How do I stay focused/motivated?

Question

I always feel like I'm not getting enough done, or don't have the drive I once had. I like my position, I'm 25 and started my company 3 years ago. I'm doing over $700,000 in revenue a year, but always feel like I'm not getting far enough or that i'm being too lazy. I really don't work that hard, although i wish I worked my tail off. Any thoughts on how to get motivated?

Answer 1

Motivation can be broken down into five of the following categories.

Happiness

: A great deal of motivation comes from understanding ones state of happiness. However, happiness is a slippery concept. How would one go about changing how happy they are? Very simply put, happiness and control are causal. That means that when you take away someones control they are less happy. Just as that is true when one gives themselves a margin of control they are much happier. Happiness comes from gaining some control. Its the reason there are control freaks and its the reason video games have become so popular. Some control based activities are listed bellow:

Video Games

Hiking (primarily alone)

Reading#

Writing

Beware of sappers are the people that come around in an attempt to assert control over you during one of these activities. For instance someone sees you reading and then asks you to mow the lawn. Most people to avoid argument just go out and do what their told, There are times however when that is a poor precedent to set. It says that whenever your task is enjoyment anyone can come around and override that task. Not only can that lead to resentment, but it is also the beginning of habitual unhappiness.#

Energy Level:

Many people underestimate the importance of their own energy level. When your tired you don't want to do anything. It isn't a lack of motivation, its a lack of perceived energy. There are several factors that effect ones level of energy:

i)Diet: Understand that your body has needs too, if you ignore those needs your body will tell you. In short understand what your body is telling you:

When you have a headache don't be ready to medicate, try putting some water into your system. Those cogs up there grind on themselves if one doesn't keep them lubricated.

When your tired caffeine isn't always the answer. Consider replacing your caffeine with vitamin b6 and b12. In pill form Vitimin B is healthier, more convenient, and cheaper.

If you need energy, seek it out, because it will be extremely hard to stay motivated without it.

ii)Sleep: Get plenty of it and make sure its high quality sleep.

Make sure your bedroom is completely dark at night.

Make sure there are no sounds keeping you awake.

Make sure that your bedroom is cold at night, ideally 65 degrees.

Make sure you get your eight hours, and if not make up for it in quality sleep.

Efficacy:

Efficacy is extremely important. Without efficacy a person will have zero motivation to do anything. In short efficacy is the confidence one has in their own personal abilities. Without that confidence one can easily give into immobility. Ways to facilitate efficacy are discussed below:

Skill: Make sure you are, and know you are, the best at something.

Compete: So much of efficacy is drawn from reference, for a high self value one must draw it from a reference point or another person.

Train: Find time to train and discover new skills that you have, even if its only being able to roll ones tongue its better than nothing.

Supports:

Your supports are the foundations for your personality and your values. Supports can be broken down into two areas internal and external:

Internal: Your internal supports are the small realizations that nourish your potential. Good realizations don't always have to be true. Whats true is that you only have around 78 years to live so whats the point? The point is that that may be true but its not worth believing in. So much of motivation comes from acknowledging what is true, but believing in whats worth believing in. Other good internal supports are listed below:

Sublimation is everything, Turn all your flaws around into something productive and admirable. Aggression into ambition, Arrogance into Efficacy, immobility into patience.

Decisions are everything, Make sure you appreciate and give a great deal of attention to your decisions, its the only real control you have.

External Supports: External supports are people, places or things that nourish your potential. External supports vary but its always important to have them them. Good supports will be listed below:

Good Friends: Keep yourself in good company.

Good Family: You can choose your friends but can't choose your family, the best thing to understand is that a family can be the most toxic thing in your life, You can't choose your family but you can step back. If thats not possible then its also not healthy, sometimes removing yourself completely is the best thing you can do for yourself in such a scenario.

Fulfillment:

Fulfillment is a very crucial part of staying motivated. Knowing that you are doing the things you wish to do can push you forward more than any other variable:

TipsNever give up on life, death is your reference.

WarningsDon't get in the habit of living life at the expense of your happiness.

Don't mistake happiness for progress they are two different things.

Recognize what makes you unhappy and try and figure out why.

Answer 2

make a routine,

wake up earlier (set a time, I wake up @ 5AM) every day

Exercise (I work out @ 5AM for 2 hours each day)

Eat right (I have an organized diet, pure healthy food. I even drink these pure vegi shakes. I looked up the best possible foods for your skin, I blend them all together, in two seperate shakes, I drink two shakes per day, as well as eating healthy & completely organized.)

Think of something new you want to learn or something u want to get better at, and make "working on it" part of your routine, for example. Every night, I spend 45 minutes practicing guitar & 45 minutes painting. And I read two books, 45 minutes each every day. One on motivation & One on money (Entrepreneurship)

My two books are "The 7 habbits of highle effective people" Stephen Covey.

And Retire Rich, Retire young. Robert Kiyosaki.

Please now if you would give me some advice. I am 21 years old, I want to become an entrepreneur. I quit my job 6 months ago,  to do so. I have 100's of lucrative ideas. Almost no motivation to execute, I usually don't know where to start & then it gets dark & I feel frustrated. Anyway, I own a small vending machine business, it makes small money, but its a good experience. I want to be a successful entrepreneur, I have read rich dad poor dad, cash flow quadrant,  & now retire rich, retire young. Any suggestions for me? motivational tips? any tips at all? Book reccomendations? please, help me. I believe you can contact me via email, through my yahoo answers user name.

Thanks!

Answer 3

set a goal.and if you feel you cant do it alone,you should have someone to constantly remind you of your goal.that'll help.good luck...

Answer 4

- set yourself some new goals.

- make them challenging.

- get yourself a partner or an advisor to help give you new ideas.

- branch off and expand your company into new areas of interest.

- push to make $1,000,000 in revenue in the next year.

maybe it isn't such a bad thing that you don't work that hard.

hire someone to do the hard work for you. kick back and reap the rewards.

Answer 5

Have you ever heard of a vision board? What a vision board is, or what I call a vision board.... Go out and buy you a piece of poster board. After you write down what you want, where you want to go, when you want to arrive.

Now this is going to sound corney but bear with me.

Go out and take some photos of the car you want, the house you want, the boat you want, Literally take pictures or cut them out of magazines, of everything you can think of you want.

Then post them on the board in the order you want to obtain them. Title the poster board My Goals for 2008, 2009, 2010. When you plan on obtaining all of what you want. As you obtain one thing replace it on the board with something else you want.

It has been long said if you can see what you want you can find a way to get there. I recently got a fake million dollar bill in the mail. I did not throw it away as i am going to make my own vision board. As I recently went into business myself, like you I need to set goals.

Write up a business proposal and keep improving your income to meet each new business proposal make a 3 month goal, six month goal 1 year goal 2 year goal ect. Without a map on a road trip you will get side tracked, so knowing where you are going will help keep you focused.

You sound like you made some good decisions as you stated you made over $700,000. in a year. Right now I would be happy to make just 100,000 a year, but that is my goal for next year.

You are your own worst critic, so track with a vision board and a business proposal, Those two things should help you out.

Good Luck

PS forgive my rambiling as I just got home from getting stitches in my thumb from trying too make dinner. I just hope waht I said makes some sence to you.