The Top 10 Motivation Killers That Are Sabotaging Your Success
The Top 10 Motivation Killers That Are Sabotaging Your Success
Tackling the 10 Biggest Success Roadblocks
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Do you ever find yourself feeling motivated and energized to pursue your goals, only to have that motivation quickly fade away? You’re not alone. This is a top must-have when you are grinding your way through getting your business off the ground. Some days, all you will have is the dream of success to drive you.
It’s motivation that will drive us to pursue our goals, take risks, and overcome the challenges that entrepreneurship brings. Without this, it’s easy to become stuck in a rut or give up on our aspirations altogether. That’s why it’s essential to identify and overcome any factor that can kill the incentive and productivity and derail your progress.
It’s far too easy to lay in bed and sabotage yourself. If you don’t try, you can’t fail, right? The best cure for lack of motivation is to avoid these procrastination triggers, but how do we do it? Brew a pot of coffee, and let’s start by counting down the top 10 motivation killers that are sabotaging your success.
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The Top 10 Motivation Killers That Are Sabotaging Your Success
Being envious of others
One of the most dangerous habits an entrepreneur can engage in is envy. The grass will always be greener on the other side of the fence. There will always be someone out there with a better deal or a more successful marketing campaign, but living in a state of constant comparison will only harm your business.
It might seem like others have it all together like nothing phases them, and they just breeze through life. They always have the best ideas and the perfect product launches, and they have flawlessly wind-tossed hair even at 7:00 in the morning.
None of this is true. This is just their branding. An image they portray to illude success. It’s a facade you choose to allow yourself to believe that this person is better than you, but this is simply not true.
Everyone struggles. Everyone has times when they feel self-conscious. Everyone has times when they lay awake at night and wonder if they should have done things differently.
Instead, use these people as a source of support and guidance. Not competition. If they are truly breezing through business ownership, consider what you could learn from them. If they are local, try sending them a message and asking if you could bend their ear. They may be willing to offer some words of advice or encouragement. They might even have a few suggestions to get you out of your rut and onto the next level.
Don’t waste your time comparing yourself to others and feeling like you fall short. Instead, reinvest all that energy on your own journey, and the return will come back 10-fold!
Failing to delegate
Business is not a one-woman show. We can’t do it all on our own. Even the most self-sufficient among us need some help from time to time. Having a helping hand to provide you with support, assistance, and even feedback is vital for the growth of any business.
Many entrepreneurs are perfectionists who feel like they need to do everything themselves. However, this can lead to burnout, a lack of focus on critical tasks, and missed growth opportunities.
Sometimes you just need a fresh set of eyes to proofread your blog post or even someone to bang out the draft. How nice would that be? Without helping to lighten the load, you can find yourself overworked and burnt out.
That is not to say that you have to start adding people to the payroll. You can get some quick help in a pinch by reaching out to one of the many qualified freelancers on Fiverr. Sharing the workload and your goals with others can hold you accountable for achieving them. They will also help in making real progress toward them. There are many paths to success. Let someone share that journey with you.
Not having clearly defined goals
Many entrepreneurs may dive into projects without a clear plan or strategy, leading to wasted time and resources. It’s essential to have a clear plan and set goals to achieve success. If you don’t know how to get there, how do you know where you are going? Are you even on the right path?
You can’t possibly expect to make any progress if you don’t have a clear goal in mind. Set big goals, break them down into weekly targets, and work on them every day. Without them, you will just coast from current to current.
Taking on too much at once
When you are overwhelmed and overworked, it’s really hard to get motivated and make progress. This is often coupled with self-doubt in the ability to even complete the project. I have some great news for you, though: you don’t have to be trapped in this rut.
Creating a systemized workflow can help you better manage your tasks while increasing your productivity and motivation. If you find yourself just staring at your to-do list for hours, not knowing where to start, try taking a step back and breaking down some of these tasks.
Let me show you an example using a blog post. The process of writing can be intimidating. So, instead of trying to tackle it all at once, break it down into simple steps;
Brainstorm blog post ideas
Do SEO research on the top 3 ideas
Draft some outlines for each of the blog posts (possible headings and key points)
Choose one idea
Start a rough draft of the blog post
Edit the blog post
Proofread the blog post
Publish the blog post.
This task list may be longer, but it is much more digestible. No single task is particularly intimidating, and you have actually started three blog posts instead of one. That means when you sit down to write the next one, much of the initial leg work is already done for you.
Not having adequate feedback
Entrepreneurs are often extremely sensitive to negative feedback. This is one of the most common ways they sabotage themselves. However, a lack of feedback can really hinder your progress and dampen your motivation.
When you receive positive feedback, it motivates you to continue on your current path. Building a business is really tough, and the results are not always immediate. It can be challenging to tell if your brand-new marketing plan is truly effective or if it’s the increased ad spend that is boosting your results. Feedback will help you to decipher this.
Assuming all feedback will be negative is robbing you of this opportunity. Relying on your perspective alone closes off a world of opinions. These are invaluable to tweaking and improving your approach.
Constructive feedback can also be a fantastic motivator because it tells us exactly where we need to improve. Sometimes we get caught up in our own vision and forget what the customer truly wants. This can shine a light on what we are missing.
This feedback can sometimes sting our egos, but once we have licked our wounds, we can adjust and come back stronger than ever!
You will be surprised at some of the areas you may be asked to focus on. Tailoring your offerings and marketing to these suggestions will improve them and help them resonate with an even broader audience. This feedback will allow you to direct your energy to where it is actually most effective instead of giving up and scrapping an entire launch.
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Launching to crickets or having zero sales on your offerings
Nothing kills your motivation quite as effectively as logging onto your website day after day and seeing no traffic or no sales. When you are first starting out, it may seem like it takes years to build up any traffic, and in many cases, you’re right.
This is the time to sit back and decide how to use this as a learning opportunity? Are we truly happy with how our website looks? Is it easy to use? Did we have anyone test it and discuss their feedback? Is our offering what people are actually looking for? These are all things that will help us improve the user experience.
What about our marketing plan? Do we have an effective marketing plan to reach out and find our people, or did we just throw up our website and assume someone would find us? How can we improve it to expand our reach and discover our tribe?
Are we honestly doing our best work? Is there anything at all we are unsure of or could do differently? Are there areas where we lack knowledge or could improve? Entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey, and learning is a constant. Make sure that you are consistently taking classes and researching new ways of doing things to grow your skills and confidence.
Whatever the reason for these results, we know now that we need to improve. Failure is an integral part of success. That being said, you have to use it as a learning opportunity to seek out and discover the areas in which you are weak, learn from them, and choose to grow.
Boring content or disinterest in projects
It’s extremely difficult to get motivated to do things when you are not interested in them. These are called chores for a reason. Don’t let your business become a chore that you begin to dread.
Choose a field that you genuinely love and could easily talk about every day for hours on end. Also, don’t feel forced to niche down to a single bullet point. Allow yourself the space and variety to incorporate a large enough breadth to keep you engaged and interested.
I find that the online business coach market is booming, and one thing I am consistently hearing is: “niche down.” It’s almost like they want prospective entrepreneurs to become so pigeon-toed they can’t possibly make it without them. This is strictly my opinion based on the messaging that I have personally seen.
I want to take a stand and counter this approach. While I do believe that it is critical that you clarify your vision and field, especially early on, I don’t think that your business should be a one-trick pony. Instead, think of your different projects and offerings as being cohesive with your brand.
Not having any leadership or a mentor
Having a great mentor that you admire and trust can make a huge difference. This is someone that you can feel safe with asking questions or seeking advice.
Find and connect with people that have attributes you admire. They don’t necessarily have to be in business, but it doesn’t hurt. These qualities can be anything from an amazing communicator to someone who nurtures your creative spirit. Keep in contact with them regularly so they can nurture and guide you.
Having a negative mindset
It’s essential that you have a mindset that is cohesive with progress and achievement. Without this, it’s unlikely that you will accomplish what you want to. This is simply because if you are constantly expecting failure, eventually, it’s all you will ever see.
Keep your perspective positive and forward-focused. Concentrate on your goals and the milestones you need to complete on your way to accomplishing them. Repeat positive affirmations if you need to, and keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when times get tough.
Try not to let yourself fall into a negative feedback loop. This will deplete your motivation and diminish your confidence in your knowledge and abilities. You need to believe in yourself before anyone else can.
Not taking care of yourself
Avoiding self-care is a sure way to self-sabotage. You need to take care of yourself. Whether that means a bubble bath, a face mask, or taking the time to stop by your favourite coffee shop on a busy day.
Indulge yourself just a little. You deserve a reward for all the hard work and effort you put into building this business. You also need to give yourself permission to console yourself when you do not live up to your own expectations. Taking care of yourself, both inside and out, should always be a priority.
Neglecting yourself will only lead to burnout and low self-esteem. This will compound any existing problems you may be experiencing. In order to live up to your expectations, you must invest the resources to be able to accomplish your dreams. No vehicle can run on an empty tank.
Boost Your Motivation with Motion
In the hustle of entrepreneurship, one major motivation killer can be the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start or what to tackle next. This is where Motion comes in as your strategic ally. Motion isn’t just a task manager; it’s a productivity powerhouse designed to turn your aspirations into achievements without the burnout.
Why Motion?
1. Automated Task Prioritization:
Forget about the paralysis of analysis. Motion automatically prioritizes your tasks based on deadlines and personal productivity patterns. It helps you focus on what’s crucial without the stress of manual scheduling.
2. Streamlined Workflow:
Motion’s intuitive design simplifies your workflow by integrating all your tasks, appointments, and emails in one place. This consolidation saves you time and keeps you organized, making it easier to stay motivated and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
3. Customizable Reminders:
Procrastination often creeps in when we don’t have clear, actionable steps. Motion allows you to set customized reminders for each task, ensuring you stay on track and gradually progress toward your goals.
4. Visual Progress Tracking:
Seeing is believing, and with Motion, you can visually track your progress. This feature is especially motivating for entrepreneurs who need to see how small steps accumulate to big results.
5. Collaboration Tools:
If you’re struggling with delegation, Motion’s collaboration tools make it easier to share the workload. Assign tasks, share your progress, and communicate with your team seamlessly within the app. This helps keep everyone aligned and motivated towards common goals.
By integrating Motion into your daily routine, you not only overcome common motivation killers but also create a sustainable environment for success. It’s not just about doing more; it’s about doing what’s right for your business with precision and efficiency.
Embrace the power of Motion and transform how you work. Take control of your time, confidently tackle your to-do list, and keep your motivation high as you grow your business.
This list is, by no means, not the only causes for your motivation to take a nose-dive. However, avoiding them is a great start. Take note of these bad habits and learn to adjust your direction and thinking to stay on track.
Motivation can be fickle, but by staying aware of triggers and having a plan of attack, you can push through slumps to build a business you are proud of. You have all the drive and determination you need. Now you just need a plan to get there.
If you are just starting out, download my free Business Planner Checklist. This guide will help you to work your way through building and launching your business in a stress-free, goal-oriented way. You can download your copy here.
I want to be transparent so that there are no misunderstandings. As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission from any products linked in this post. This is not a sponsored post, and I was not asked to recommend these products. These are products that I genuinely love and wanted to share with my audience.