What is your driving force? What keeps you going everyday? Is it your job, your family, or your livelihood? When I write about motivation I am writing about what the driving force is behind keeping you moving in the direction you need to go each day. This applies to everyone no matter if you are self-employed, or a salesman, a home-based worker, a wife, author, or husband; motivation is required to keep us in the frame of mind we need to be in order to be successful at what we are trying to achieve.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated? Everyone has highs and lows in their business and life, so we all find ways to motivate ourselves. Listed here are some of the ways I motivate myself:

1. Prayer. As a Christian this is very motivating to me. I know God is listening it just depends on His timeframe when He answers. I patiently wait for those answers.
2. Daily Goals. Every morning I write down what I need to accomplish for the day. At the end of the day it is a pleasant feeling to see all the lines I have drawn to cross off the items listed I have accomplished.
3. Read. I normally turn to self-help manuals for guidance in positive direction. As a self-employed person, I frequently read online newsletters, buy books, read articles; researching any media I can that I think will help me in accomplishing the goals I set for myself.
4. Reach out to a friend. If all else fails, call a friend to be a sounding board. When sharing with others, it builds awareness and enables you to realize you are not the only person trying to accomplish something. A large majority of the time the person you contacted needs support and motivation also.

At one point in your life or another, we all have felt our efforts are not worth the outcome we have reaped so far. If you will remember why you are trying to accomplish what you are doing, then some of your motivation may come back. Perhaps it is for your family, your spouse, or yourself, whatever the reason you were motivated to do something, now go and accomplish it! The 80/20 rule applies here also; 80% know what to do and 20% do it. Do not lose the faith. Nothing is holding you back but self-doubt or weariness and lack of motivation! Be part of the 20% and do it! As Nike says, “Just Do It”!