Building a business and following an entrepreneurial path can be grueling. To boost productivity and stay inspired each day of the year, through good times and tough times takes a concerted effort. It’s normal to stay awake at night after working long hours, or stressing over financials, and being on the constant lookout for an expanded customer base. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could eliminate all of the ups and downs we experience on this roller-coaster ride we call the entrepreneurial journey?
We have found some straight forward ways to keep moving forward, staying inspired as you pursue your dream. Here is the simple formula we have implemented in our business. If you follow this formula, you will boost your productivity level and keep you inspired each day of the year.
Revisit your vision
Every entrepreneur has a vision when beginning a new business venture. It’s the reason you embarked on your journey. Yet, we often find entrepreneurs lose their focused vision as they navigate their way through the daily business grind. Things don’t always go as planned.
When you decide you need to boost your productivity levels and you want to reignite more inspired passion, start by revisiting your vision. Check to see if it is still aligned with the work you are pursuing. As you grow your business and work with your clients, you may find that the vision needs some modification. Having a clear vision is a way of creating a future benchmark of achievement—an achievement that is both your calling, your motivation, and your goal.
Each year you should revisit your vision to make certain that no modifications need to be made. It should always remain a source of inspiration.
Set daily priorities
To successfully reach your goals and vision, you will be more productive if you keep a daily schedule. Plan which priorities you will address and be purposeful in identifying what needs to be accomplished by the day’s end. Priorities should have a direct connection to your annual and quarterly goals, so that you can see how your business is moving toward completing them.
Keep learning
There are a lot of reasons to keep learning, but one of the most obvious is that when people make a habit of continually learning, they gain confidence for trying new innovations and stretching themselves. Continuous learners are more confident in their ability to solve problems and tackle new challenges. They continue to grow.
Regardless of whether you feel competent to assimilate changing technology, it is a reality. Every entrepreneur will need to find the best strategy to keep up to date. Here are 3 questions to answer:
- What types of technology do you use in your business? The types range from computer software programs, phone systems, security systems, to cash register point of sale systems.
- What resources are available? There is no lack of information available. Consider whether the information is available through online magazines, webinars, seminars, consultants, and/or colleagues. After you assess what resources you can access, rank those in order of usefulness.
- What time can I allocate in my schedule to learn from these resources? This may take discipline to carve out time to learn about changing technology and how to best apply the changes in the workplace. However, if you assess the needs and usefulness of available resources, you will see a return on your investment.
With continuous learning, creativity is more likely to flourish. Creativity is the ability to apply new skills to different situations. Creativity is the ability to make connections between different situation. Continuous learning allows you to look at your work situation through fresh eyes. Successful entrepreneurs are constantly learning and implementing new skills because there is always the desire to stay inspired.
Always do something you love
Everyone has a unique set of skills, knowledge and abilities. However, everyone has specific tasks that they prefer doing more than other things. When you begin to delegate tasks to boost productivity, consider keeping those tasks you enjoy and find others to complete the other tasks. You also will find that if you enjoy doing certain activities at work, you will most likely be more attentive and stay motivated to getting them completed. It’s your business to run, so why not do the things you love?
Here’s an opportunity for you to stay inspired
Want to boost your productivity and keep motivated all year long? I have created a do-it-yourself guide, GET THINGS DONE THAT MATTER. We take a deep dive into your current work systems and see how they align with your long-term vision. Are they moving you forward at the pace that you want? Through this process we transform how you plan your strategies so that there is continuous movement forward. Then we creatively streamline your workflow so that each day you build on the work you did before. The 4 video sessions and accompanying workbook take you through the sequence of establishing an effective goal setting and time management system. Each quarter is a stepping stone to use as a foundation for the subsequent quarter. It’s a constructive process, that can be replicated for each new 90-day sprint.
