reach them. This can be discouraging, and make us feel like quitting.
We’re not making enough money
This is a common reason people give up on their businesses. If we’re not generating enough revenue to cover our costs, it’s easy to feel like quitting.
We’re not enjoying it anymore
When running a business stops being fun, it’s easy to lose motivation. If we’re not passionate about what we’re doing, it’s easy to feel like quitting.
What can we do when we feel like quitting?
Now that we’ve discussed some of the reasons why people feel like quitting, let’s talk about what we can do to keep going, even when things are tough.
Recall your Why
Take a day, an afternoon, or even an hour, and step back and reconnect with your why. Why did you start your business? It’s easy to lose sight of your why when you’re in the middle of the whirlwind.
I personally reconnect with my why every single day. It’s that important. I do not want ever to lose sight of it. Not only does my why keep me going, but it also guides my decisions.
Find your Vision
Right next to your why is your “where”. When you’re feeling lost or discouraged, it can be helpful to remind yourself of your vision. What is your long-term goal for your business? What are you hoping to achieve? Where are you going? Keeping your vision in mind can help you stay focused and motivated, even when things are tough.
Why quitting is not an option
If you quit in a moment or season of difficulty, you’ll be giving up on all of the time and effort you’ve already invested into your dreams. When you continue, your efforts will compound over time just like compound interest in a retirement account.
Tips for staying focused and motivated
Once you connect with your “why” and your “where”, it’s time to make some decisions. When you are overwhelmed, you still only have 24 hours in the day.
1) Prioritize the things you are spending your time on.
Write it down. Reorder it according to priority.
2) Automate if possible
Can some of the things you are spending your time on be automated? There’s a high probability that the answer is yes. You don’t have to be an automation expert; you can find people to help out with this.
3) Delegate as much as you can
In business, there are some things that only you can do. Therefore, you must delegate everything else. I’m not going to go into detail about how to delegate well in this article. I’ll cover that in another future post.
4) Delete things that are not absolutely necessary
Complexity creep is real, and it’s a good idea to regularly reevaluate the things you and your people are spending time on. I try to do this at least quarterly with my team. If something no longer serves our purpose, then we delete it. You can read more about complexity creep in my recent article A Simple Framework For Your Business Processes.
In Conclusion
When we’re feeling discouraged in our small businesses, it’s important to remember why we started and what our vision is. It can be helpful to take some time to reconnect with our “why” and reaffirm our vision. This will help us stay focused and motivated when times are tough. In addition, there are a few things we can do… prioritize, automate, delegate, and delete tasks from our day-to-day in order to make sure we’re spending our time on the most important things.
For further reading, check out a previous article I wrote, How to Get the Freedom You Really Want by REALLY Owning Your Business.
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