For many of us, it is hard to stay passionate about a venture for an extensive period of time. Each passing day without noticeable progress seems to set back your interest further. But don’t give up hope, Elite. You might be doing a lot better than you think. The issue is by worrying about day to day progress, you miss out on your overall progress. Here are a few tips to reignite your fire for your business.
Focus on the future
When things aren’t going well, it is easy to lose your passion for what you once loved. Even if you were completely committed to your work when you first began, after a few bumps in the road it is likely that you will be dissuaded from giving your utmost effort. There is a rather simple solution to circumvent this loss of passion: focus on the future. By focusing on the future you can prevent yourself from getting lost in the current issues plaguing you and your business. Think about it, how many times have you been completely devastated by a failure that turned out to be irrelevant in the end? Keep your eye on the prize and you are sure to succeed.
Try to learn from your failures
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you just cannot get the outcome you initially desired. The faster you are able to embrace failure as an unpreventable result of certain situations, the better off you will be. Now this is not to say that one should become complacent with failure, but many of us become instantly dissuaded from our pursuits the moment things turn sour. Bumps in the road should be viewed as such: simply bumps in the road. Do not allow yourself to be turned away from potential opportunities because you are stuck on a past failure.
While failures may be saddening, there is much to be learned from your mistakes. Each failure should be viewed as a learning experience. If one particular path did not work, find out what the flaw was, brainstorm new ideas, and find a way to succeed. Those who give up as soon as the situation ceases to improve will have many failed ventures.
Take action
Stop procrastinating! One of the primary reasons people lose faith and passion for their business is they are not seeing the results they would like. But have you considered that what you are receiving is reflective of the work you are putting in? If you have a tendency to procrastinate, find ways to remedy this behavior. Make a schedule, start using a calendar, or maybe set reminders to ensure that you are completing the tasks for each day.
Remain optimistic
No matter what has happened in the past, remain optimistic for what is to come. Remember, life can always get better. You might be working in the mail room today and in the executive office ten years down the line. The key is the keep a positive mindset. Instead of sulking and pondering why you’re in your current predicament, perhaps it would be prudent to contemplate ways you can transcend the limitations of your life.
Stick to your inner circle
Your inner circle of friends is invaluable. Remember, who you surround yourself with is a direct reflection on who you are as a person and is indicative of what you can anticipate for the future. The key is to find a group of individuals that are not only a great fit personality wise, but also a great fit professionally. What use is 2,000 friends if none of them can contribute to your work life or personal life in any facet?
Only compete against yourself
The easiest way to lose your drive is to waste your time comparing yourself to others. “They’re doing so much better than I am right now,” you think. “Why is his company seeing more success than mine,” you whine. “What am I doing wrong? Why is he so much more successful than I am,” you might ponder. This mindset is detrimental and will lead to your demise.
It is most effective if you spend your time competing against yourself. Of course it is inevitable that one must gauge the competition in the business, but to perpetually compare your progress to that of another is not helpful in any way. Benchmark your progress and compare how you are doing now to how you were doing before. Have you improved? If so, congratulate yourself. While you might not be CEO yet, your progress from mail clerk to manager is certainly marked progress worth congratulating.
Elite.
